Weather: Work plan activities

Weather: Improving weather information, forecasting and warning

"The weather observations encompassed by GEOSS are based on the requirements for timely short- and medium-term forecasts. GEOSS can help fill critical gaps in the observation of, for example, wind and humidity profiles, precipitation, and data collection over ocean areas; extend the use of dynamic sampling methods globally; improve the initialization of forecasts; and increase the capacity in developing countries to deliver essential observations and use forecast products. Every country will have the severe-weather-event information needed to mitigate loss of life and reduce property damage. Access to weather data for the other societal benefit areas will be facilitated."
– GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.6

WE-06-01: Surface-based Global Observing System for Weather
This Task is led by WMO.
Achieve a complete and stable surface-based (in-situ and airborne, land and possibly ocean) Global Observing System (GOS). High priority should be given to a stable, and as much as possible automated, fully functional World Weather Watch Upper Air Network and the further development of the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) programme.

WE-06-02: Space-based Global Observing System for Weather
This Task is led by WMO.
Achieve a stable and improved space-based Global Observing System (GOS) including operational geostationary and polar components. Support WMO efforts related to (i) increased spatial and temporal resolution for geostationary imagers and sounders, (ii) a broader availability of polar Doppler wind profiles for initial operational testing.

WE-06-03: THORPEX Interactive Global Grand Ensemble (TIGGE)
This Task is led by WMO.
Facilitate the development and maintenance of a prototype global operational multi-model ensemble prediction system (e.g. through THORPEX) incorporating easily accessible databases. Development of TIGGE and the availability of databases will be an important contribution to the successful implementation of a number of GEO tasks that relate to risk management, early warning systems, major hazards and associated impacts.

WE-06-05: Numerical Weather-Prediction Capacity Building
This Task is led by the USA, Greece, and Spain.
Co-organize a series of regional capacity building workshops with major numerical weather-prediction training centres to assist developing countries in their utilization of currently available forecasts. Build upon WMO programmes for developing countries and giving special emphasis to building capacity for the use of ensemble forecasts for extreme event forecasting.

WE-07-01: Data Assimilation for Operational Use
This Task is led by Australia.
Advocate and facilitate the development and implementation of advanced data assimilation systems that will be able to fully exploit a broad spectrum of surface-based and space-based Earth observations.
This Task should be focused on promoting operational use and closely coordinated with CL-07-01 and WE-06-03.

WE-07-02: Weather Demonstration Project for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
This Task is led by China and WMO.
Establishing strong and effective connection and collaboration between research, operational use, and end users is of particular importance for the success of GEOSS.
By bringing together major advanced numerical weather prediction systems, observations and end users, the Beijing 2008 Forecasting Demonstration Project (B08FDP) will dedicate to nowcasting and the Beijing 2008 Research and Development Project (B08RDP) will dedicate to the mesoscale data assimilation and ensemble prediction system. Together with the demonstration, training workshops for transferring advanced forecasting products to developing countries and facilitating application of advanced observation technology, as well as outreach activities will be organized with co-sponsorship and coordination of GEO.