Industry News
Guatemala launches Early Warnings for All initiative
Guatemala has launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, aiming to provide multi-hazard early warning coverage worldwide by 2027.
Consolidating efforts
This national launch in Guatemala will consolidate multi-agency efforts to address gaps in risk knowledge, hazard monitoring and forecasting, warning dissemination and communication, and rapid response. It will be supported by a robust monitoring and evaluation system in an effort to strengthen the early warning system components.
The initiative seeks to integrate the efforts of UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, and academic and research entities to ensure effective implementation and participation of all people, especially vulnerable groups.
University of Reading researches how to create weather forecasts one month in advance
In partnership with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the Met Office and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, the University of Reading has launched the Advancing the Frontiers of Earth System Prediction (AFESP) research program to create accurate and reliable weather forecasts one month ahead.
Improving long-range weather forecasts
At the moment, meteorologists can make useful forecasts up to one week in advance. “A major goal of our work is to be able to say what the weather will be like a month ahead,” said Rowan Sutton, a climate scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Reading.
VIDEO: Preparing ESA’s Arctic weather satellite for environmental testing
ESA’s Arctic weather satellite has passed its environmental test campaign – meaning that the satellite has been declared fit for liftoff and its life in space.
This new satellite, which is slated for launch in June 2024, has been designed to show how it can improve weather forecasts in the Arctic – a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts.
The Arctic weather satellite is equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, which benefits from the heritage technology of the microwave sounder developed for the MetOp Second Generation satellites. The instrument will provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions.
ESA’s Arctic weather satellite passes environmental test for orbit
ESA’s Arctic weather satellite has passed its environmental test campaign – meaning that the satellite has been declared fit for liftoff and its life in space.
Instrumentation
This new satellite, which is slated for launch in June 2024, has been designed to show how it can improve weather forecasts in the Arctic – a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts.
The Arctic weather satellite is equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, which benefits from the heritage technology of the microwave sounder developed for the MetOp Second Generation satellites. The instrument will provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions.
MeteoSwiss makes ICON climate and weather model publicly available
MeteoSwiss has made the ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic modeling framework (ICON) climate and weather model available to the public under an open-source license to make the weather forecasts and climate projections available to everyone.
Open and transparent scientific tools
Making the code publicly available is expected to help researchers and individuals gain a clearer picture of the changing climate, develop better early warnings about natural hazards and create efficient weather forecasts.
Oliver Fuhrer, head of the numerical forecasting department at MeteoSwiss, commented, “The open-source availability of the ICON model marks a decisive moment in meteorological research.
Climate change increases flood and water shortage risks in India, the University of Reading reports
The University of Reading has published a study in the journal Weather and Climate Dynamics, which reveals cyclonic storms are occurring more often during India’s summer.
Western disturbances
The cyclonic storms, known as western disturbances, typically bring heavy snow to the Himalayas from December to March. This snowpack slowly melts in spring, providing a steady supply of irrigation water for wheat and other crops downstream.
According to the report, the storms have increased in frequency by 60% from April to July over the past 70 years, reducing snowfall and increasing the risk of heavy flooding.
WMO’s SERCOM agrees on updated climate service measures
WMO’s Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM) has agreed on a raft of measures designed to ramp up the provision and use of tailored meteorological, hydrological and climate services in the face of rapid climate and societal change.
Climate adaptation strategies
The six-day event, held every two years, was hosted by the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG). The SERCOM session in Bali, Indonesia, focused on optimizing support for key WMO priorities, including universal coverage of life-saving early warnings and supporting climate adaptation and sustainable development.
Johan Stander, director of WMO Services Department, said, “As the world grapples with escalating risks posed by a changing climate, the outcomes of SERCOM-3 will serve as a roadmap for building a safer and more resilient future for all.
Fiji government and UNDP collaborate on Green Climate Fund proposal for early warning systems
Fiji government representatives, United Nations (UN) agencies and other key stakeholders convened at the Grand Pacific Hotel to develop a Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal that will address challenges and improve the effectiveness of Fiji’s Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Fiji’s selection among seven countries for coordinated support under the EW4All initiative marks a step toward enhancing climate information services and establishing a people-centered multi-hazard early warning system. This system will prioritize vulnerable communities, including persons with disabilities, women, children and ethnic minorities.
The EW4All framework is built on four pillars: Disaster Risk Knowledge; Observations and Forecasting; Dissemination and Communication; and Preparedness and Response.