B-2.3 Subcomponent
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Hydrology and Meteorology on 25 February 1946, 07.00 AM |
The Forecasting Offices and the hydrological forecasting units of the IMGW process complete set of meteorological and hydrological information available from various sources. The Airport Meteorological Offices do the same, but to a limited extent. The data concerned come from the surface synoptic network, the national precipitation network, the aerological and foreign network, the polar and geostationary satellites, radars and the global, regional and mezoscale numerical models. The time- and space-wise scale of the analyses and weather forecasts from the micro- and mezoscale up to the global span and nowcasting and short-term forecasting through to the long-term forecasts require increasingly specialised systems for data reception, screening and processing to satisfy the needs of a synoptician and meteorologist. Given the huge data volume it will be necessary to introduce the "artificial intelligence" systems and the "self-educating" expert systems. Currently there exist, or will be quickly developed the methodologies and technical measures enabling remote measurements of changes in the hydro and meteo situation. The hydrological and meteorological monitoring systems, operated in Poland and other countries, using various measurement methods and modes provide large volume of information, most frequently in a numerical format.
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(photo exposed in Paris, 1929) |
System description
The hydrological and meteorological management system is hierarchical, namely:
- At the central level general forecasts are prepared for the entire country, provided for the central State institutions, the Main Flood Committee and the media, including the countrywide press. The Main Forecasting Centre coordinates work of the regional centres in terms of its substance.
- The regional branches are responsible for hydrological and meteorological management on the territory within their scope of responsibility. The branches prepare short-range weather forecasts, warnings and messages for the regional governments and media, and supervise operations of the hydrological and meteorological stations and the Airport Forecasting Offices in respect of the local management.
- 61 hydrological and meteorological stations and 8 Airport Forecasting Offices operate at the local level that is in Szczecin, Gdańsk, Poznań, Warsaw, Wrocław, Katowice, Kraków and Rzeszów. The Airport Offices are responsible for the civil aviation meteorological screening, passing the specialised forecasts prepared by their supervising forecast offices.
The Hydrological and Meteorological Forecasting Centre and the branches in Gdynia, Szczecin, Białystok, Poznań, Wrocław and Kraków prepare analyses, forecasts and warnings using the visualisation PC systems developed in the past.
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- informations system |
The IMGW Forecasting Offices use satellite data to a limited extent. Only the Kraków Office has access to a complete set of high resolution satellite data coming from the polar and geostationary satellites. Other offices either do not have any access at all, or use the low resolution WEFAX data with obsolete automated receiving stations. IMGW operates two weather radars, i.e. in Legionowo near Warsaw and in Ramża near Katowice. However, due to the lack of technical capacity data is not available to all units.
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Forecasting is dominated by the subjective synoptic forecast, supported with the results of the numerical forecasting models, available through the WMO Global Telecommunication System. These are global and regional models, calculated in international WMO Centres. Moreover in the recent years there have been partially available the results of the two mezoscale meteorological forecasting models. One of them, i.e. the UKMO is calculated by the Warsaw University ICM Department, whereas the other one, with the name of ALADIN, by the Kraków IMGW Branch. Due to the absence of a super-computer it is not feasible to calculate the models in IMGW and the insufficient telecommunications infrastructure render impossible to fully use the available data. The data coming from the models are mainly transmitted through the Internet. In order to ensure effective operations of the hydrological and meteorological management system a full integration is required of the systems for reception of the synoptic, aerological, satellite, radar, precipitation and water level data, the data on the reservoir levels and the numerical model results into one, coherent IT and data transmission system operated by the entire IMGW. The Forecasting Offices, Airport Forecasting Offices, the hydrological forecasting units and certain stations should be equipped with professional hardware and software to be able to deliver this task. The Forecasting Offices and the hydrological forecasting units must have the capacity to receive data from any source, including from foreign meteorological institutions and transfer of forecasts and warnings on hazardous phenomena.
The system concerned must first of all feature extreme robustness, therefore it should fully use all telecommunication measures, made available under the modernization programme.
Moreover IMGW has operated the system of early warning on the radioactive air contamination and measurement of background atmospheric polution and monitored the quality of the ground running water. These systems require full integration with the system of measurements, processing and meteo and hydro forecasting.
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Scope of work
In order to fulfil the needs and archive the desired results, the IT system should satisfy certain requirements and have the following functionality:
- The key function of the software installed onto the terminals and workstations of the IMGW users will be the visualisation of data coming from various sources and territories throughout Europe and world-wide, including the specific requirements as well as preferences and local and personal configurations, available as a resident tool;
- It will be possible to convert majority of data into graphic form, both initial and processed, current and archived, and the data generated during processing;
- Access will be ensured to the geographic projections of maps and visualisations most frequently used in meteorology;
- The printouts of all maps will include the options relating to colours, border line, topography, bathymetry, the geographic coordinate grid, state and administrative borders, rivers and lakes, adequately to the scale of the given map; and
- Information and products will be exchanged between forecasters and hydrologists, research units and users through the computer network.
In order to achieve goals of the System,
it is necessary to design and implement
the following system elements:
Operational database
The operating database of the system for data conversion into graphic form will include the data and products presented in a graphic form on the system workstations. In essence, the database will be a buffer between the telecommunication and data conversion systems.
Conversion of data, warnings and
meteorological forecasts into graphic form
Following will be the key products of the data and meteorological forecast conversion into graphic form:
- Conversion into graphic form of warnings and special messages, coming from all observing stations, IMGW Forecasting Offices and the WMO Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres;
- Measurement data conversion into graphic form, namely maps with superimposed meteorological elements, comprehensive maps and raw data in the form of cables and tables;
- Automated alarming in case of a given phenomenon or phenomena occur or exceed their pre-defined parameters
- Plotting or printing of maps;
- Automated analysis and plotting of isolines of the defined elements, in the of the lines' interactive correction by the user;
- Plotting of vertical cross-sections based analytical and forecasting on the cable forwarded by TEMP, PILOT and the numerical model results and plotting of vertical cross-sections along the given route;
- Plotting of meteograms - fluctuations of the given elements and groups of elements over time;
Visualisation of satellite and radar data in the form of images and image sequences (the animation with the predefined scope and time interval); - Superimposition on the satellite and radar images of the analytical maps of any layer or element;
- Change and fitting of geographic projection of maps and images;
- Reduction, magnification and rotation of any element of the images; and
- Conversion of forecasting model results into graphic form.
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the July 1997 flood |
Assimilation of numerical model results
Ensuring reception, archiving and visualisations of the results of any numerical models coming from any source encoded in standard WMO formats. The decoded model results should be fit for visualisation on the screen, plotter or printer and entered into other models and processing systems.
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system after implementation EUMETSAT's new generation of MSG and METOP satellites |
Assimilation of satellite and radar data
The system delivery will enable:
1. Ensuring reception, archiving and conversion into graphic form of high resolution satellite data in three spectrum scopes coming from the existing METEOSAT satellite and the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) under design and the following functionality in terms of the cloud analysis:
- Measurement of cloud temperature and cloud top altitude;
- Specification of statistical data concerning these elements over a given period;
- Cross-sections and isolines of the defined temperatures and altitudes;
- Cloud temperature profiles;
- Cloud cover computations;
- Cloud type determination; and
- Cloud movement determination based on extrapolation and with the use of numerical models' data.
2. Ensuring reception, archiving and conversion onto graphic form of high resolution, multispectrum satellite data coming from the existing NOAA satellites and the EUMETSAT (METOP) under design and the following analysis functionality:
- Specification of sea surface temperature (SST);
- Vegetation index determination;
- Detection of unusually warm areas (e.g. forest fire);
- Measurement of cloud temperature and cloud top altitude;
- Specification of statistical data concerning these elements over a given period;
- Cross-sections and isolines of the defined temperatures and altitudes;
- Cloud temperature profiles;
- Cloud cover computations;
- Cloud type determination; and
- Cloud movement forecasting based on extrapolation and with the use of numerical models' data.
3. Ensuring reception, archiving and conversion into graphic form of radar data coming from the Polish radar network and the European CERAD, NORDRAD and COST-75 networks and the following functionality:
- Drawing of a collective radar map;
- Creation of cross-sections of albedo and phenomena along the given route;
- Analysis of the combined radar and satellite and synoptic data;
- Determination of the precipitation field and its comparison with the actual data;
- Measurement of cloud temperature and cloud top altitude;
- Forecasting of cloud movement and atmospheric phenomena zones based on extrapolation and with the use of numerical models' data.
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at the Kraków Forecasting Office |
Computer equipment
The system will comprise professional workstations, data servers, user workstations and PCs. In order to satisfy the management and operating needs there should be ensured 100% reliability of the system operations (the redundancy - automated switching over of the local system functions to other workstation or take over by the system in other regional centre. The central system should be mirrored).
The system will communicate with the user through a simple graphic interface, featuring a logical, mouse-operated window structure. Optionally, in case of the end users with predefined requirements, the interface will be operated by means of the touch screen or a specialised keyboard.
Other technical subsystems
The upgrade of Forecasting Offices necessitates procurement and installation of the subsystems of data reception and processing coming from other, external sources.
The RETIM-MATRA
satellite system
The system enables reception and processing of forecast data from the Regional Forecasting Centre in Toulouse. In order to include the data in the IMGW data transmission network it is necessary to upgrade the hardware and software of the simple receiving unit owned by the Institute.
The SADIS satellite system
The SADIS system enables reception of the measurement data coming from the GTS network and the forecasting map, developed through the numerical modelling from the Bracknell and Toulouse centres, primarily for civil aviation.
The FAX-E satellite system
The FAX-E system enables reception of the forecasting data from the Offenbach Regional Forecasting Centre. Both the input and processed data is available.
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the Kraków Forecasting Office |
The receiving system of the
data transmitted satellites
The launch of the new generation of satellites featuring largely improved data quality. Planned by the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) requires installation facilities of the new data reception and processing. The MSG geostationary satellite will start operations in 2000, whereas the METOP polar satellite in the first half of 2001. The volume of data and transmission speed will increase between twenty and hundred times. More spectrum channels and better data resolution will allow for better detection of phenomena and calculation of their quantitative characteristics.
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Implementation of scientific
and technical developments
As part of its scientific activity IMGW is active in research regarding the use of radar and satellite data, particularly in the case of natural hazard and disasters. The hitherto accomplishments with this respect will be integrated within the system following the necessary modifications, primarily software transfer to the new hardware platform. Meteorological research will focus on the maximum system contribution to the improvement of meteorological and hydrological management. Similarly, the results of academic and other institutes' research will be used to a greater extent. These developments may be applied within the system as part of cooperation with European meteorological services.
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The effects expected
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The primary effect of the project implementation will be the increase of effectiveness of the meteorological and hydrological forecasting system, both under normal and extreme conditions. Credibility and accuracy will improve of meteorological and hydrological forecasting and warning. The time required for the forecast or warning preparation will shorten fewfold. Automation of the process of input material preparation for the forecasts and forecast and warning distribution will enable cutting down the number of staff involved in these operations and shifting them to perform creative work relating to the forecasting process. The rate of breakdowns of the operated Intelligent Technology systems will reduce and duplication of the key subsystems will reduce the risk of obstruction of the forecast preparation process. Comprehensive monitoring of the Intelligent Technology systems at all levels will eliminate the potential of omission of some particularly important data, or the data corruption in the transmission or processing. Consequentially, the recipients of forecasts and warnings will have unobstructed access to the necessary data, forecasts and warnings, irrespectively of the current situation. Shortening of the forecast preparation and distribution time will enable earlier making of decisions, frequently of utter economic importance and relating to the human life and safety, which is particularly relevant in case of natural disasters. |
