Public Weather Services Programme

Public Warnings Dissemination and CAP

Haleh KootvalChief, Public Weather Services

ProgrammeWMO

2 19/04/23

Public Weather Services Programme (PWSP) established in

1994• Strengthen the capabilities of WMO Members to meet the needs of the

community through provision of comprehensive weather services, with particular emphasis on public safety and welfare,

• Foster a better understanding by the public of the capabilities of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and how best to use their services”

Forecasts

Warnings Public

NMHSs

Appreciate the

weather services

PWSP

3 19/04/23

WMO’s Global Operational Network

NMHSs deliver information and warning services

Global Data Processing And Forecasting System:

3 World Meteorological Centres

40 Regional Specialized Centers

Global Observing System

Global Telecommunication System

4 19/04/23

PWS DisseminationWeather Hazards

floods, fire, drought, strong winds, heavy snow etc

Services by NMHSs

Weather Forecasts, watches, alerts, Warnings

Dissemination Methods

Websites, TV, Radio, Telephone, RANET

Examples of Groups served by NMHSs

General Public, isolated communities, Government and civil defence authorities etc.

5 19/04/23

Dissemination and Presentation

• Effective dissemination and presentation: An essential element of and the key to effective PWS

Challenge: To convey warnings, forecasts and other information effectively to general public

6 19/04/23

WARNINGS - a process that begins with the production of information about weather and climate and ends with effective loss minimising actions

• Warnings must be produced produced • Warning message must be transmittedtransmitted &

receivedreceived• Information must be understoodunderstood• Information must be confirmedconfirmed• Message must be believedbelieved• Risk must be personalisedpersonalised• Decision toDecision to take appropriate defensive and

preparatory actionsactions• ResourcesResources and capacitycapacity for preparatory action

7 19/04/23

The Challenge of Public warning

• Collaborative actions are necessary to assure that standards-based, all-media, all-hazards public warning becomes an essential infrastructure component available to all societies worldwide

• Provide information that is easily accessible and understandable everywhere

8 19/04/23

The Challenge of Public warning

• All available communications media should be used (from broadcast down to individuals) to get timely and appropriate warnings for all hazards to everyone who needs them

• A standards-based, all-media, all-hazards public warning strategy makes sense now using digital technologies and integrating radio, television, cellular telephone, satellites, Internet-based and other network services

9 19/04/23

Weather, Climate and HealthExample of All-Hazard warning system

• Growing awareness of the linkages between human health and weather and climate

• PWS provide information on risks caused by changing weather and climate conditions

Cardiovascular and respiratory Heat and cold stressUV radiationPollen spread and dustHigh Ozon concentrationSpread of typhoid, malaria or cholera

10 19/04/23

Factors contributing to ineffectual warnings

• Plans can go wrong because of:– Forecast accuracy: miscalculating onset

time, intensity or impacts– “sole authority” issue in preparing and

issuing warnings– Communication and/or dissemination

inadequacies– Contradictory information from different

sources– Low credibility of NMHS

11 19/04/23

Dissemination of warnings and Forecasts

• Often the challenge is to provide the most cost-effective system(s) within severe funding constraints

• Dissemination techniques will depend on the communication infrastructure

• Robust and reliable

• Back up capability

12 19/04/23

Dissemination of warnings and Forecasts

• Dissemination systems: most critical issue for developing countries

• Point-to-Multipoint Mass media (TV, Radio, Newspapers),sirens and signals, RANET, NOAA

Weather RadioMan on bicycle

13 19/04/23

Dissemination of warnings and Forecasts

• Point-to-Point: Dedicated Fax, automatic telephone answering

• Internet

• email

• Mobile communication

• Strength and weaknesses

14 19/04/23

Examples of Dissemination

Korea (high tech)Cell Broadcasting Service (CBS) Phone

Disaster Notification Broadcasting SystemProblem: transmission does not reach high

mountain areas in need of warnings for flash flood

Radio Disaster Warning Broadcasting SystemTV Disaster Warning Broadcasting System

15 19/04/23

1) CBS (Cell Broadcasting Service) Phone Disaster Notification

Broadcasting System (Cont’d)

▣ System Structure and Message Flow

【 CBS Message Transmission flow 】

End user(Mobile phone with

CBS service function]

) Mobile Telecom

CompanyNEMA

CBS System of Mobile Telecom Company Base Station

CBS message on mobilephone which is locatedat broadcasted area

Request to CBS messageTransmission at disasterarea

NEMA

7

16

▣ System Management streamlines

5) TV Disaster Warning Broadcasting System

17 19/04/23

Examples of Dissemination

Bangladesh (people intensive)33000 Cyclone VolunteersCPP and Red CrossBMD sends info to CPP HQ Information gets to the village-level volunteers

through radioUse bicycles Distribution to public by megaphones and flagsProblme: Maintenance of megaphones and

torches

18 19/04/23

Examples of Dissemination

• Sri Lanka- high tech tsunami warning system using satellites, mobile and fixed wireless phones

• Challenge: reach large numbers of local communities and rural areas

• Major component of the project is use of CAP

19 19/04/23

The Severe Weather Information Centre (SWIC)

http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int• Established as a centralized source for media access

to official tropical cyclone warnings and information issued by NMHSs and RSMCc

• Has attracted the participation of WMO Members in all tropical cyclone basis

• Currently displays tropical cyclone warnings and information for all tropical cyclone basins

• Observations on heavy rain/snow from all WMO Members are displayed

• New page displaying the occurrences of thunderstorms was also added.

• Ultimate goal: to develop SWIC into a Multi-hazard Information and Resource Centre

20 19/04/23

21 19/04/23

Visualizing Weather Warnings• Meteoalarm

22 19/04/23

CAP and PWSConclusions

• Existing warning systems are mix of different technologies and procedures

• CAP will allow consistent warning message disseminated simultaneously over many different warning systems, thus increasing warning effectiveness

• Possibility of use of CAP in SWIC and Meteoalarm for public warnings

23 19/04/23

Thank You