Lerwick observatory celebrates centenary in delayed ceremony

The Met Office observatory in Lerwick has celebrated 100 years of service at a ceremony today (Tuesday).

Tuesday actually marked 101 years since the Lerwick observatory opened on 7th June 1921, however the celebrations were postponed last year due to Covid.

Observatory manager Norrie Lyall said that “very few” centres reach the “significant milestone” of a century.

While as many as 40 people worked in the observatory in the past, there are just five staff there now.

But Mr Lyall said the job was “still the same” as it ever was – with workers “recording the best data we can” and reporting it to the Met Office.

An ozonesonde balloon, which measures the concentration of ozone at different altitudes and broadcasts them by radio, was launched on Tuesday afternoon.

And a plaque commemorating the observatory’s 100th anniversary was unveiled by Met Office services director Simon Brown.

Watch a video of the balloon launch below: