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Archive -Environment

Paving the way forward for improved weather forecasting in the country |04 July 2016

 

 

 

To remain relevant in this modern scientific world, the government has invested, and continues to do so, in strengthening the Seychelles National Meteorological Services (SNMS) now known as the Seychelles Meteorological Authority to allow for the production of better weather, climate and related environmental information, including early warning services, for enhanced preparedness and response to, and mitigation of natural hazards.

In fact, some improvements in service delivery and products are already visible. A typical example was with the intense tropical cyclone Felleng on January 2013 which resulted in severe flooding and caused extensive devastation to coastline areas and widespread structural damages to infrastructure (roads, houses, schools) which amounted to approximately USD 9.3 million.

The investment has also over the years allowed the Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA) to upgrade its facilities to keep up-to-date with new technologies and ensure it maintains a good link of communication with the rest of the world. The office started with only a few and simple computers but today has developed and is equipped with more advanced and sophisticated software which allows good and efficient ways to transmit and receive weather and climate data.

The SMA has also strengthened weather observation and climate monitoring network across the Seychelles, including the inner and outer islands, through the installation of automatic weather stations. These automatic stations are very useful for having long-term database for climate change studies as well as providing real time data for improving response to early warning.

Another achievement is the launch of the ‘Online Ocean Forecasting System’ for Seychelles last year. This is a model which has been developed specifically for the region of Seychelles by India through the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES). The forecasting system provides forecast products such as ocean currents, waves, oil spill advisory, sea surface temperature among others. In the past the SMA has been under immense pressure from its users to provide accurate and reliable ocean forecasts and, too often, it had to answer questions as to why the forecast was not correct and precise. This forecasting tool is therefore very important to address the constraints that the SMA has been experiencing for years in order to provide its customers and public in general with good oceanic forecasting. Furthermore, this forecasting tool has come at the right time as Seychelles is proactively advocating and promoting the concept of the Blue Economy and that with the setting up of the Blue Economy Research Institute, it will further enhance the development of this sector.

To support the operationalisation of the ocean forecasting model, a wave rider buoy has just recently (March 9-18, 2016) been installed around the Fregate island.  This equipment, the first of its kind to be installed in Seychelles, is providing data to INCOIS so that they can perform model verification to ensure good performance of the model they have provided to the Seychelles. The buoy is equipped with sensors to measure in real time oceanographic parameters like wave height, swell waves, currents, sea surface temperature and others. The information on the state of the sea is also vital for the smooth operation of fishermen, offshore industries such as oil and natural gas exploration, mineral exploration as well as recreational tourism on the sea side. Furthermore, oceanographic information is important during contingencies like search and rescue operations in the sea and for containing oil spills. It is also important during cyclones and other extreme weather conditions to alert the general public of the coastal stretch under risk so that the population under threat is relocated to safer places.

SMA has also replaced banned mercury thermometers with digital thermometers. Mercury is a toxin substance which may have serious effect on human and animal lives. The sensitiveness of sensors in digital thermometers allow for precision in measurements and no maintenance is required for the sensors. Sensors are more robust and durable and data sets can be stored automatically.

However, to make real progress in weather and climate forecasting will depend not only on good equipment and dataset but a good workforce is equally important. In times of fast scientific and technical evolution, met office should turn into a more scientific workplace with staff who are competent and ready to make their contributions and achieve objectives. In this line, last year two young recruits left the country for overseas training.

Tareq Nourrice is currently in Nanjing, China, following a BSc in Meteorology whereas Egbert Quatre left just two weeks ago for his BSc course in Nairobi University, Kenya. Upon completion of their training, these two staff members will not only come back to replace the expatriates currently working with the SMA but will have the knowledge and skills to perform more advanced tasks to further improve the weather prediction, particularly as increasing vulnerability to natural hazards and extreme weather events, and sensitivity of national economies to climate variability and change expose gaps in the existing capabilities of the SMA. 

Apart weather forecasting courses, three young recruits have recently completed a short-term course called Aeronautical Meteorological Observing (AMO) course at the UK Met Office. The course has now allowed them to have the required license to discharge their duties and provide the forecasters with weather measurements which are reliable before they can be analysed and interpreted to produce forecasts to the different users.

Furthermore, three staff members in the technical support unit have also completed their overseas training last year in calibration and maintenance of meteorological instruments in Kenya and training in Linux and information system in India. With investment also being made in equipment and technology in order to improve weather forecasting and climate monitoring, it is very important the technical staff at the SMA develop the necessary capacities to handle and maintain these equipment.    

 

With the same objective of increasing the capacity of SMA to better discharge its mandate and comply to both its national and international obligations, three experts from the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (Météo France) in Reunion Island were on a working visit to SMA in October last year to help in the area of information technology, research and also in the quality management system commonly known as QMS. Their visits have improved the accuracy and lead-time of forecasts and warnings for both weather and flash floods and also have strengthened the cooperation which already exists between these two scientific institutions.

The SMA also has future projects which includes the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) which is a fully configurable airport weather system that measure, collect and disseminate weather data to help meteorologists, pilots and flight dispatchers prepare and monitor weather forecasts, plan flight routes, and provide necessary information for correct take-offs and landings. The equipment, which works 24/7, eliminate the need for manual weather observation thus a huge reduction in human induced errors. The system is expected to be up and running at the Seychelles International Airport by August 2016. It is a project partially funded by Seychelles government and Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority.

Due to vulnerability of small island developing countries to climate change, the SMA intends to deploy its own wireless telecommunication network operating within the 5.4 GHZ wireless range. Such system would allow direct interconnections of new and existing automated weather stations located within the inner islands of Seychelles. This project is being funded by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and implemented by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy.

 

 

 

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