WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION _________________________ TCM-8/Doc. 1.3 (19.X.2015) ___________ EIGHTH TROPICAL CYCLONE RSMCs/TCWCs TECHNICAL COORDINATION MEETING ITEM 1.3 MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA 2 TO 6 NOVEMBER 2015 ENGLISH ONLY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM RELATING TO THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA 1. ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING 1.1 Opening of the meeting At the kind invitation of the Government of United States of America, the Eighth Tropical Cyclone RSMCs/TCWCs Technical Coordination Meeting will be held in Miami, Florida, USA from 2 to 6 November 2015. 1.2 Election of the chairman and vice-chairman Chairman and Vice-chairman will be elected from the representatives of RSMCs and TCWCs. 1.3 Adoption of the agenda The meeting will be invited to consider the provisional agenda with a view to its adoption. During the meeting, the order of the agenda may be modified and additional items included. 1.4 Working arrangements The meeting will agree on the details of the organization of its work, including working hours. The working language of the meeting will be English and the documents and the final report will be in English only. The meeting may appoint rapporteurs responsible for preparing reports to the meeting on its discussion of specific topics. 2. 2.1 FOLLOW-UP ACTION ON THE SEVENTH TC RSMCs/TCWCs TECHNICAL COORDINATION MEETING Tropical cyclone advisory for international civil aviation and coordination with WAFCs WMO and ICAO agreed on the tropical cyclone advisories in graphical format as described in the Amendment 75 to the ICAO Annex 3/WMO Technical Regulations [C.3.1], which became applicable on 18 November 2010. Those centers serving as Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centers will be invited to report on their implementation of the graphical advisory. They will also discuss the coordination with WAFCs through a web-based chat and comment on the planned transition of meteorological information for air navigation including providing tropical cyclone information in a digital form (XML/GML). 2.2 Collaboration with Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) At TCM-7, the meeting was briefed with progress of the IBTrACS which was developed in response to the TC community for a unified dataset of global best tracks. TCM-8/Doc. 1.3, p. 2 Collaborative relationship has been strengthened between IBTrACS and TC Regional Bodies and RSMCs/TCWCs. It has been planned to organize one day workshop IBTrACS (3rd International IBTrACS Workshop) in Honolulu, Hawaii in February 2016 in conjunction with the 2nd WMO International Workshop on Satellite Analysis of Tropical Cyclones (IWSATC). The meeting will discuss their continued and effective contribution to the activities of IBTrACS for enhancement of the dataset. 2.3 Operational forecasts/advisories, watches and warnings – Requirements Major requirements for provision of better operational forecasts and effective warning services by TC RSMCs and TCWCs will be discussed in consideration of the recent operational forecast performance and available resources for monitoring and forecasting. The meeting will put its emphasis on the NWP guidance including EPS and the observational data for monitoring such as those from satellites in particular. 2.4 Training Training has always been considered as an integral part of Tropical Cyclone Programme. The meeting will review the training activities through the training courses/workshops and attachment of forecasters to RSMCs being conducted under the Programme. The meeting will discuss ways to further improve the effectiveness of the trainings. 2.5 Support to operational forecasters 2.5.1 Global Guide to Tropical Cyclone Forecasting The Global Guide to Tropical Cyclone Forecasting has been updated by TCP at the initiative of Mr Chip Guard of Guam. The web-based Global Guide has been available at http://www.wmo.int/cycloneguide. 2.5.2 WMO/TCP Tropical Cyclone Forecaster Website (TCFW) The TC Forecasters Website hosted by Hong Kong, China has been available at http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/TCFW. The meeting is requested to provide advice on how to improve the website for assisting operational forecasters, together with the Global Guide and WMO/TCP website. 2.6 Tropical Cyclone Forecasting Competencies The meeting will discuss and consolidate further development of tropical cyclone forecasting competencies under the initiative of TC RSMCs. The tropical cyclone forecasting competencies is a part of overall WMO competency standards. It is aimed at fully meeting the standards and requirements of the forecasting service, identifying the areas of its improvement, and developing effective training plans for forecasters. 2.7 Application of Common Alert Protocol (CAP) to TC warnings CAP facilitates the communication of all warnings through all forms of media including broadcast radio and television as well as new technologies such as Web services, to the public and all user communities. CAP is also very useful where alerting systems serve multilingual and special-needs populations. The meeting will review the progress since TCM-7, and consider further plans for the implementation of CAP in tropical cyclone warning services. TCM-8/Doc. 1.3, p. 3 2.8 Standardization of procedures and harmonized practices in TC forecasting operations and post-analysis The meeting will review progress on, and discuss further to materialize feasibility of standardized procedures and harmonized practices in TC forecasting operations and post-analysis among the RSMCs and TCWCs. 2.9 Collaboration with other WMO Programmes 2.9.1 Storm Surge Watch Scheme WMO/EC recommended, at its 60th session in 2008, that Storm Surge Watch Scheme should be established in all tropical basins through the joint effort of TCP and MMOP. Actions have been taken in all the TC regions to respond to this recommendation on the initiatives of RSMCs and TCWCs. The meeting will review the progress on developments of the storm surge watch scheme and consider further actions to take towards its establishment. 2.9.2 Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project The meeting will review progress of the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) which was organized by CBS as a series of regional subprojects to explore and test the usefulness of the products currently available from NWP centres. The meeting will discuss the roles of TC RSMCs and TCWCs to play in the implementation of SWFDP of their respective regions. 2.9.3 Joint projects with WWRP The meeting will review the collaborations of TCP and WWRP to strengthen the partnership between forecasters and researchers through the joint projects such as the Northwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Ensemble Forecast Project (TCEFP) and the Typhoon Landfall Forecast Demonstration Project (TLFDP). 2.10 Review of terminology/classification of tropical cyclones The meeting will review the list of terminologies/ classifications of tropical cyclones which was adopted at the previous coordination meeting, and used by RSMCs and TCWCs. It will consider the feasibility of standardizing the classification on a global level. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS OF IWTC-VIII AND IWTCLP-III The meeting will consider the outcomes and recommendations of IWTC-VIII and IWTCLP-III held in Jeju, Korea in December 2014. It will advise the WMO Secretariat on the follow-up actions to those recommendations with particular relevance to operational centres. 4. TROPICAL CYCLONE COORDINATION AND SERVICES 4.1 Report on implementation of the TCP The meeting will be provided by WMO/TCP with an overview of its activities being conducted under the Programme. The presentation will give information on the recent work accomplished under both the general and the regional components of TCP. The meeting may provide guidance on the implementation of the Programme. TCM-8/Doc. 1.3, p. 4 4.2 Recent and current activities of the TC RSMCs/TCWCs Representatives of the Centres will be invited to present reports on their major activities that will cover 1) products and services provided by the centers, 2) forecasting system, 3) performance of forecasts (positional errors, etc), 4) training activities for the members in the region, 5) challenging issues in implementing/improving the services, and 6) plans for the future activities. This agenda item should provide an opportunity for exchange of information and experiences among the centers on these topics. 4.3 Outcomes of 17th WMO Congress (Cg-17) and Executive Councils for TCP 4.3.1 Further expansion and consolidation of the regionally coordinated systems to cover all Members prone to tropical cyclones; The meeting will be presented with Congress decision to expand and consolidate the regionally coordinated systems under WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme to cover all areas affected by tropical cyclones. It will therefore discuss and make detailed arrangements for RSMCs for their expected coverage of areas adjacent to them. 4.3.2 Enhancement on the capacities of Members to provide more accurate forecasting and warning services which are impact-based and in multi-hazard approach (which is also a decision of EC-66); The meeting will be presented with Congress (and EC) decision on providing accurate forecasting and warnings based on impacts through paradigm shift in service delivery from weather forecasts and warnings to multi-hazard impact-based forecast and warning services. It will then discuss technical arrangements for impact-based forecasting and warnings with multi-hazard approach in delivery of tropical cyclone forecasting and warning services. 4.3.3 Strengthening TCM in global coordination on tropical cyclones; The meeting will be presented Congress decision on strengthening roles of TCM in future global coordination of tropical cyclones. The meeting will be requested to discuss possible association of TCM with WMO technical commissions, in particular CBS, and find an appropriate position of TCM in WMO structure, and appropriate roles in WMO decision making mechanism. 4.3.4 WMO Global Initiative for Tropical Cyclone Forecasting (WMO-GIFT). In step with the new positioning of the TCM in WMO structure, and for the purpose of strengthening TCM in global TC coordination, a new global initiative for tropical cyclone forecasting (coded as WMO-GIFT) shall be established to support and enhance TCM’s roles in coordination of all global issues on tropical cyclones. The meeting will be requested to provide expertise and guidance to steer the establishment and development of the initiative. 5. OTHER MATTERS 6. CLOSURE OF THE MEETING ______