JMA's Tokyo Climate Center (TCC) assists National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in improving their climate services. The Center's two major activities in this regard involve providing basic climate data, products and tools to NMHSs through its website and assisting with capacity development at NMHSs in the Asia-Pacific region. TCC holds annual training seminars as part of capacity development activities in its role as an RCC in the WMO RA II area. In addition to running annual training seminars, it also arranges expert visits to NMHSs to promote effective transfer of technology and discuss support for climate services.
TCC held its Training Seminar on Seasonal Forecast from 29 January to 2 February 2018 at the JMA Headquarters in Tokyo. The event was attended by 19 experts from NMHSs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. The number of attendees from 27 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region at this 10th training seminar since its introduction in 2008 brought the total to 146.
The event focused on improving awareness of seasonal forecasting and enhancing capacity for the generation of seasonal forecast products using statistical downscaling methods. It included lectures and practical exercises using data, products and a web-based app available on the TCC website, as well as the use of in-situ observation data from attendees’ own countries. At the end of the seminar, all participants gave presentations on seasonal forecasts in their own countries for the coming three months and engaged in fruitful discussions with lecturers and others present.
The content of lectures is available on the TCC website at http://www.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/library/library2017.html.
(29 January 2018, Director-General’s office)
