WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
RA I TROPICAL CYCLONE COMMITTEE
FOR THE SOUTH-WEST INDIAN OCEAN
NINETEENTH SESSION
NAIROBI, KENYA
20 TO 24 SEPTEMBER 2010 / RA I/TCC-XIX/Doc. 6.2
(2.IX.2010)
ITEM 6.2
Original: ENGLISH

REVIEW OF THE TECHNICAL PLAN AND ITS

IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME

Hydrological Component

(Submitted by the Secretariat)

Summary and purpose of document
This document provides information related to the various aspects of the hydrological component, to assist the Committee in the review and update of this component in its Technical Plan.

ACTION PROPOSED

The RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee is invited to take into account the information and proposals contained in the relevant sections of this document when reviewing the Technical Plan and its implementation.

References:

1. XIV-RA I - Abridged final report with resolutions, WMO-No. 1022

2. CHy-XIII - Abridged final report with resolutions and recommendations, WMO – No.1033, 2008

3. RA I Working Group on Hydrology Final Report held in Entebbe, Uganda, 31 May-2 June 2010


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This document provides information related to the various aspects of the hydrological component, regarding liaison with the Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South-West Indian Ocean. It also contains proposals for action by the Committee. Relevant background information is provided in the References.

2. DESIGNATION OF THE RA I LIAISON OFFICER TO TCC

2.1 The tenth session of RA I Working Group on Hydrology which met in Entebbe, Uganda from 31 May to 2 June 2010 proposed five sub-regional coordinators for the five sub-regions plus a Liaison Officer to the Tropical Cyclone Committee (TCC) to facilitate organization of activities. Mr Rajan Mungra (Mauritius) was proposed to serve as Liaison officer to the TCC.

3. LINKAGE WITH OTHER INITIATIVES IN THE REGION

3.1 A Flash Flood Guidance System with Global Coverage is being developed under the WMO’s Flood Forecasting Initiative. WMO, jointly with Hydrologic Research Centre in San Diego (HRC), the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and USAID organized a kick-off workshop in collaboration with the South Africa Weather Service in Pretoria, South Africa from 28 to 30 July 2009 to start the implementation of the Regional Flash Flood Guidance System – Southern Africa component (SARFFGS). The SARFFGS is covering basins in SADC countries and will be implemented using satellite based Hydro-estimator rainfall estimation in basins of average size of 200 km2 (about 15x15 km). It will work through a combination of weather information and hydrological information in real-time to give an indication of which small river basin is in danger of flooding in the next 0-6 hours. A Regional Centre (RC) has been established in South Africa for data archiving, analyses and communications with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in participating countries.

3.2 WMO, in collaboration with USAID/OFDA, is developing a Strategy for Flood Forecasting and Early Warning in the Zambezi Basin. The proposed project is intended to assess the capacity for flood forecasting and early warning in the countries in the Zambezi River Basin and particularly in the Zambezi Basin area and formulate a consensus strategy. The project will be implemented through five main activity areas including Regional Consultation Meeting, National Consultations, Basin-wide meetings of riparian hydrometeorological and disaster management organizations, implementation of a Demonstration Project on flood forecasting system and a proposal for basin-wide Flood Early Warning Strategy. The regional consultation meeting was organized in December 2009 in Maputo, Mozambique, as the first activity of the project. 46 experts representing NMHSs and disaster management offices (DMOs) from six countries in the basin (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and representatives of regional and international organizations participated in the meeting. National consultations will soon be undertaken, through organization of national workshops in the participating countries.

3.3 It is proposed to collaborate with the Regional Centre in South Africa in order to access and exchange relevant data and information for mutual benefit of the three initiatives.

3.4 The SADC–HYCOS phase II, which was to end in November 2009, was extended until February 2010, and then to May 2010. WMO assisted SADC to prepare an implementation document for phase III, which was endorsed by the SADC council of Ministers. The Government of The Netherlands agreed to support the implementation of SADC-HYCOS phase III, which was planned to start in July 2010 but has not yet started. A total of 63 DCPs have been installed during phase I and II of the project, of which 61 are still functioning, though at different levels of performance. 92 DCPs have been supplied to the participating countries but some have not yet been installed.

4. PROPOSAL FOR INVOLVEMENT OF THE RA I WGH IN THE WORK OF THE TCC

4.1 Tropical cyclones are usually accompanied by flooding. This calls for improved tropical cyclone forecasting in order to improve on flood forecasting and attain more reliable flood warnings. It is important therefore that the RA I WGH be involved more in the work of the TCC. The Southern African sub-region is prone to tropical cyclones and therefore to flooding issues. It is proposed therefore that the RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee should discuss and come up with a mechanism for the RA I WGH Liaison Officer to the TCC to be provided with tropical cyclone forecasting information from the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre, La Réunion, on a regular basis, and pass the same to the relevant Hydrological Services and other hydrological agencies, to be used in their hydrological forecasts.

4.2 There is also need for closer cooperation between NMSs and NHSs for better exchange of tropical cyclone forecasts and flood forecasting information. In this regard, advantage should be taken of the Southern Africa Flash Flood Guidance System.

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