WMO Document Template s7

World Meteorological Organization EC-69/Doc. 3.2(4) EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Submitted by: Secretary-General Sixty-Ninth Session 11.IV.2017 Geneva, 10 to 17 May 2017 DRAFT 1

AGENDA ITEM 3: DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, RESILIENCE AND PREVENTION

AGENDA ITEM 3.2: IMPACT-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SERVICES

SEVERE WEATHER FORECASTING

SUMMARY

DECISIONS/ACTIONS REQUIRED:

Adopt draft Decision 3.2(4)/1 — Severe Weather Forecasting.

CONTENT OF DOCUMENT:

The Table of Contents is available only electronically as a Document Map*.

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Draft Decision 3.2(4)/1 (EC-69)

SEVERE WEATHER FORECASTING

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,

Recalls:

(1) Decision 9 (EC-68) – Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP), that endorses the critical elements for consolidating the SWFDP into global sustainable operational services;

(2) Decision 58 (EC-68) – Operational implications and requirements for impact-based forecasting;

Recognizes that many NMHSs in developing and least developed countries lack the human and technological capacities to provide forecasting services, and make insufficient use of ever advancing forecasting techniques;

Notes that the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) is successfully strengthening capacity in NMHSs in developing and least developed countries to deliver improved forecasts and warnings of severe weather to save lives, livelihoods and property, and that it has improved the lead-time and reliability of warnings of high-impact weather events;

Observes, however, that the information and products being exchanged in the context of the SWFDP are primarily in graphical form;

Observes further that digital data is required to support impact-based forecasting and applications such as agriculture and hydrology, and to establish synergies with other initiatives (such as the Flash Flood Guidance System and the Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project);

Notes that this requirement may have implications to the operations of the contributing global and regional centres;

Urges global and regional centres to consider contributing to the SWFDP by sharing information as digital data in supplement to images where required to support specific applications;

Requests the Secretary-General and CBS to continue to give high priority to the implementation of SWFDP in subregions that have not as yet benefited from the demonstration phases.

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