RA IV/HC-XXXIV/Doc. 7.1, p. 1
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION______
RA IV HURRICANE COMMITTEE
THIRTY-FOURTH SESSION
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL, USA
11 TO 15 APRIL 2012 / RA IV/HC-XXXIV/Doc. 7.1
(23.II.2012)
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ITEM 7.1
Original: ENGLISH
REVIEW OF THE COMMITTEE'S TECHNICAL PLAN AND ITS
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME FOR 2012 AND BEYOND
Meteorological component
(Submitted by the Secretariat)
Summary and Purpose of DocumentThis document provides information and proposals related to various aspects of the meteorological component to assist the Committee in its review of this component of its Technical Plan which is aimed at strengthening the hurricane forecasting and warning system.
ACTION PROPOSED
The Hurricane Committee is invited to:
(a)Note the information given in this document and that provided by participants at the session;
(b)Review the meteorological component of its Technical Plan and its Implementation Programme (see reference), taking into account the proposals made, and recommend specific additions and other amendments to it, including indication of items to be given priority attention during 2012-2013;
(c)Decide further action to be taken to promote the improvements in the forecasting and warning of hurricanes and on the supporting meteorological observation, telecommunications (WMO/WIS) and data processing facilities and arrangements.
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Reference:Technical Plan(refer to “RA IV/HC-XXXIV/Doc. 7”)
RA IV/HC-XXXIV/Doc. 7.1, p. 1
7.1 METEOROLOGICAL COMPONENT
GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM
REGIONAL BASIC SYNOPTIC NETWORK (RBSN)
7.1.1The Regional Basic Synoptic Network (RBSN), being a minimum regional requirement to permit Members to fulfil their responsibilities within the WMO World Weather Watch (WWW) Programme, continued to provide essential support for hurricane detection and warning services in Region IV. In total, the RBSN in the region consist of 694 stations (218 are AWSs) inclusive of 27 automatic marine stations. During the intersessional period the number of surface stations (SYNOP)decreased to 534 stations (538 in 2010) but the number of 133 upper-air stations (TEMP)remained unchanged. .The overall status of observations implemented by RBSN stations continued to remain stable at over 90% for surface observations and 95% for upper-air observations, as recorded in WMO Weather Reporting Publication No. 9, Volume A, which is available on the WMO website:
7.1.2The Integrated WWW Monitoring(IWM)[1]provides information on the performance level of the observing and telecommunications systems. As per the average results of the IWMexercise carried out on a quarterly basis during 2010/2011, the availability of SYNOP reports on the Main Telecommunication Network (MTN) amounted to 82%, an increase from 80% (in 2009/2010), of expected reports from the RBSN. The number of ‘silent’ non-reporting surface stations remained unchanged at 49 stations as in the previous year.
7.1.3The average availability of TEMP reports on the MTN as per the IWM exercise carried out in 2010/2011, also remained unchanged as in the previous year at 89% of expected reports from the RBSN. However, the number of ‘silent’ non-reporting upper-air stations (TEMP) increased to 5 with the addition of one station from 4 the previous year.
SPACE-BASED OBSERVING SYSTEM (SBOS)
7.1.4The space-based observing system includes constellations of operational satellites in geostationary or Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Environmental Research and Development (R&D) satellitesprovide a useful complement to these operational observations when available in near-real time.Of particular relevance for tropical cyclones are the geostationary spacecraft for permanent high resolution visible and infrared imager, infra-red and microwave imagery from LEO satellites to derive sea surface temperature, microwave sounding from LEO satellites to derive total precipitable water, microwave imagery associated with active microwave sensors for precipitation rate (like TRMM and the future GPM), scatterometry (e.g. with Metop/ASCAT) to derive ocean surface wind fields,andradar altimetry (e.g. Jason-2) to derive sea state.
7.1.5A status of satellite missions contributing to the Global Observing system is provided on the following web page: Current constellations of operational geostationary and polar-orbiting meteorological satellites include: GOES12, GOES-13, GOES-15, and NOAA-19 operated by the United States; MTSAT-1R operated by Japan; Meteosat-7, Meteosat-9and METOP-A operated by EUMETSAT; FY-2D, FY-2E, FY-3A and FY-3B operated by China; Kalpana and INSAT-3A operated by India; Meteor-M1 operated by the Russian Federation;and the ocean surface altimetry satellite JASON-2 as a cooperation among Europe (EUMETSAT), France (CNES) and the USA (NASA and NOAA). Additional satellites are in back-up position,or undergoing commissioning like the new generation Suomi-NPP of the USA.Several satellites are expected to be launched in 2012, including Metop-B and Meteosaqt-10 by EUMETSAT, and the geostationary INSAT-3D by India.
7.1.6Among the R&D or other environmental missions that provide a valuable contribution to operational tropical cyclone activities, one should note in particular: NASA’s Aqua and Terramissions; NASA-CNES Jason-1 mission; NASA-JAXA’s TRMMM (with precipitation radar, microwave imager and lightning mapper); ESA’s Envisat mission (namely with SAR and radar altimeter), China’s HY-2A ocean monitoring satellite (with scatterometer, altimeter and microwave radiometer), ISRO’s Oceansat-2(with scatterometer, ocean colour monitor and radio-occultation) and CNES-ISRO’sMegha-Tropiques (with microwave imager and sounder for precipitation estimation). Missions planned for launch in 2012 include: the ISRO-CNES SARAL (with an altimeter) and JAXA’s GCOM-W1 missions (with microwave imager providing all-weather sea surface temperature measurements). As concerns the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) programme, the launch of its core satellite is now planned for early 2014.
7.1.7An inventory of satellite and instrument characteristics is maintained in the Dossier on the Space-based GOS, available on line for download ( It contains gap analyses for the different components of the GOS. For example Tables 1 and 2 below show the planned availability of scatterometers, capable of providing ocean surface wind observations, and of low-frequency microwave radiometers, capable of providing all-weather Sea Surface Temperature observations, over the next 10 years.
Table 1. Planned availability of scatterometers in 2012-2021 (Based on GOS-Dossier-January 2012)
Instrument / Satellite / ECT/incl. / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021SCAT / HY-2A / 06:00 d / X / X / X / X / X
WindSat / Coriolis / 06:00 d / X
ASCAT / MetOp-A / 09:30 d / X
ASCAT / MetOp-B / 09:30 d / X / X / X / X / X / X
ASCAT / MetOp-C / 09:30 d / X / X / X / X / X / X
SCA / MetOp-SG-B1 / 09:30 d / X
SCAT / Meteor-M N3 / TBD / X / X / X / X / X / X
SCAT / Meteor-MP N3 / TBD / X / X / X
WindRAD / FY-3E / 10:00 d / X / X / X / X
WindRAD / FY-3G / 10:00 d / X
SCAT / OceanSat-2 / 12:00 d / X / X / X
SCAT / OceanSat-3 / 12:00 d / X / X / X / X / X / X
Table 2. Planned availability of low-frequency microwave radiometers in 2012-2021 (Based on GOS-Dossier-January 2012).
Instrument / Satellite / ECT/incl. / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021RAD / HY-2A / 06:00 d / X / X / X / X / X
MSMR / OceanSat-1 / 12:00 d
AMSR-E / EOS-Aqua / 13:30 a / X
AMSR-2 / GCOM-W1 / 13:30 a / X / X / X / X / X / X
AMSR-2 / GCOM-W2 / 13:30 a / X / X / X / X / X / X
AMSR-2 / GCOM-W3 / 13:30 a / X / X
7.1.8Data accessibility issues are reviewed in the context of the Integrated Global Dissemination Service (IGDDS) project. One objective of this project is to implement a quasi-global coverage of WMO Regions by multipurpose telecommunications satellite-based broadcasting services using the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) standard (See WIS/GTS below). Satellite data access requirements are kept under review at the regional level ; the requirements identified by the RA III / RA IV Satellite Data Requirements Task Team are published on line:
WMO INFORMATION SYSTEM (WIS/GTS)
7.1.9The WMO Global Telecommunications System (GTS)comprises a dedicated network of surface-based and satellite–based telecommunication links and centres operated by countries, interconnecting all NMHSs for the round-the-clockrapid and reliable collection and distribution of all meteorological and related data and forecasts. The GTS also provides for the exchange of weather, water and climate-related warnings, supporting the distribution of multi-hazard alerts and advisories and exchange of related information.
7.1.10In RA IV, the NOAA satellite distribution system for aviation services known as the “International Satellite Communication System" (ISCS) will cease in June 2012, with aviation users expected to migrate to an internet ftp solution. The new NOAA-Net MPLS at 64 kbps is several times faster than the ISCS data transmission rate and forms the backbone of the new area meteorological data communications network. All Members of RA IV will be able to connect to this system through secure internet connections for both sending and receiving information; testing of this will be complete before the ISCS service finishes and workstation vendors are co-operating in the transition. From August 2012 there will be a pilot implementation of GEONETCAST Americas satellite dissemination for GTS information as a backup to the secure internet system; participating users will need to purchase the appropriate equipment themselves. Those Members needing higher assurance of availability will be able to purchase private line connections to the NOAA-Net hub in New York.
7.1.11The current GTS is evolving towards the WMO Information System (WIS) to provide new and more flexible functionality to support all NMHSscore activities. This includes ensuring the rapid exchange ofwarnings and information to support national Early Warning Systems. The WIS implementation plan is progressing well, with two parts being developed and implemented in parallel: Part A consisting of consolidation and further improvements of the GTS for time-critical and operation-critical data, including its extension to meet operational requirements of all WMO Programmes, and Part B consisting of the extension of the information services through flexible data discovery, access and retrieval services to authorized users, as well as flexible timely delivery services. For the WIS-GTS real-time network structure, the concept of Area Meteorological Data Communication Networks (AMDCN) has been developed, in which each WIS Global Information System Centre (GISC)is responsible for ensuring that telecommunication links and data flow in its area of responsibility are coordinated appropriately. Also, the global DVB-S infrastructure of the Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS) is progressing well with the implementation of inter-regional data exchange mechanisms and user support services.
7.1.12WIS has been operational from January 2012, with an initial three GISCs (Beijing, Offenbach and Tokyo) offering the initial service. More GISCs are planned, including one in New Delhi. These are supported by Data Collection or Production Centres. The Manual on WIS (WMO No. 1060) and amendments to include WIS in the Technical Regulations (WMO No. 49) have been published. These combined with a Guideline to WIS and guidelines for WMO Metadata for WIS ( will allow all Members to begin to implement the new WIS functionality. It is expected that GISC Washington will take the leading role in ensuring Members inRA IV also implement and benefit from the new functionality of WIS.
7.1.13The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP, ITU Recommendation X.1303), which is a content standard designed for all-hazards and all-media public alerting.CAP is used in the disaster response community for delivering information about a large variety of events, and it is suitable for the dissemination of weather, climate and water related alerts and warnings. Thus CAP will now be supported in the virtual all hazards network within the WIS-GTS.
7.1.14 For Members to benefit fully from WIS, it is essential that NMHS implement plans to deploy WIS functionality in their programme plans and that committees such as the RA IV Hurricane Committee work with the GISC Washington and WMO secretariat to ensure their programmes include WIS implementation as a priority activity over this WMO 16th financial period.
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[1]See detailed monitoring results in