NWP
Mary Forsythe presents the impact of satellite winds on the performance of NWP models (ECMWF).
Satellite-derived winds are an important part of the global observing system. Atmospheric motion vectors, derived from tracking clouds in satellite imagery, and ocean surface winds from scatterometers have been routinely assimilated in global and regional NWP models for many years. More recently, wind profiles have become available from the Aeolus Doppler Wind Lidar. The talk will focus on how we use these datasets, their impact in global NWP models and some thoughts for the future.
Lothar Schueller gives an overview on the SAF structure and the generated products.
Length: 30 minutes.
SAFs are dedicated centres of excellence for processing satellite data, achieved by utilising specialist expertise from the Member States. SAFs generate and disseminate operational EUMETSAT products and services and are an integral part of the distributed EUMETSAT Application Ground Segment.
Each SAF is led by the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of a EUMETSAT Member State, in association with a consortium of EUMETSAT Member States and Cooperating States, government bodies and research institutes. The lead NMS is responsible for the management of each complete SAF project. The research, data and services provided by the SAFs complement the standard meteorological products delivered by EUMETSAT’s central facilities in Darmstadt, Germany.
Tony McNally from ECMWF speaks about data assimilation of polar orbiting satellites. He gives an insight into the methods used and accentuates the benefits of satellite data in general for the forecast skills.
This lecture introduces the central role played by data assimilation in Numerical Weather Prediction, Climate Reanalysis and Environmental monitoring. It will be shown that radiance observations from polar orbiting satellites are the single most influential component of the global observing network and the impact of these data on forecast quality will be demonstrated. Finally, the major scientific challenges facing the successful exploitation of satellite radiance observations will be discussed - in particular issues related to vertical resolution, cloud and precipitation contamination and systematic errors.
Nigel Atkinson from the UK MetOffice presents the AAPP package to process ATOVS and AVHRR data. Some processing and visualisation examples are given.
The ATOVS and AVHRR Pre-processing Package (AAPP) is a tool to process sounder and imager data from the NOAA, Metop and FengYun polar orbiting satellites. It was originally developed in the late 1990s to support processing of direct broadcast data from the NOAA-POES satellites, and has since been extended to accommodate Metop (including IASI) and more recently Suomi-NPP. The package is maintained by the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP SAF). An overview will be given of the capabilities of AAPP, including how it complements other processing packages such as IMAPP and CSPP. AAPP products include calibrated, re-mapped radiances (for NWP) and derived products such as cloud mask. Examples of the products and their uses will be shown.
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.
Humberto Barbosa focusses in his weather briefing on climate variability and teleconnection processes. He explains how weather anomalies like El Nino affect distant regions.
Length: 55 min
Author: Humberto Barbosa
Humberto A. Barbosa received his BS in Meteorology at the University Federal of Campina Grande (1995), and his MS in Remote Sensing from the Brazilian Institute for Spatial Research (INPE) – São José dos Campos (1998) and his PhD in Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences from the University of Arizona – Tucson (2004). Currently, he is an adjunct professor III of the Federal University of Alagoas. He has experience in the area of Geosciences, with emphasis in Climatology, concentrating mainly on the following subjects: interactions atmosphere-biosphere, satellite- and ground-based remote sensing of agricultural and environmental areas for extraction of soil and vegetation biophysical parameters and remote sensing techniques.
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.
Jean-Marc Moisselin gives a presentation on the RDT product of the NowCasting SAF.
Length: 30 min
Author: Jean-Marc Moisselin (Meteo France)
The Rapidly Developing Thunderstorm product provides in object-mode information about significant convective systems. Various attributes describe the convective system: cloud-top temperature and height, overshooting tops, morphological attributes. The product uses the satellite brightness temperature of various channels and optional data like NWP data, lightning data and other NWCSAF products. A nowcast of convective systems is developed for 2016.
A new NWCSAF product (Convection Initiation – the probability of a cloudy pixel to become a thunderstorm) will be developed for 2016.