The 8th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology

4.10
GENERATION OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER FORECASTS CAPABILITIES AT THE WORLD AREA FORECAST CENTRES

Steve Murray, UK Met Office, Bracknell, Berks, UK; and R. Olson

The final phase of the World Area Forecast System (WAFS) is nearing completion. When the final phase is achieved the two World Area Forecast Centers (WAFCs), London and Washington, will generate operational forecasts of global significant weather (SIGWX). WAFS forecasts are delivered to aviation users by means of the WAFS global satellite delivery system, and are required in all international flight documentation packages. The successful spin-up of the WAFCs can be linked in part to complimentary efforts by London and Washington to develop critically needed capabilities, such as the combination of scientific algorithms with numerical weather data, and the development of an interactive product generation system. During the final phase of WAFS implementation, the WAFCs must develop the capability to provide mutual back-up services in case of an outage. Finally, the WAFS final phase cannot be fully achieved until each WAFC can provide global SIGWX forecasts in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) BUFR format

The 8th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology