Schneider Electric is leveraging its big data and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled WeatherSentry platform to connect more than 4,000 disparate rural area weather stations. The platform will provide a more holistic view of rural weather patterns across the US, helping the agriculture industry to increase efficiency, profitability and sustainability.

WeatherSentry sensors capture field-level weather and soil conditions that are used to create accurate localized temperature and precipitation forecasts, alongside storm record archives and historical weather logs, to help farmers, ranchers and landowners assess and plan for the weather’s impact on day-to-day operations. The WeatherSentry platform generates more rural area agricultural data than any other provider.

Intensified by the impact of climate change, weather events significantly affect crop productivity and health. WeatherSentry’s geographic information system (GIS) alerting system provides real-time data to allow farmers to plan crop locations, optimize water and soil usage and prioritize activity based on 15-day forecasts, leading to less waste, increased safety and more efficiency.

According to Schneider Electric, WeatherSentry is proven to be between 40 and 63 percent more accurate than other weather sources.

Schneider Electric currently provides weather services to more than 100,000 agricultural industry customers worldwide.