143 / 218
[
] 141
Product dissemination to national Civil Defence services
– The
dissemination of forecasts and products is the foundation of
each country’s NMS. Such distribution ensures the optimal use
of information and will prevent any national service releasing
information in an inappropriate format or language, or at an
unsuitable time, due to its lack of awareness of the possible
regulations, restrictions or implications entailed.
Coordination
– The regional virtual centre will have its work
coordinated by each node of the participating network of insti-
tutions, and the NMS will also be connected among
themselves. This will constitute the regional network. Within
each country, according to internal arrangements, national
operational and research institutions may also form a network
coordinated by the NMS for that individual country.
Participating countries and institutions
The regional network is comprised of the Servicio
Meteorologico Nacional of Argentina, the Instituto Nacional
de Meteorologia of Brazil, the Dirección de Meteorologia e
Hidrologia of Paraguay and Dirección Nacional de
Meteorologia of Uruguay. These regional nodes will constitute
the focal points for the network of participating countries.
In the case of Brazil, an internal, national network is being
formed by INMET, with the National Meteorological Institute
as the focal point. This development is possible through close
coordination with INPE/CPTEC (Center for Weather
Prediction and Climate Studies), the Center for Hydrography
of the Brazilian Navy, the Meteorological System of Paraná State
(SIMEPAR), and the Center for Integrated Environmental
Resources of Santa Catarina (CIRAM).
Expected benefits
Improved monitoring, prediction and coordination, as well as
enhanced expertise in severe weather phenomena will provide
a basis for the provision of timely and comprehensive infor-
mation. Such information will be released to decision makers
within Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Technical
benefits will include the ability to:
• Test the capacity of Meteorological Services to use a variety
of numerical products, including multi-model ensemble
forecasts, in the dissemination of results to existing insti-
tutions, in order to minimize risks under severe weather
conditions
• Control and decrease the time needed for emission alerts
• Improve the interaction between meteorological services
and Civil Defence bodies in each country
• Augment the accuracy of products offered by global
models and global centres when adapted to local usage
• To use a hierarchical (cascading) process for disseminat-
ing information.
The major, tangible benefit will be a decrease in disaster
impacts on the population. This will be realized through a
reduction in loss of life and damage to property caused by
dangerous synoptic and mesoscale meteorological phenomena
such as flooding, windstorms, freezing rain and frosts.
The regional cooperation of meteorological institutions will
allow the effective application of knowledge in order to deal
with common regional phenomena. This example may trigger
other regional collaborations in the field of geophysical
sciences connected to biological issues (e.g. malaria and dengue
epidemics) and social sciences applications.
Atlantic, where almost no direct oceanic measurements are
currently made. Better understanding of phenomena that bring
severe or extreme weather, and improved methods to predict
them are also required.
Fundamental to the success of this endeavour is institutional
capacity building, as well as the training of specialized person-
nel for the Meteorological Services of each region. This would
provide the fundamental basis for a high quality virtual centre
for the reduction of disaster impacts. Such a centre would
provide precise and timely information that could be immedi-
ately released to the relevant decision makers (civil defence
services, authorities etc.) in each country.
Project concept and components
The envisaged southern South American regional virtual
centres for monitoring, prediction and early warning will be
built on the strength of each country’s capability in terms of
operational services, as well as existing research and training
facilities. The virtual centre is in fact a network of national
institutions, closely coordinated by a national node that
connects all of the countries. It will deal with all aspects of
data collection, dissemination and the exchange of forecasts
and conferencing between service providers. When a product
is finalized, its dissemination and the issuance of warnings, in
close coordination with Civil Defence, will be the purview of
each country. The meteorological aspects (data, forecast) of
the joint venture are common to all participants, but the final
dissemination is exacted by each individual NMSs of Argentina,
Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay in view of the differing national
implications and institutional frameworks for decision making.
Data gathering
– There is a need to further enhance the
network of automatic weather stations in each country of the
region. Also, better use of the satellite and radar information
currently available is a must. Since many of the phenomena
that bring severe weather events have their genesis and/or
amplification in oceanic areas, the implementation and main-
tenance of oceanic buoys and meteo-oceanographic stations
in costal areas deserves special attention.
Understanding the genesis and evolution of extreme weather
events
– There is a need for more research into understanding
both synoptic scale and mesoscale weather systems that are
prone to severe conditions. Fortunately, there are excellent
research and university groups capable of producing informa-
tion on the events that potentially bring flooding, as well as
extreme conditions related to frost, wind storms, and so on.
Forecasting
– The virtual centre forecasters will be trained in
Madrid, thanks to cooperation with the Instituto Nacional de
Meteorologia (INM) of Spain. This indicates the beginnings of
a live network of the people and institutions involved on a
national basis. The training will bring the team up to date on
current forecast methodology as well as modern ways to release
products to the civil defence services, media and public author-
ities of each country.
Routine exchange of data, products and information
– The NMS
around the world regularly exchange geophysical data and
products using the Global Telecommunications System of the
World Meteorological Organization. In addition, a special
intranet connection will be established for all participating
agencies and forecasters involved with the operation of the
virtual centre. This closed link is necessary due to the nature
of the data and products exchanged, and the particularities of
each partner institution within a country.