WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
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TCM-8/Doc. 1.3
(19.X.2015)
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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
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