Warning dissemination using an existing platform and community automatic

weather station

ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee5th integrated Workshop

6-10September 2010Macao, China

Hilda LamHong Kong Observatory

Hong Kong, China

First project : real-time transmission of severe weather

warnings using an existing platform

Background

• Project endorsed by 41st Typhoon Committee Session

• Using an existing internet web-based platform: – to make available local severe weather

warnings issued by official weather services– to any interested individuals anywhere on

the globe• Warning dissemination by a ‘weather wizard’

facility developed by the Hong Kong Observatory

http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/wxwizard/wxwizard.htm

Weather Wizard – Simple installation

Dissemination of warnings using the ‘weather wizard’ function

1. User download a program and perform simple

installation

2. user follow instruction to select user preferences

3. The program will retrieve latest warnings from the web

server by regularly polling information from server

4. display warnings on a user PC

Weather Wizard - Warnings

• Warning logos will be displayed at the lower right-hand corner on the screen• Dialog box will pop up with an audio alarm to alert

users when there is a change of warning status

Dialog boxpop upautomatically

Progress of warning dissemination project in 2009

• At the 4th WGDPP meeting in April 2009,SWIC was recommended as the dissemination platform

• Agreement was later obtained from WMO PWS Expert Team for its use in this project

Severe Warning Information Centre (SWIC)(http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/)

All RSMC, TCWC and 12 TC members contribute warnings

Mechanism of how the warning dissemination works

• Participating Member :– decides the list of warnings to be made available– maintain the warnings in their web server using a

standard format• Hong Kong Observatory provides:

– the standard format – the ‘weather wizard’ facility on SWIC

• Users:– go to SWIC and download a simple program to

install on their PC – select warnings and set preference– receive the warnings (from participating member )

when they are in force.

Warning dissemination using SWIC

Latest development• Hong Kong , China released a Development

Guide for participating Members to provide warning information on their web server in January 2010.

• Macao, China and Guam made arrangement to maintain their warnings on the web server in accordance with the Development Guide

• The SWIdget was launched on the SWIC in July 2010. (http://severe.worldweather.org/swidget/swidget.html)

• PC users anywhere may receive alerts of local warnings issued in Hong Kong, China; Macao, China; and Guam, USA.

Feasibility Study - Universal Weather Wizard User Interface

Select the WMO member

Select warning(s) of each WMO member

Macao, China

Choose the region/provinceClick this button to show the available region/province of the WMO member

Select warning(s) of the region/province

Universal Weather Wizard Alert display on screen- Pop-up window

Universal Weather WizardMouse over WMO Member’s icon on the tool bar

Mouse over the Member’s icon and show the warning status

Universal Weather Wizard- Mouse over the warning icon and show the name of the warning;- Click on the icon and hyperlink to the webpage of the warning

Latest development and looking ahead

• KMA of Korea and Singapore have indicated their interest in joining the project. We are now working on making their warnings available on SWIC before the next Session in January 2011.

• More members are welcome to join in.

Second Project:Community Weather Stations

Community Weather Station Project• Endorsed by 41st Session to raise public

awareness of weather hazards and climate change in the region through implementation of community weather stations

• Hong Kong, China has offered to– share its experience in the promotion of

community AWS – provide an expert to visit participating Members to

install the weather stations – provide technical documentation on installation,

maintenance and data processing and display (in English)

Community Weather Information Network in Hong Kong, China (HKCo-WIN)

• Established in 2007, jointly by the: – Hong Kong Observatory (HKO)– Department of Applied Physics of the Hong Kong

Polytechnic University (PolyU)– Hong Kong Joint-school Meteorological Association

• By Aug 2010 there are 88 members

( seconding schools and private organizations)• Members fund, install and operate their own weather stations

with technical advice by the HKO and PolyU

• Sensors and display software are procured from

commercial suppliers• Data acquisition system has been developed jointly

by HKO and PolyU to process frequently updated

and diversified meteorological and environmental

data.

Community Weather Information Network in Hong Kong, China (HKCo-WIN)

HKCo-WIN : Preparation works

The Observatory colleague set up the standards of the instrument installations

AWS system

Data AcquisitionSoftware and Hardware

Central Data Polling

Server and Database

Data communication by GPRS

Incorporate HKO

real-time data quality control

techniques

HKCo-WIN CentralSystem

Local Display Other AWS Systems

Community Weather Information Network in Hong Kong, China (HKCo-WIN)

AWS at Pui Ching Middle School (Hong Kong)

Weather information at Pui Ching Middle School (Hong Kong)

From Jan.1, 2008 to Dec 31, 2008: 66,467 visits

Guest and representatives of member organizations celebrating the first anniversary of

HKCo-WIN

Looking ahead

• TCTF of USD 2000 under WGDPP has been reserved for the project in the 2010 budget

• Vietnam has been identified for launching the community weather station project

• Installation of equipment may begin in October 2010

Breakdown of funds for the project:

• Equipment cost (sensors, hardware, processing and display software, and a PC) (USD 1,200)

• Expert visits (USD 800)

Requirements for participating Member : -

• Access to Internet via– Fixed line broadband or– Mobile telephone network (GPRS or 3G)

(To be provided by participating member)

• Provide maintenance staff and on-site logistic support

Thank you

National warning

Hong Kong, China and United States are selected for display

National warning list of the selected WMO Member National warning list of the selected WMO Member