Arriving at Christophe Mertz, we almost blame ourselves for having interrupted him in the middle of "Counter-Strike". On closer inspection, it is actually satellite maps that scroll on the three computer screens installed on his desk, not the images of a video game. "Welcome to Atmo-Risk", smiles this geek of the weather with a smile. It is in his Strasbourg apartment in the Meinau district that this storm hunter installed his start-up, created in 2013. And the equipment is basic to say the least. “With only three computers, I run Atmo-Risk. Unlike Météo France or private operators, I do not rely on automation but on humans, so I do not need large bulky servers ", explains the graduate in ocean sciences, atmosphere and climate of the University of Toulouse.
Competition, the Alsatian thirties scratch it without complex: “For several years, the general public has been drinking free weather forecasts on applications or on the Internet. The problem is that this data is delivered coldly by a robot, without explanation. "To offer" more humanized "forecasts, Christophe Mertz focused on decryption:" I rely on radar and satellite images shared free of charge by German or French sites. From this, I propose detailed and localized climate analyzes. "
Personalized alerts
Proven expertise, if we believe the satisfaction score of 4.9 / 5 awarded by the 32,000 members of the Atmo-Risk Facebook page. "Every morning, I post the daily weather report for free to the general public," said the meteorologist. Among his regular readers, there is Philippe Krick: “It was on Facebook that I discovered Atmo-Risk. Seduced by the reliability of Christophe's forecasts, I approached him to obtain personalized service. "
The wine grower of Wintzenheim (Haut-Rhin) therefore joined the twenty or so customers (Kronenbourg brewery, Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Bas-Rhin, municipality of Molsheim, etc.) that the meteorological study office has. “Each subscriber is assigned identifiers. By connecting to my website, it will find weather information located in its geographic area but also receive SMS alerts in the event of a violent phenomenon, such as a thunderstorm or storm, ”explains Christophe Mertz. A service that has already convinced Philippe Krick. “I subscribed for 250 euros per year to Atmo-Risk in September, at the height of the harvest. The quality of the forecasts saved me money since I was able to warn the cutters not to come to work on rainy days, ”says the winegrower, happy.
“Being behind your screens to scrutinize climatic phenomena is a time-consuming and unprofitable activity. But, ensures the Strasbourg, as a passionate meteorologist that I am, I will always be happy to see a depression arrive, to prevent the Alsatians! "
Le Parisien, partner of the consultation "How to act together now for the environment?" ”, Initiated by Make.org, invites you to submit your ideas and vote on those of the other participants in the module below. You will be informed of the results in February 2020.