RA II WIGOS Newsletters

The newsletter is aimed at sharing the latest satellite-related information in areas such as imagery, data, products and training, including:

  • Information on access to satellite imagery, data and products including application products
  • Training activities currently available or planned
  • News on meteorological satellites
  • News on new services
  • Progress reports on the Project
  • Introduction to activities of other RAs and the WMO VLab
  • Reports of relevant meetings

RA II WIGOS Newsletters Archive

  • Newsletter Vol. 13 No. 1, February 2023
    • 12th Asia – Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference (AOMSUC-12) report
    • Operational Satellite Switchover from Himawari-8 to Himawari-9
    • Rapid Detection of Forest Fire by GK2A in KMA
    • FY-3E and FY-4B Data Released to International User
  • Newsletter Vol. 12 No. 1, May 2021
    • Marine Weather Broadcast Service by GK2A Satellite
    • Development of GK2A proxy visible image at night and its application
    • CMA Observation Quality Management System passed ISO9001 Certification
    • Himawari RGB Quick Guides
    • JMA online satellite imagery update
  • Newsletter Vol. 11 No. 1, June 2020
    • Geo-KOMPSAT-2A Rapid-Scan Observation for Monitoring Natural Disasters over Asia/Oceania
    • Report of the 10th Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Conference (AOMSUC-10) and Training Events
    • Report of the Second Joint Meeting of RA II WIGOS Project and RA V TT-SU for RA II and RA V NMHSs
  • Newsletter Vol. 10 No. 3, November 2019
    • Geo-Kompsat-2A AMI radiometric performance during commissioning period
    • Transition plans for Himawari data dissemination and distribution services
    • RSMC Tokyo for Nowcasting
  • Newsletter Vol. 10 No. 2, August 2019
    • Geo-Kompsat-2A transition to operation
    • Sea Surface Winds from Himawari-8/9
    • The 10th Asia Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 2-7 December 2019
  • Newsletter Vol. 10 No. 1, March 2019
    • First Image from Geo-Kompsat-2A
    • How Himawari-8 data has revolutionised the work of Bureau Forecasters
  • Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 4, December 2018
    • GEO-KOMPSAT-2A Successfully Launched
    • Report of the 9th Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Conference and Training Events
    • Report of the Joint Meeting of RA II WIGOS Project and RA V TT-SU for RA II and RA V NMHSs
    • The Bureau of Meteorology uses Himawari-8 Target Area Observations for severe weather
  • Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 3, November 2018
    • Preparation of GCOM-C “SHIKISAI” data products
    • The 46th meeting of CGMS in Bengaluru, India, 3-8 June 2018
  • Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 2, June 2018
    • Himawari-8 satellite “Big Data Assimilation” for typhoon and heavy-rainfall prediction
    • The Fourth Session of the Inter-Programme Expert Team on Satellite Utilization and Product
    • CGMS Working Group III workshop for CGMS baseline and contingency plan
    • The 9th Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, 6-11 October 2018
  • Newsletter Vol. 9 No. 1, March 2018
    • Launch of JMA’s New International Service “HimawariRequest”
    • Himawari-8 Maintenance
    • RAPID: Real Time Analysis of Products & Information Dissemination
  • Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 4, December 2017
    • Inter-Comparison between COMS/MI and Himawari-8/AHI
    • RGB Experts and Developers Workshop 2017
    • The Second Joint GSICS/IVOS Lunar Calibration Workshop
  • Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 3, October 2017
    • The 8th Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • The fifth Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the WMO Regional Association II (RA II) WIGOS Project to Develop Support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Satellite Data, Products and Training
  • Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 2, August 2017
    • The 45th meeting of CGMS in Jeju, Korea, 11-16 June 2017
    • Application of correction to COMS MI Water Vapor resulted from SRF shift
    • Validation of Himawari-9/AHI Level-1 data during In-orbit Test
    • Improvement of Himawari-8 observation data quality
  • Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 1, June 2017
    • Regional WIGOS Implementation Plan 2017-2020 (R-WIP-II) approved by RA II-16
    • Commencement of backup operation of Himawari-9
    • The 8th Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • The 45th Plenary Session of the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS-45)
  • Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 4, December 2016
    • The seventh Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Conference
    • The fourth Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the WMO Regional Association II (RA II) WIGOS Project to Develop Support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services(NMHSs) in Satellite Data, Products and Training
    • JMA’s Himawari JMA’s Himawari-9 successfully launched
  • Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 3, October 2016
    • JMA's Himawari-9 satellite scheduled for launch on 1 November 2016
    • Himawari-8 Convective Cloud Information Product
    • The Geo-KOMPSAT-2(GK2) Ground System
  • Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 2, June 2016
    • The 44th meeting of CGMS-44 in Biot, France, 6-10 June 2016
    • The 7th Asia-Oceania / 2nd AMS-Asia / 2nd KMA Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • Replacement of communication satellite for HimawariCast
    • Himawari-8 True Color Reproduction Images
  • Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 1, March 2016
    • Himawari-8 utilization training
    • Himawari-8 Volcanic Ash Product
    • Quality improvement of Himawari-8 observation data
    • Introduction of GK-2A Data Processing System
  • Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 4, December 2015
    • FY-2G in On-orbit Operation
    • The 1st KMA International Meteorological Satellite Conference
    • The Sixth Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • The Third Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the WMO Regional Association II (Asia) WIGOS Project to Develop Support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Satellite Data, Products and Training
  • Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 3, October 2015
    • The 6th Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference (AOMSUC-6)
    • The 3rd Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the WMO RA II WIGOS Project to Develop Support for NMHSs in Satellite Data, Products and Training
    • The 2nd Announcement of the 1st KMA International Meteorological Satellite Conference, Seoul, Korea, 16 ~ 18 Nov. 2015
    • Joint RA II/RA V Workshop on WIGOS for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
    • Himawari-8 and its products to support severe weather monitoring in Southeast Asia
    • Himawari-8 Atmospheric Motion Vector
    • Satellite Rainfall at Realtime -- GSMaP_NOW
  • Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 2, June 2015
    • Himawari-8 soon to be operational
    • The 43rd meeting of CGMS-43 in Boulder, USA, 18-22 May 2015
    • KMA’s improvement in cloud amount estimation from the COMS
    • Himawari-8 CSR product
    • The 1st KMA International Meteorological Satellite Conference
  • Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 1, March 2015
    • HimawariCast and HimawariCloud service started
    • Announcement of the Sixth Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference (AOMSUC-6)
    • Social Benefits from the Meteorological Satellite Images of KMA
    • JMA’s AMV products for Himawari-8/9
  • Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 4, December 2014
    • Report on the Fifth Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference (AOMSUC-5) and V-Lab workshop
    • Completion of SDR for GK2A KSEM
    • JMA’s cloud products for Himawari-8/9
    • First images from Himawari-8
  • Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 3, October 2014
    • JMA’s Himawari-8 successfully launched
    • Migration from MTSAT to Himawari-8/9
    • Typhoon Analysis Technique using Passive Microwave Sensors
    • COMS lunar calibration using GIRO method
  • Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 2, August 2014
    • The 42nd meeting of CGMS-42, Guangzhou, China, 19-23 May 2014
    • The Fifth Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • JMA’s Himawari-8 scheduled for launch on 7 October 2014
  • Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 1, March 2014
    • KMA launch contract for GK2A space weather mission
    • Successful launch of GPM core observatory
    • Planning ground segment development for the Geo-KOMPSAT-2A of KMA
  • Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 4, December 2013
    • Himawari-8 launch coming soon
    • The 19th International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC-19)
    • Introduction of DAta PROcessing System (DAPROS) for the Geo-KOMPSAT-2A of KMA
  • Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 3, November 2013
    • The 41st meeting of CGMS-41, Tsukuba, Japan, 8-12 July 2013
    • Successful launch of KOMPSAT-5 (Arirang-5)
    • COMS visible channel calibration using moon
    • Release of geophysical products of GCOM-W1 “SHIZUKU”
  • Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 2, June 2013
    • The Nineteenth International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC-19)
    • Current Status of COMS AMV in NMSC/KMA
    • Development and utilization of AHI simulation data on HIMAWARI-8
  • Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 1, April 2013
    • The Fifteenth Session of the RA II of the WMO in Doha, Qatar in December 2012
    • RA II Second Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the Pilot Project to Develop Support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Satellite Data, Products and Training
    • WMO-CGMS Virtual Laboratory (VLab) Management Group, Sixth Meeting (VLMG-6) in São José dos Campos, Brazil October 2012
  • Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 4, August 2012
    • 2nd Announcement for the 3rd Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • Inter-Calibration of COMS Infrared and Visible Channels
    • CMA held the International Training Course on McIDAS-V Software Application in Satellite Meteorology
    • Rapid Scan AMVs in the Vicinity of Typhoons
    • SHIZUKU Observation Data Acquired by AMSR2
  • Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 3, July 2012
    • JMA’s New Satellite Product for Severe Weather Monitoring
    • Rapidly Developing Cumulus Areas based on MTSAT Rapid Scan Images
    • COMS severe weather nowcasting : Convective Rainfall Rate
  • Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 2, April 2012
    • The Third Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • The Regional High Profile Training Event
    • The 2nd Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the RA II Pilot Project
    • Preliminary Report on RA II Pilot Project Web Questionnaire
  • Newsletter Vol. 3 No. 1, January 2012
    • 2011 JICA Training Program at JMA
    • International Training Program of Analysis of COMS data in 2012
    • The 39th Coordination Group of Meteorological Satellite meeting
    • The Second Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • RA II Pilot Project Web Questionnaire
  • Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 4, August 2011
    • Implementation of RA II Pilot Project portal site demonstration system
    • Utilizations of COMS data in Numerical Weather Prediction
    • Third-phase Action Plan of the Pilot Project
  • Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 3, June 2011
    • The Second Asia/Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users’ Conference
    • Utilization of Satellite Data and Products at the Hong Kong Observatory 2010
    • Support on Severe Weather using COMS
  • Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 2, May 2011
    • First Coordinating Group Meeting for the RA II Pilot Project
    • Successful Commissioning of COMS
    • Status of COMS Products Service
  • Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 1, December 2010
    • GEOSS/Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI)
    • The 38th Coordination Group of Meteorological Satellite meeting
    • Second-phase Action Plan of the Pilot Project
    • Meeting of the Coordinating Group of the RA II Pilot Project
  • Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 5, August 2010
    • CMA to host the 1st Asia/Oceania User’s Conference
    • CMACast - The Next Generation Data Broadcast System of CMA
    • Preparations for JMA’s ADDE Server for Training
  • Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 4, July 2010
    • 5th WMO-CGMS VLab Management Group meeting in Beijing, China July 2010
    • The successful launch of COMS, Korea’s first meteorological Satellite
    • Training course for Meteorological satellite data utilization in September hosted by KMA
  • Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3, May 2010
    • Launch of the RA II Pilot Project Web Page
    • Update of MTSAT Real-Time Imagery on the JMA/MSC Website
    • Switchover of Meteorological Observing Function from MTSAT-1R to MTSAT-2
    • Sentinel Asia - Disaster Management Support in the Asia-Pacific Region
  • Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 2, April 2010
    • Preface
    • Introduction of RAII activities - presentation at ET-SUP, CGMS and VLMG
    • The status of COMS, Korea’s first meteorological satellite
    • Plans for Follow-on Satellites to MTSAT-2 (Himawari-7)
    • 7th Post Graduate Course on Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate
    • Introduction of WMO-CGMS Virtual Laboratory
  • Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 1, September 2009
    • Preface
    • Access to MTSAT data
    • Training program for meteorological satellite data analysis by KMA
    • Plan for Switchover of Imaging Function from MTSAT-1R (Himawari-6) to MTSAT-2 (Himawari-7)
    • RA II Pilot Project Mailing Lists
    • First-phase Action Plan of the Pilot Project

We look forward to receiving your contributions to the newsletter!

Articles from satellite operators or from any RA II Member are welcome, regardless of whether they are registered as members of the Project Coordinating Group or not.  Topics could include, for example, satellite-related activities, such as how Members have used satellite data to improve weather/climate products.