Helsinki Testbed 2005-2007Mesoscale weather research Forecast and dispersion models development and verificationInformation systems and technology integrationEnd-user product development and demonstrationData distribution for public and research community

Jani Poutiainen / Finnish Meteorological Institute25.1.2005

Roles of participating organizations

Finnish Meteorological Institute: 1. Coordination2. Station planning3. Current observations 4. Combined database 5. Data distribution6. Funding7. Research

Vaisala: 1. Distributed weather stations,

installations and maintenance2. Collection of currently non-

operational data 3. Database programming4. Funding5. Research

Radiation and nuclear safety authority Finland:

1. Funding2. Research

Technology agency of Finland: 1. Funding

Finnish Road Administration: 1. Road weather observations2. Funding3. User of results

IAAF WCA 2005: 1. Observation site host2. Funding3. User of results

Unibase: 1. Observation mast host

Ferry company X: 1. Observation vessel host

Finnish volunteer coast guard association: 1. Observation vessel host

Project coordination

Participants in technical aspects

Funding organizations

Research and use of results

Helsinki Univ. of Technology: 1. Product distribution during WCA2005

Steering committee: Members indicated in blue background

Helsinki metropolitan area council: 1. Observation site host2. Funding3. User of results

Finnish Road Enterprise: 1. Funding2. User of results

Outsourced services: 1. Data warehouse web-interface

Nokia: 1. M2M technology

Mesoscale terminology

Space scale Time scale

Meso-α 200-2000 km 6 h – 2 d

Meso-β 20-200 km 30 min – 6 h

Meso-γ 2-20 km 3-30 min

Orlanski (1975)

”A testbed is a working relationship in a quasi-operational framework among measurement specialists, forecasters, researchers, private-sector, and government agencies aimed at solving operational and practical regional [insert phenomenon or forecast challenge] problems with a strong connection to the end-users. Outcomes from a testbed are more effective observing systems, better use of data in forecasts, improved services, products, and economic/public safety benefits. Testbeds accelerate the translation of R&D findings into better operations, services, and decision-making. A successful testbed requires physical assets as well as long-term commitments and partnerships.”

A definition for ”testbed” (Dabberdt et al. 2004):

Research plan

• Water phase: rain/snow/mixed

• Visibility

– Fog and precipitation phase and intensity

• Inversion height and strength

• Air quality model

• Sea breeze

• Sensitivity tests with local area models

• Road surface radiation balance model

Measurement periods and themes:

• (May 2005 test of communications)

• August 2005

– Nowcasting by extrapolation

– World Championships in Athletics

– No database yet, limited remote

sensing instrumentation

• November 2005

– Snow/rain

• January-February 2006

– Stable boundary layer and

inversions

• May 2006

– Sea breeze, fog

• August 2006– Convection

Snowing on Nov 20th 2004, Helsinki

Convection on Jul 5th 2003, Helsinki

All stations except road weather stations (plan on 21.1.2005):

For clarity, Finnish Road Administration’s road weather stations are mapped separately

FMI’s automatic sites for Helsinki testbed & comparison:

Intense network with most WXTsLarger area incl. model fields

Estimate for intense area: 16 (FMI),Vaisala, Kumpula, 30 link masts, 20 other WXTs and standalone loggers, 3 ship, 9 precip stations, and 23 road stations. 103 pcs.

Avg station distance of 8,7 kmCompare to 138 automated FMI stations in whole country Avg station distance of 49,5 km

~90 km

~170 km

Suggested Unibase masts, 60-100m height; (plan on 19.1.2005):

Masts with 3 heights, middle height doubled

Heights: 2m and mast top

Ceilo (triangle: CT25K, circle CL31) Sounding (circle) and possibleprofiler sites (triangle)

Rain measurements

-belt: radar 20-60km-dot: manual obs-big diamond: FD12P-small diamond: potential FD12P-triangle: autom snow depth-square: weighing gauge

FMI automated surface station (circle) and manual activity (big circle)

Surface WXT510 & standalone loggers; mainly Helsinki area:

Helsinki Hernesaari testbed Helsinki Bulevardi testbedHelsinki ydinkeskusta testbedHelsinki Eläintarha testbedHelsinki Vallila testbedVantaa Tikkurila testbedHelsinki Olympiastadion testbedHelsinki Roihupelto testbedEspoo Leppävaara testbedNummi-Pusula, Loukku testbedHelsinki Itä-Pakila heat islandVantaa Pakkala heat islandVantaa Asola heat islandHelsinki Tapulikaupunki heat islandSipoo, Östersundom heat islandKirkkonummi Sundsberg heat islandVantaa Riipilä mäki heat islandVantaa Riipilä laakso heat islandHelsinki Harju heat islandHelsinki Pitäjänmäki heat islandHelsinki Itä-Pakila heat island------------------------------------------------------------------------Total 21 pcs.

Remote sensing:

•3D composite of FMI 4 Doppler C-band radars•Estonian radar in Tallinn•C-band dual polarimetric radar•Lightning location•RASS + mobile wind profiler•Meteosat 8 Seviri •NOAA •Ceilometers CT25K & CL31

Other considered data sources:

•Soundings (Jokioinen, Uusimaa, Tallinn)•GTS transmitted surface and remote sensing observations•Other masts (Kivenlahti, Loviisa, Kumpula etc.)•Air quality data (Helsinki metropolitan area council YTV)

•Newspaper weather maps•Hirlam forecast fields•SatReps•SAFs

http://www.fmi.fi/testbed

- Thank you -