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RA II WIGOS Workshop - Regional WIGOS Centres and its services for Members

The RA II WIGOS Workshop - Regional WIGOS Centres (RWCs) and its services for Members event was held at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, from 6 to 9 March 2019 to (i) foster shared understanding on WIGOS key issues including OSCAR/Surface and the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS); (ii) promote practical discussion on collaboration between RWCs and Members to improve the availability and quality of observation data; and (iii) share information on RWC services among WMO Members in line with user requirements.

Group photo
Attendees on the first day of the workshop with Tokyo Station in the background

The event was attended by 21 experts from 17 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in WMO Regional Association II (RA II) (Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam) and RA V (the Philippines) and from the WMO Secretariat.

In line with a decision taken at the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17, 2015), concept development and initial establishment relating to RWCs is one of five priority areas for the WIGOS pre-operational phase 2016-2019. Workshop attendees shared understanding of key WIGOS matters (including RWCs and its Member services as well as the concept of WIGOS focus on integration, quality management and application of data from observations made from surface to satellite level), and discussed RWC functions. The discussion is summarized on the RWC Tokyo website at https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rwc/index.html

On the first day, presentations were made on integration, quality management/classification and data application for observations made from surface to satellite level. Information included new data sources from innovative measurements and low-cost instruments to deepen understanding of WIGOS as a whole.

WIGOS CIMO
Keynote presentations on WIGOS and CIMO activities

Experts from WMO Secretariat gave a keynote presentation on WIGOS and CIMO activities.

Session1 Session1
Development framework session

JMA presented on activities engaged in by its Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for Nowcasting to tackle challenges faced in Asia. Two attendees commented on the effective use of satellite links and data exchanges among national and regional centres.

JAXA NICT
Presentations on GSMaP and innovative remote sensing measurement

Invited experts gave presentations on the latest technology for observation data integration. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) highlighted a multi-satellite rainfall product known as Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP), and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) presented on new sources of data produced via innovative measurement.

Poster viewing Instrument exhibition
Poster sessions and instrument exhibition

JAXA, JMA and NICT also gave poster presentations on GSMaP, satellite-based air quality monitoring, new remote sensing technology, low-cost instruments and advanced weather analysis maps. Japanese meteorological instrument companies exhibited commercial products, and attendees learned about cutting-edge techniques for high precision and mobility.

Measurement quality classifications Measurement quality classifications
Discussions on measurement quality classification

Measurement quality classification for surface-observing stations on land were discussed and attendee recommendations were summarized on the third day.

Poster session Discussion
Poster session and discussion on RWC functions

All invited attendees from NMHSs made country reports on the second day, and attendees from RWCs presented on the progress of their preparations and future plans. This was followed by information on how RWCs should exercise mandatory functions regarding OSCAR/Surface and WDQMS. All attendees recognized the usefulness of WDQMS, especially for the handling of silent stations, and the necessity of OSCAR/Surface maintenance for successful WDQMS implementation, and agreed that OSCAR/Surface training should be provided to all RA II Members.

On the third day, the importance of support for Member staff development was discussed in the context of RWC optional functions. Representatives from the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the WMO/CIMO Lead Centre "Benedetto Castelli" on Precipitation Intensity and other experts provided video clips to enhance discussion on the provision of technical support via product development and staff training. JMA's Meteorological College also gave a presentation highlighting its education programs. All attendees recognized that staff development issues are an international concern and discussed related training systems in depth.

On the final day, discussions on future RWC operations and activities led to recommendations for the WMO Secretariat, Members and potential RWCs to launch operational WIGOS implementation in the coming years.

Group photo
Workshop attendees on the final day

The constructive discussions conducted during the workshop helped to build relations among attending Members and a sense of conviviality captured in the group photo taken on the final day. JMA looks forward to working with all attendees via the activities of RWCs in RA II.

For further workshop resources, see
https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rwc/event/RWCws_2019/index.html