It goes without saying that our planet is on the verge of being hit by the most disastrous effects of climate change, and even in recent years, we have witnessed some of these effects in the form of devastating floods, global warming, and excessive heat waves. Hence, in order to raise awareness about the severity of the situation and to equip people with sufficient knowledge about the effects of climate change, researchers have come up with the most sophisticated and the world’s first public storm simulator in Nordborg, Denmark.
The simulator has been named “Beat the Storm” and it is equipped with winds of 100 mph (160km/h) and has been developed with the aim of giving visitors a chance to experience these thrilling winds. This would, in turn, inculcate a sense of responsibility in them to take green measures for the betterment of the environment and to protect future generations from the destructive effects of climate change. Not to mention, the whole setup consists of two simulators, and the people are exposed to the winds of a “category II hurricane”.
Coupled with this, Troels Nim Andersen, who is the Project Manager at Universe Science Park where these simulators are located, said, “Beat the Storm engages people at all ages, allowing them to experience senses that can’t be experienced in any other way. This activity is a way to explore the wind and raise interest in this element of nature—and everyone loves it!” He further stated, “Our aim has always been to make science fun and, in doing so, inspire our visitors to become explorers and problem-solvers.”
However, it has been reported that in the coming decades, the regions which are more exposed to tropical cyclones include cities like Beijing, New York, and Tokyo, as they are located in mid-latitudes. Not to mention, a global climate assessment was also revealed last month titled “United In Science” and in this, the World Meteorological Association demonstrated that our planet is already under the destructive clinches of climate change as it is dealing with “high global temperatures and destructive climate-driven floods, droughts, and heatwaves.”
To that end, Ingus Augstkalns, who is the founder of Beat the Storm, said, “We plan to build 100+ of such storm simulators across the world to allow visitors of science and entertainment centers, amusement parks, and other places to experience wind, starting from a breeze of 22 mph (35km/h) for kids, up to a category II hurricane.” It should be noted that people from ages 5 to 8 are permitted to enter the simulator. What they have to do is to endure the presence of these strong winds by walking to the end of the simulator where they have to push the button installed.