WMO TECO-2022 Conference Programme

This will be a report of the results from the 13th International Pyrheliometer Comparison, which were held in 2021.

A intercomparison of pyranometers is presented, conducted at the BSRN site in Cabauw, the Netherlands. A 1% deviation is found for one of the instruments due to a calibration traceability issue. Furthermore implications of digitalization and conditioning of the instruments are presented.

COAT project aims at organizing, conducting and analysing the results of an intercomparison of thermometers and radiation shields in the arctic research area of Ny-Ålesund – Svalbard. The project, started in October 2020 and it ends in April 2024.Its consortium is composed by an international multidisciplinary team, including meteorologists, Earth science researchers and metrologists. This contribution presents the project, with the comparison procedure, the selection of the instruments and the deployment of all instrumentation in Ny-Ålesund.

The talk is on a large scale Parallel Observations experiment that is being undertaken in Australia and Antarctica. The primary purpose is to assure the continuity of the Australian climate record. The secondary is to undertake research into siting and instrumentation influences on temperature measurement. The aim is to better understand the influences of screens and siting on the measurement, to determine the impact of these influences and generate corrections that align the measurement with an infrastructure independent estimate of surface air temperature.

This multi-year research independently tested and analyzed ten all-in-one instruments from different manufacturers alongside reference sensors used in operational research weather stations. The statistical results of the comparisons of their meteorological measurements and discussion of technological issues, engineering improvements, construction durability, operational challenges, and potential uses will be presented.

The EUMETNET AutoPollen Programme, together with the ADOPT COST Action, organised a WMO-inspired international intercomparison campaign to evaluate all available automatic bioaerosol monitors. The campaign took place over the main pollen season in 2021 and was hosted by the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich, Germany. Thirteen different instruments participated in the campaign, ranging from commercial devices through to research prototypes and with a variety of different capacities and functionalities.

The Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency installed Marine Automatic Weather Station near the volcano to observe real-time tidal and weather conditions at Anak Krakatau Volcano. The system is designed using CS475 Radar Water Level Sensor, HUMICAP Temperature and Humidity Probe, TB3 Tipping Bucket, PTB 210 barometric pressure sensor, and Campbell Scientific 107 SSL sea surface temperature. The station data quality assessment is designed to characterize the performance of station data quality in a quantitative and automated manner.

Development of the Irish weather buoy network has led to several technological changes over the 20 years of operation. These changes are outlined, and the effects on historical ocean wave measurements are examined, including comparison of the current 2 wave sensors used on the buoys. Rogue wave occurrences are presented for each sensor, including an exceptional 32m rogue observed in October 2020.

Catching-type precipitation gauges are affected by measurement bias due to wind. A mathematical formulation for the catch ratio of a cylindrical gauge was derived as a function of both wind speed and rainfall intensity. One-minute measurements, obtained at the Hong Kong International Airport field test site where a two-dimensional video disdrometer provides the drop size distribution of the observed rainfall events, were adjusted. The proposed method provides the basis to adjust rainfall measurements for any location and rain event characteristics.

Precipitation estimation from the test sensors i.e. Thies-LPM, Ott Parsivel, PWD12 and WS100 are compared with the Geonor T200B reference measurements. As compared with Geonor measurement, all the test sensor under estimate the total amount of precipitation during observation periods. Thies-LPM was more sensitive, recording the higher number of events during test periods. Longer observation from the test sensors in different weather and climatic conditions gives better results in terms of accuracy.

The aim of the project EMPIR MAPP is to enable the SI-traceable measurement of column-integrated aerosol optical properties retrieved from the passive remote sensing of the atmosphere using solar and lunar radiation measurements. In order to validate and improve the current aerosol optical property retrievals using state-of-the-art inversion models, radiometers of the three largest aerosol monitoring networks at NMI laboratories will be calibrated, and portable devices for the in-field calibration of network radiometers will be developed. The goal is to standardise aerosol optical properties retrieval by shortening the calibration chain, reduce calibration downtime of network radiometers and establish their consistent dissemination including their uncertainty.

There is no international standard for wind direction sensor calibration. The lack of standard method and reference quide about this area, can be eliminated by sharing the practices and documents of the countries which work on the matter. In order to contribute to the knowledge pool, the calibration method, method and procedures of mechanical wind direction sensors are explained in practice.

Accurate, time-resolved H2O measurements are highly relevant for weather/climate forecasts i.e. for air-traffic, industry, agriculture or atmospheric research. Here, temporal sensor response characterization is frequently limiting the measurement accuracy in dynamic situations. For improved quantification of the temporal (and static) hygrometer response we developed a novel, metrological, dynamic characterization setup, dynH2O, which combines a H2O vapor step change generator with a traceable sampling- and calibration-free, open-path reference dTDLAS hygrometer and a fluid-dynamics simulation approach to extract the ideal sensor response.

The accuracy of meteorological measurements is influenced by the characteristics of the site. To evaluate the effect of the presence of a road on near-surface air temperature measurements, a one-year lasting experiment has been performed, consisting in a 100-m-long array of thermometers with solar shields, placed on a flat field at increasing distances from a road. Statistical analyses have been carried out, showing the influence quantities' combinations maximising the effect, quantified as 1.7±0.4 °C for a return period of 100 years.

Uncertainty evaluation is key to understanding data quality in meteorology and climatology. Field conditions, instrumental factors, quantities of influence introduce difficulties in evaluating all parameters to complete the uncertainty budget. Near Surface Temperature measurement is a key example. Recent joint research projects have delivered important results and methods to improve the identification and evaluation of uncertainties, which together with the BIPM, WMO, JCGM joint actions all show the growing interest and efforts. An extended collaborative process, where users, manufacturers, national institutes and services all contribute to increase scientific and technical knowledge in understanding and evaluating measurement uncertainties is here proposed.

Many weather services have implemented the siting classification (SC) for surface observing stations on land and we have gathered their experience with its application. Users describe the SC as a useful tool for a more objective evaluation of the impact of the surroundings on the meteorological measurements at a site. However, the feedback reveals also challenges counteracting its consistent use. We’ll give guidelines for some common “siting problems” and give an outlook on how to improve and further optimize the SC.

Forecast sensitivity to Observations Impacts (FSOI) analysis has been used to study the impact of several in-situ observing systems on the quality of the Met Office global NWP model forecast. A brief overview of the FSOI methodology will be presented and the results of case-studies quantifying the impact of radiosonde and ship-based data at the individual observing site level will be discussed.

The close link between weather and agriculture has always pushed farmers to take a strong interest in weather measurements. In the last few years, the number of personal weather stations installed in fields has strongly increased. One can question the quality of these weather stations. Certifying these meteorological data appears as an essential step before any use. We propose to show the interest of implementing procedures for the control of meteorological data, as input to agronomic models.

Crowdsourced observations from Netatmo home weather stations through the year 2020 were analysed to determine their potential for use in “urban-scale” model validation. Such models have resolutions of the order 25-300 metres, thus requiring observations at vastly greater spatial and temporal densities than are currently available. To assess their potential value, the Netatmo observations were compared against existing Met Office land stations, the WOW citizen observer network, and the 1.5km UKV NWP model, over the London area.

Since 2009, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has successively established carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring stations at King’s Park in urban area and Hok Tsui in rural area of Hong Kong for long-term observations. This presentation details HKO's work in CO2 observations, including instrument changes, maintenance and calibration, as well as data quality checking and data archival. Moreover, the trend of CO2 concentration in Hong Kong in the past decade will be analysed and compared with those in other parts of the world. In addition to the long-term trend, the collected data can also help identify short term fluctuations in CO2 concentration. Studies of two episodes with elevated CO2 concentration under specific weather conditions will be discussed.

The WMO-sponsored ASOPOS activity has produced new Guidelines for Ozonesonde operations and best practices, summarized in a WMO/GAW Report 268: https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=21986#.Yz35NkzMJc8. The goal of the “ASOPOS 2.0” Report is for more uniformity in operations and in data processing so the ozone measurement throughout profile can achieve 5% accuracy in the ozone concentration. Important principles in the new Guidelines are (1) more metadata; (2) corrections for pump efficiency errors in the mid-stratosphere; (3) the final ozone record is referenced to a single global standard; (4) continuous comparisons of sonde total ozone must be made with satellite and ground-based data in order detect instrument problems, such as those found in a subset of EnSci instruments since 2013.

Capacity development is essential for a sustainable implementation of strategic activities of WMO such as GBON and the WMO Unified Data Policy. Focusing on embracing the Earth System Approach INFCOM’s Standing committee on Earth Observing System and Networks Monitoring (SC_ON) seeks ways to collaborate with other WMO bodies, other domains as well as the private industry to find ways for a effective Capacity development.

Personnel Competences in any organization play a pivotal role in achieving quality measurements and sustainability of any equipment. On the other hand, the evolution of equipment (with agreements such as the Minamata Convention of 2013) greatly influenced the decisions of the global Meteorological Institutions, Zimbabwe included.

WMO Regional Instrument Centres (RICs) help Members both within and outside the Region to calibrate national meteorological standard instruments based on the terms of reference. This presentation details an initiative known as the RIC Tsukuba Package, collaboration with other RICs, and Interlaboratory Comparison (ILC) as recent international cooperation activities of RIC Tsukuba in the field of meteorological instrument calibration.

Automation of the precipitation gauge network of the NIMH Bulgaria. Challenges in the adaptation of the methodology of observations to the requirements.

The automation for traditional hydro-meteorological monitoring devices will ensure information transmission, digitization, data synchronization, orientation on the basis of Big Data, serving digital forecasting according to the industry development strategy. hydrometeorology of Vietnam. Besides, it is also meaningful in bringing the ability to control and evaluate the quality of data as well as economic value in saving money on book investment for observers.

The Precision Solar Spectroradiometer was developed as a small, robust, and cost-effective solution for monitoring spectral solar radiation. The PSRs are fully characterised and provide traceable solar irradiance measurements. Applications include for example improved knowledge on atmospheric processes, or estimation of energy yields for photovoltaic devices.

The proposed system is based on a Client/Server architecture, databases and processing are hosted on the server side, and access to data and functionalities is provided through dedicated WEB interfaces while guaranteeing performance, integrity, availability, reliability, confidentiality, traceability, maintainability, authenticity and scalability of the system. The software solution consists of different modules: quality control, editing and encoding of WMO messages, dissemination to the DGM web portal and to the WIS and generation of web maps, climatological charts and graphs.

The first hyperspectral infrared sounder (GIIRS) onboard a geostationary platform (FY-4A) has been operating since 2016. Confronting some unprecedented challenges, an original spectrum calibration method of GIIRS is proposed for implementation under the extensive supports and collaborations from both domestic and international counterparts. The spectral and radiometric accuracies of the measured spectra from the above-mentioned GIIRS method are assessed to be well-behaved, which is of sufficient accuracy for numerical weather prediction use. A feasible solution of spectrum calibration for a geostationary hyperspectral infrared sounder is provided for reference.

Regional WIGOS Centers in Africa play a critical role in advancing the implementation of WIGOS at the national and regional levels not only by providing regional coordination, technical guidance, assistance and advice to Members and Regional Associations (RAs) in accordance with the WMO Technical Regulations but also by contributing in improving the availability and quality of meteorological observation collected and shared at the international level.

Availability and quality of observations are key factors for starting a value chain of services involving weather and climate. These concepts are not new but so far has been missing to be addressed globally and returned to data providers for improvement in key aspects. For numerical weather prediction hourly surface pressure, temperature, humidity and wind are required. The linkage with the right metadata is proved essential. This presentation will focus on the benefits and information that can be extracted from the variety of the Wigos tools available, how issues with data are addressed and eventually solved

The ISO/OGC standard underpinning the current WIGOS Metadata Representation (WMDR 1.0) has been revised and a new standard, ISO 19156:2022 / OGC OMS is being published. To comply, a new version WMDR 2 is being developed. The presentation will describe the status of the work and the proposed new organization of observational metadata in support of all WMO Application Areas.

This presentation summarizes the work METNorway is currently doing focused on making provenance data available to data consumers. The work is in its early stages. Two projects at METNorway have provenance information as a small part of the project scope. These two projects are briefly presented, together with their need for provenance information. Lastly, a summary of our thoughts on going forward is presented.

Update on progression of the concept of tiered network design for WMO. Starting from pre-existing materials a conceptual proposal has been worked up which consists of 4 tiers and the overall defining features have been outlined. Agreements to this conceptual framework is a pre-requisite for implementation. However, it consists of solely a first step and much work would need to be done to subsequently agree criteria for assessment, assessment protocols and embed in regulatory materials. The potential benefits extend across the entire value chain from instrument manufacturers, through network operators to end-users.

The GCOS Surface Reference Network (GSRN) will be a stable and metrologically well-characterized global land surface climate reference network, providing observations of high quality with full traceability and fully defined uncertainty. The presentation will give an overview on the status of the work of the WMO GSRN Task Team, the general procedure for selecting pilot GSRN stations and will describe the first requirements for these stations.

Emerging technologies and an ever-increasing demand for environmental data provide opportunities for NMHSs to upgrade and expand surface-based observation networks that reflect evolving user needs. However, these also come with challenges and there is no single solution. This presentation describes some activities and key findings from training workshops held for RA-I and RA-V, along with some experiences that may assist others with their transition. 

The status and impact of surface and radiosonde networks is reviewed including the current compliance with the new GBON requirements for hourly surface reports and high-resolution radiosonde ascents. Some aspects of concern are noted, including wind direction biases at some radiosonde stations and lower radiosonde balloon bursts in high-latitude winter. It is suggested that a mechanism for short-term data rescue would be useful.

Governments and society are demanding continuous improvements in weather forecasts and warnings to be able to manage the growing risks and associated effects from severe weather (floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.). Most of meteorological measurements use a scarce resource: the radio spectrum. The aim of this intervention is to show how it’s delicate to ensure the sustainability of the use of meteorological frequency bands in order to ensure the long term and efficient use of existing and future meteorological systems.

We give an overview of the global UAS Demonstration Campaign (UAS-DC), being organised by the WMO, which is planned to take place between March and August 2024. The aims are to demonstrate the capabilities of weather-sensing UAS, and assess their role and potential benefits as an operational observing system that could contribute to the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).

This presentation shows a full set of new recommendations on topics which were not included in previous version of the guide and an update as methods and technologies evolve: - Multiple results from WMO-SPICE (Solid Precipitation InterComparison Experiment) - More consistency between different sections facilitating readability of the chapter (subjective) - New images, drawings and diagrams in order to illustrate the real challenges on precipitation measurement

Radiosondes are used to obtain crucial information about the atmosphere for the purposes of weather forecasting. This presentation explores the methods to holistically reduce the environmental impact of radiosonde observations and a new innovation for a material that can be used to reduce the post-life impact of the radiosoundings.

For decades, international intercomparison campaigns have been used to test, evaluate, and characterize individual radiosonde systems. The "UAII 2022" is the latest campaign in the series. Comprised of laboratory and field components, it is co-organized by the DWD and MeteoSwiss under the auspices of the WMO, and has been underway at the Meteorological Observatory of Lindenberg in northern Germany since February 2022. In this talk, I will summarize the campaign's progress as it reached its half-way point. The focus of the presentation will be set on the field component of the UAII: a 6-weeks/79-flights endeavor that was recently completed [SPOILER ALERT] successfully.

I present a methodology I have devised to select the best meteorological sensor out of competing alternatives from an environmental, but also quality & cost perspective. It also enables National Met Services to work with manufacturers to incorporate their requirements at the design stage of new sensors.

WMO’s GBON establishes ambitious targets for spatial and temporal density of observations. As resolved at INFCOM-1, the environmental impact of observing operations and technologies requires careful consideration. Presenting on behalf of Ms. Shannon Kaya (Meteorological Service of Canada - tasked as the focal point of this initiative), Mr. Peter Leibiuk will share early information gathered on the opportunities and challenges in implementing more environmentally sustainable observing systems, and the path forward to delivering Statements of Guidance for NMHSs under this initiative.