The JMA/WMO Workshop on Effective Tropical Cyclone Warning in Southeast Asia was held in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) from 11 to 14 March 2014 at the Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in Tokyo.
The workshop was intended to promote understanding among participating countries regarding the latest tropical cyclone (TC) analysis/forecasting techniques and products, to identify challenges faced by these countries in improving their operational forecasting and warning services, and to discuss ways to address the challenges including external assistance. The session was attended by 51 people, including representatives of WMO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), distinguished lecturers from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and TC experts from JMA and nine National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Viet Nam).
The representatives of the nine NMHSs provided Country Reports highlighting their current tropical cyclone operational service capacities as well as challenges and needs relating to the further enhancement of warning capacity. Attendees from NHC, CPHC, JTWC and JMA gave a series of lectures on tropical cyclone operational techniques, including storm surge forecasting techniques. The event further addressed the importance of warning development based on effective communication with emergency managers. In this regard, JMA reviewed recent efforts to improve its warning services in accordance with past tropical cyclone disasters; the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) shared information on its response to Typhoon Haiyan and lessons learned from the experience; and NHC detailed its improvement plan for storm surge forecasts and warnings based on lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy.
The workshop's discussions centered on the need for more effective regional cooperation initiatives such as training on satellite and weather radar-based monitoring/analysis techniques and further enhancement of real-time forecast supporting products including NWP guidance products from RSMCs. It also highlighted the importance of providing easy-to-understand warnings in text and/or graphical formats based on coordination with emergency managers, as well as continued efforts to increase public awareness in order to ensure the effectiveness of warnings. The event further encouraged ongoing enhancement of technical cooperation activities on storm surge forecasting, including the technical transfer of JMA's storm surge modeling methods.
Workshop materials are available at http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rsmc-hp-pub-eg/2014_Effective_TC_Warning/documents.html.
