Understand NWP outputs
Christo Georgiev (NIMH) discusses the effect of vorticity on tropical cyclones and development of severe thunderstorms, through the scope of water vapour imagery.
Water vapour (WV) images provide useful information to anticipate the effects of upper-level dynamic environment on the intensity of a tropical cyclone (TC) as well as on its extratropical transition (ET), a gradual process in which a TC loses tropical characteristics and becomes more extratropical in nature. Analyses of WV imagery shows that during ET stage over subtropical areas, advection of potential vorticty anomaly can influence the ET and control the process.
Large amounts of water vapour, originated by TCs may be involved in transfer of moisture by planetary waves, associated with ET developments and give rise to a narrow regions of strong meridional water vapour flux. The presentation shows WV imagery synoptic-scale analysis, which shows supply with additional large amount of moisture of an existing already favourable convective environment. The
combination lead into an environment with very high CAPE and potential to accelerate upward, acquiring kinetic energy and forming strong vertical motions in a deep tropospheric layer. The process is illustrated by a case of catastrophic hailstorm over Bulgaria, Eastern Mediterranean.
Thomas August (EUMETSAT) presents the current polar satellite sounders and makes a comparison with the capabilities of the future MTG infrared sounder
Satellite infrared sounders like IASI allow retrieving the vertical structure of the atmospheric humidity. Their measurements are exploited in synergy with the microwave (MW) sounders, when such companions are present on the same platforms as is the case in the operational EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) programme and in the EPS-Second Generation (SG). This synergy increases the yield and quality of sounding in cloudy pixels. The future infrared sounder (IRS) onboard Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) will operate without MW companions. It will however provide unprecedented spatio-temporal sounding, with a typical ground-resolution of 7km and observations every 30 minutes over Europe.
The extensive utilisation of machine learning guarantees the provision of reliable atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles and uncertainty estimated within less than 30 minutes from sensing. We present here the characteristics of satellite thermodynamic profiles from the current and future missions and the experience made in studies with meteorological services to contribute to nowcasting severe weather events, and prepare to the future sounder missions.
Bryan Guarante (University of Wisconsin) uses a COMET course to explain the usefulness of analysing water vapour images with a goal of assessing the NWP fields.
In dynamically-active regions of the atmosphere, water vapour imagery approximates the same surface as the 1.5PVU height or pressure surface. Because of this, we can take advantage of the WV channels to find areas of mismatch between the NWP and the real atmosphere to adjust our synoptic scale forecasts.
Wilfried Jacobs (DWD) introduces the water vapour channels in the 2022 EUMeTrain Water Vapour Event Week.
The target group of this presentation is participants that are not familiar or do not feel familiar enough for understanding the presentations during the entire week. The first presentation deals with basics of vapour water channels in satellite products. First, the principle of radiation and radiation transfer will be outlined briefly and put in relation to wave lengths of imagers and vertical sounders by considering weighting functions. The second part deals with some examples by using single channels. Finally, corresponding composites (RGBs) and their applications will explained in detail.
Presentation during the event week on Convection in June 2009.
Fritz Woelfelmaier from ZAMG (Austria). Using statistical methods from several convection parameters from the LAM model ALADIN AUSTRIA he has developed a severe convection index, which was verified/correlated with lightning data and hail analysis from weather radar data. In the presentation Fritz will explain this method in more detail and show a case studies to demonstrate this benefit. The usefulness of this method has been proven and will subsequently become operational to the forecasters in Austria in the near future.
The session will be continued by Jari Tuovinen from Finnish Meteorological Institute on the Investigation on hail occurrences in MSG.
Lee-Ann Simpson and Jannie Stander from the South-African Weather Service started the first session of the WWW-Briefing. Lee-Ann gave a weather briefing for the South-African region and Jannie introduced the conceptual models of cold fronts and cut-off lows as they appear on the southern hemisphere.
Length: 50 min
Author: Lee-Ann Simpson, Jannie Stander
Lee-Ann Simpson is currently working as a meteorological trainer in the Regional Training Center (RTC) in Pretoria. She worked as an operational forecaster from 2003-2008, after which she started in the training department. She presently lectures to Post graduate forecasting students, focusing on specialized weather forecasting and satellite meteorology. Through the University of Pretoria, she lectures satellite meteorology and Tropical meteorology to honours students. Her interests lie in short term forecasting, severe weather and all satellite based interpretation of weather phenomena. She has a BSc (Hon) in Meteorology from the University of Pretoria and she is currently completing her MSc through the same institution.
Jannie Stander has worked as an operational weather forecaster from 1998 to 2005. Since 2006 Jannie has been working in the Regional Training Centre at Pretoria providing marine (2006-2008) and aviation forecaster training (2008-current). His main interests are aviation meteorology, synoptic meteorology and satellite interpretation and he is involved with several international working groups within these disciplines. He holds a BSc Hons degree in Meteorology at the University of Pretoria and is currently completing his MSc at the same University.
Mahmood Al-Khayari gives an overview of typical weather situations in the Sultanate of Oman.
Length: 30 min
Author: Mahmood Al-Khayari
Mahmood Al-Khayari graduated at Saint Louis University (Missouri State), USA, with BS in meteorology in 2003. He is also holding MS in an engineering field from Sultan Qaboos University. Mahmood Al-Khayari works at Oman Met Service since Feb 2004 until now as meteorologist specialized in forecasting. He has done different kinds of forecasting: General, Aviation and Marine. Also he worked as a lecturer during this period in many courses such as: Met Technician course, aviation courses for Royal Force courses, marine courses for Oman Royal Navy, and many others. Mahmood Al-Khayari was recently selected to take care of the chief's duties of Remote sensing and research section.
Ok Hee Kim holds the weather briefing for the South Korean region. Her topics are: Asian Dust, Typhoons and typical weather phenomena in East Asia.
Length: 50 min
Author: Ok Hee Kim
Ok Hee received her BSc in Astronomy at the Chungbuk National University at Chungchungbukdo the province of South Korea (1992), and MSc in Meteorology from the Seoul National University in Seoul South Korea (2004). She is preparing for the PhD. Her areas of interest include severe weather, lake-effect snow, Asian dust, fog and applications of satellite imagery to weather forecasting, particularly on the mesoscale. She worked at weather forecasting division as assistant for weather forecaster for 3 years from 1992 and satellite image analyst 3 years from 1996. She has been a research associate at NMSC (National Meteorological Satellite Center) KMA (Korea Meteorological Administration) since 2006. She is currently working as a meteorological satellite image trainer and analyzer of COMS (Communication Ocean Meteorological Satellite) image for KMA's weather forecaster in NMSC. Presently, she is trying to develop Conceptual Models which are applicated in East Asia after training SATREP in ZAMG.
Vesa Nietosvaara and Larisa Nikitina give a weather briefing for the European region, Larisa focusses on the preparations for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.
Length: 55 min
Author: Vesa Nietosvaara, Larisa Nikitina
Vesa Nietosvaara has worked as an operational weather forecaster for twenty years in 1988-2008. Since 1998 Vesa has been working within several training projects and created learning resources for operational meteorologists. Particularly, he is interested in satellite image interpretation and conceptual models for weather diagnosis. Most of his career Vesa has done at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, but since 2012 he works as a Training Officer at EUMETSAT. He assists the EUMeTrain monthly weather briefing team and regularly participates or lead the European online weather briefings (ePort weather briefings).
Larisa (Lara) Nikitina has been working as aviation weather forecaster in Rostov aviation center (Rostov-on-Don, south Russia) since 1985 after training as a weather forecaster in Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RSHU). And since 2010 she became the weather forecaster for Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Her special interests are the satellite meteorology applications for nowcasting and distance learning.
Diamantino Henriques gives a weather briefing for the Azores and looks back to the heavy rain event on 13th and 14th March 2013.
Length: 30 min
Author: Diamantino Henriques
Diamantino Henriques, received his degree in Atmospheric Physics at the University of Aveiro (1986) and his MS in Meteorology from the University of Lisboa (1996). From 1987 to 2003 he worked in Lisbon as meteorologist on atmospheric ozone and UV radiation issues. He has represented Portugal on several international meetings related with atmospheric composition and has participated in several projects and programs related with atmospheric ozone (GAW), atmospheric pollutants transport (EMEP) and UV radiation (EDUCE). In 2003 he moves to the Azores and worked at Ponta Delgada Airport as a senior meteorologist and forecaster. Later in 2008 he was nominated Head of the Regional Delegation of the Portuguese Institute of Meteorology (IM) in the Azores. Currently, he is the Head of the Azores Regional Delegation of the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA, former IM) that includes the weather forecast service for the Azores.
Bodo Zeschke gives a comprehensive overview of the technical facilities available at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology followed by a weather briefing and a short lecture on shallow cold fronts.
Length: 50 min
Author: Bodo Zeschke
Bodo Zeschke received his BS in Physics at the University of New South Wales and MS in Meteorology at Monash University (2001). From 2001 to 2009 he worked as a forecaster at the Darwin Regional Forecasting Centre. During this time Bodo developed an interest in fog and low cloud nowcasting and forecasting for northern Australian regions. Since 2009 he has been engaged as a Lecturer to Australian and International postgraduate students studying for the Diploma of Meteorology at the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre. Bodo has lectured in Tropical Meteorology, Satellite Meteorology and Weather Discussion training. Duties also include presenting lectures on related topics at World Meteorology Organisation courses and at the Bureau's annual Advanced Forecaster Workshop. He is the point of contact for the Australian VLab Centre of Excellence. Present topic of interest includes the integration of the satellite multichannel RGB products generated from MODIS imagery into Bureau forecast and training resources. This in preparation for the effective use of RGB products generated by the future Himawari 8 satellite.
Phil Chadwick introduces his home country Canada and talks about the challenges a forecasters has to face in this large coutry. He puts most emphasis on satellite images and water vapour patterns.
Length: 50 min
Author: Phil Chadwick
Trained at Queen's University as a nuclear physicist, "Phil the Forecaster" has been a professional meteorologist since 1976. Officially retired in 2011 Phil still continues to advance his research efforts with COMET and the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC). Satellite and radar meteorology are his forte. Much of this research has been published by COMET under the Satellite Palette banner. Phil has also completed original and extensive research on performance measurement. This large body of work resides in the Case Studies section of Northern Latitude Meteorology (NorLatMet/COMET). Aside from the above Phil has been painting en plein air forever - Philtheforecaster.blogspot.com - art and science are indeed similar endeavours. A sense of humour bundles all of this together and makes learning and teaching fun.