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WMO Bulletin, Volume 50, No. 4: October 2001

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WMO Bulletin, Volume 50, No. 4: October 2001 The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations The purposes ofWMO are: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL To facilitate worldwide cooperation in the estab­ President j.W. Zillman (Australia) First Vice-President j.-P. Beysson (France) lishment of networks of stations for the making of Second Vice-President A.M. Noorian meteorological observations as well as hydro­ (Islamic Republic of Iran) logical and other geophysical observations related Third Vice-President Y. Salahu (Nigeria) to meteorology, and to promote the establishment Ex officio members of the Executive Council and maintenance of centres charged with the (presidents of regional associations) Africa (Region I) M.S. Mhita provision of meteorological and related services; (United Republic of Tanzania) To promote the establishment and maintenance Asia (Region II) A.M.H. !sa (Ba hrain) (acting) of systems for the rapid exchange of meteorologi­ South America (Region Ill) N. Salazar Delgado (Ecuador) cal and related information; North and Central America (Region IV) A.). Dania To promote standardization of meteorological (Netherlands Antilles and Aruba) and related observations and to ensure the uni­ South-West Pacific (Region V) R. Sri Diharto (Indonesia) (acting) form publication of observations and statistics; Europe (Region VI) F. Quintas Ribeiro (Portugal) (acting) To further the application of meteorology to avia­ Elected members of the Executive Council tion, shipping, water problems, agriculture and Z. Alperson (Israel) N. AI-Shalabi (Syrian Arab Republic) (acting) other human activities; A. C. Vaz de Athayde (Brazil) (acting) To promote activities in operational hydrology A.l. Bedritsky (Russian Federation) a_nd to further close cooperation between F. Camargo Duque (Venezuela) Meteorological and Hydrological Services; A. Diouri (Morocco) M.D. Everell (Canada) (acting) To encourage research and training in meteor­ P.D. Ewins (United Kingdom) ology and, as appropriate, in related fields, and to U. Gartner (Germany) assist in coordinating the international aspects of A. )aline (Mexico) R.R. Kelkar (India) such research and training. j.J. Kelly (United States of America) · The World Meteorological Congress . K. Konare (Mali) H. Mbifngwen Bongmum (Cameroon) (acting) is the supreme body of the Organization. It brings j.R. Mukabana (Kenya) (acting) together delegates of all Members once every fom:-""""' " A. Ndiaye (Senegal) (acting) years to determine general policies for the fulfilment H.H. Oliva (Chile) (acting) of the purposes of the Organization. - L.P. Prahm (Denmark) R. Prasad (Fiji) The Executive Council Qi.J1 Dahe (Chi.J1a) (acting) is composed of 36 directors of national Meteoro- G.K. Ramothwa (Botswana) G.C. Schulze (South Africa) . logical or.Hydrometeorological Services serving in an T. Sutherland (British Caribbean Territories) individual capacity; it meets at least once a year to N.l. Tawfiq (Saudi Arabia) supervise the programmes approved by Congress. K. Yamamoto (Japan) (acting) ). Zielinski (Poland) The six regional associations PRESIDENTS OF TECHNICAL COMMISSIONS are each composed of Members whose task it is to Aeronautical Meteorology: N.Gordon coordinate meteorological and related activities with­ Agricultural Meteorology: R.P.Motha in their respective Regions. Atmospheric Sciences: A. Eliassen Basic Systems: G. Love The eight technical commissions Cli.Jnatology: Y. Boodhoo are composed of experts designated by Members and Hydrology: D. G. Rutashobya are responsible for studying meteorological and Instruments and Methods of Observation: S.K. Srivastava hydrological operational systems, applications and Oceanography and Marine ). Guddal and S. Narayanan research. Meteorology: The Secretariat of the Organization is located at 7bis, avenue de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland. WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Secretary-General G.O.P. 0 BASI I Deputy Secretary-General M. jARRAUD ~ - · . ~ Assistant Secretary-General YAN Hong \ ~-~~ jg ~~ Vol. 50 No. 4 October 2001 The official journal of the World Meteorological Organization Iffi lUJJLJLIETTIN Subscrietion rates: In this issue ... .. ... .. ... ...... .... ... .. .... .... .. ....... ...... ....... ..... 276 Surface mail The Bu lletin interviews: 1 year: SFR 60 2 years: SFR 110 Morley K. Thomas .. .... ... .. .. .... ....... ................ .. ..... 277 3 years: SFR 145 Human and economic impacts of weather events in 2000, Airmail by S.G. Cornford .. ................. .. .......................... ... 284 1 year: SFR 85 2 years: SFR 150 Global crop production review, 2000 . 300 3 years: SFR 195 World Weather on the Web, by C.Y. Lam ........... ............... 303 Published quarterly Uanuary, April , Weather on the Web, by J. Fenix . 306 July, October) in English , French , Internet applications in the Kenya Meteorological Department, Russian and Spanish editions. by S. Machua, P. Mutai and P. Ambenje . 311 Web-based training in meteorology: past and future, Remi ttances and all correspondence by C. Duncan ......... .... .. ... ....... ... .. ........ ... ..... ..... ... 313 about the WMO Bulletin should be Impact of the Internet and other information technology addressed to the Secretory-Gene ral. advances on climate research, by N.S. Soreide .... .... .... ..... 316 E-met services in Singapore, by C.L. Wong .. ...... ... .... ..... .... 321 Opinions expressed in signed articles or in World Meteorological Day and World Water Day 200 I .... ...... .. 324 advertisements appearing in the WMO WMO Executive Council-Fifty-third session ....... ..... ..... ... 326 Bulletin are the author's or advertiser's Regional Association IV(North and Central America)- opinions and do not necessarily reflect thirteenth session .... .. .. ..... ..... ... ..... .... ...... ..... ....... .. 335 those ofWMO. Th e mention of specific companies or products in articles or Third Technical Conference on Management of Meteorological advertisements does not imply that they and Hydrological Services in Regional Association V are endorsed or recommended by WMO (South-West Pacific) ............................................. 337 in preference to others ofa similar nature WMO Programme news which are 110t mentioned or advertised. World Weather Watch Programme . 339 Extracts from unsigned (or initialled) Instruments and Methods of Observation Programme . 341 articles in the journal may be reproduced Tropical Cyclone Programme . 342 provided the customary acknowledge- mentis made. Requests to publish signed World Climate Programme . 343 articles (in part or in whole) should be World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme ........... 343 addressed to the Edito1: Atmospheric Research and Environment Programme ......... 344 Public Weather Services Programme . 346 World Meteorological Organization Agricultural Meteorology Programme .. ...... .... ..... .... ...... 347 Case postale 2300, CH -121 1 Geneva 2, Hydrology and Water Resources Programme . 349 Switzerland Education and Training Programme . 353 Tel.: (+4 1. 22) 730.84.78 Fax: (+41.22) 730.80.24 Technical Cooperation Programme ... ......... .... ..... .... .. ... 354 e-mail: [email protected] In the Regions . 356 News and notes . 358 The table of contents and a summary of News from the Secretariat .. ... ...... ..... .... .... .... .. .... ..... ...... 359 the feature art icles in the Bulletin are Obituary .... ....... ........ .. .. ....... ... .. ...... ........ .......... ... 364 posted on the WMO homepage: Reviews . 364 http://www.wmo.ch (Hot topics) Calendar of coming events .. .. ....... .......... .... ..... ........ .... 370 Acting Editor: W. Degefu Members of the World Meteorological Organization . 3 71 Associate Editor: judith C. C. TORRES Index for WMO Bulletin 50 (2001) .. ... ....... .. .. .. ... ......... .. 372 I I I I lloo rt!JJf1~ f1~~oorg "The Internet for meteorology" This issue's interviewee, Morley Thomas, started work in enhance or establish Internet links with the public. These meteorology 60 years ago. Like many others of his links will have a positive effect as users come to generation, he became a meteorologist with the Air Force recognize the NMHS as the primmy source of timely to meet aviation requirements during World Wa r II­ and reliable information and forecasts. what was then known as a metman. Earlier this yem; his book Met men in Wartime: Meteorology in Canada The Internet has radically transformed operations of 1939-1945 was published. the Kenya Meteorological Department and the Drought Monitoring Centre which it hosts. By increasing the S.G. Cornford reviews the impacts and consequences of amount and rate of data flow, crucial and timely weather around the world in 2000, based principally on services and products are now freely available to users. the reports submitted by WMO Member countries­ Despite practical and financial problems, the Internet is this ye m; a total of 72, comprising some 70 per cent of undoubtedly the way forward for African meteorology. the world's population. Overall, the impact seems less marked than in the previous two years, especially for The Internet has re-invented training in the field of weather-related fatalities. meteorology and related sciences in terms of diversit)\ depth and scope ofsubject area, speed and pedagogical 276 A review ofagricultural production in 2000 compared with approach. Never has so much up-to-date material been that in 1999, prepared by the US Department ofAgri­ available for those who wish to learn. Charles Duncan culture, assesses the impact of weather events
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