PALAU COUNTRY REPORT

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "PALAU COUNTRY REPORT"

Janice Morgan
5 years ago
Views:

1 PALAU COUNTRY REPORT NOAA Natinal Weather Service Weather Service Office - Palau Republic f Palau Jint Meeting f RA II WIGOS Prject and RA V TT-SU Jakarta, Indnesia / 11 Octber 2018 BMKG Headquarter [1] Yur cuntry reprts will be psted n the meeting's web page.

2 Backgrund The Republic f Palau cnsists f eight principal islands and mre than 250 smaller nes lying rughly 500 miles sutheast f the Philippines. The islands f Palau cnstitute part f the Carline Islands chain. Palau is an archipelag f ver 500 islands, part f the Micrnesia regin in the western Pacific Ocean. Krr Island is hme t the frmer capital, als named Krr, and is the islands cmmercial center. The larger Babeldab has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus muntains and sandy beaches n its east cast. In its nrth, ancient basalt mnliths knwn as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrunded by palm trees. Ppulatin: 21,503 (2016) Wrld Bank Official languages: English, Palauan Recgnized reginal languages: Japanese; Snsrlese; Tbian Climate: Pleasantly warm climate year-rund with an annual mean temperature f 82 F (27 C). Rainfall can ccur thrughut the year and the annual average is 150 inches. The average relative humidity is 82% and althugh rain falls mre frequently between July and Octber, there is still much sunshine.

3 Our Missin: Shrt Descriptin f NMHS Activities Prvide weather, water, and climate data, frecasts and warnings fr the prtectin f life and prperty and enhancement f the natinal ecnmy. We build partnerships with state and natinal agencies, law enfrcement, academia, media and the public. We prvide ur partners with weather infrmatin and frecasts t make ur cmmunities increasingly ready, resilient, and respnsive when hazardus weather strikes.

4 Majr natinal ecnmic sectrs relying n NMHSs Natinal Emergency Management Office Bureau f Public Safety Divisin f Fire & Rescue Ministry f Health Ministry f Educatin Bureau f Agriculture Divisin f Transprtatin Divisin f Marine Law Enfrcement Krr State Rangers Other State Rangers Bureau f Agriculture Other Private Sectrs Media

5 Current Observatinal System Overview I. Surface bservatins The synptic surface weather bserving prgram exists t prvide weather data t supprt frecast prgrams. Weather data are encded in a numeric frmat fr internatinal exchange, at the main synptic reprting times f 0300, 0900, 1500 and 2100 UTC. Synptic surface bservatins include, at a minimum, infrmatin n amunt f sky cver, wind, visibility, temperature, pressure and weather. II. Upper-air bservatins The upper-air bserving prgram is dne twice daily at 0000 and 1200 UTC, unless extenuating and justifiable circumstances prevent it. The system utilized is the Transitinal Radisnde Observing System (TROS) with a 403 MHz frequency, t prvide a vertical prfile f pressure, temperature, relative humidity and wind velcity thrugh the use f balln burne radisnde. III. Marine bservatins Palau lacks marine bservatin equipment. There are n cean buys arund Palau. There is a tide gauge in Malakal maintained and perated by University f Hawaii at Mana in clse assciatin with ther agencies, ne being NOAA. Lcally, tide data is used t mnitr earthquake generated tsunami events. Reginally, tide data is used in assimilatin int peratinal mdels, calibratin f satellite altimetry data, prductin f ceanic prducts and research. Palau s cral research centers may have mre cean bserving equipment but it is nt accessible t public users. Frecasters have t result t mdel data t frecast marine cnditins. Surf bservatins are reprted every 0900 and 1500 UTC frm the east and suth side f Palau.

6 Current Observatinal System Overview IV. Aircraft-based bservatins Nt applicable V. Satellite bservatins The NOAA Gegstatinary satellite and the Japan Meterlgical Agency s Satellite Meterlgical Center s HimawariCast Satellite Receptin system with Sataid prgrams are used t bserve and analyze surface and upper air interactins with land and cean, and mnitr weather and climate cnditins. VI. Weather Radar bservatins Nt applicable VII. Other bservatin platfrms Cp statins frm tw ther lcatins bserve and reprt daily minimum and maximum temperatures.

7 Majr histrical hydr-meterlgical disasters Drught Episde 2016 Palau cngress apprpriated US$2 millin fr relief effrts. N casualties Super Typhn Hayian Nvember 7, 2013 Ttal damage estimated t US$ 5.9 millin in damages acrss six sectrs (Educatin, Utilities, Health, Agriculture, Public Wrks, Husing) N casualties. Super Typhn Bpha December 2, 2012 Ttal damage amunted t US$10.1 millin with repair csts estimated at US$15-20 millin; Palau cngress allcated US$10 millin fr relief while internatinal dnrs prvided a cllective $235,000 in aid. N casulaties.

8 Access, Prcessing and Applicatin f Satellite Data and Prducts I. List f satellites/instruments currently used peratinally fr NWP, nwcasting and ther applicatins NOAA Gestatinary and Plar Orbiting Satellites Himawari Satellite Receptin (Himawaricast) system with SATAID prgram Japan Meterlgical Agency Meterlgical Satellite Center (JMA MSC) Himawari Real Time (n line) AAFB Guam Radar Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (CWB) and Philippine (PAGASA) Satellite Images Other cuntries satellite images which includes ROP that can ffer mre infrmatin than the nes currently listed abve II. Current capabilities f access, prcessing and archiving f satellite data and prducts Himawaricast received thrugh JMA s cmmunicatin satellite Surface Analysis n lw and high reslutin images N archiving unless it is a used t prvide a weather briefing r it is a ptential hazard t Palau Internet surces On line surces used t lp images faster t be able t see clud develpment and dissipatin. Used t get mre specific details and infrmatin n a weather phenmenn mainly a trpical cyclne N archiving unless it is a used t prvide a weather briefing r it is a ptential hazard t Palau

9 Access, Prcessing and Applicatin f Satellite Data and Prducts I. Current satellite data applicatins I. Key applicatin areas II. Mnitring Weather and Climate cnditins Intertrpical cnvergence znes: Trpical Cyclnes, circulatins, disturbances, trughs, shear lines, frntal systems Mnsn: surges, depressins and trughs Observing and analyzing surface and upper air interactins with land and cean Satellite-based prducts Visible Imagery Infrared Imagery Near Infrared Imagery Water Vapr Imagery ASCAT Wind Data Micrwave Imagery Alitimeter Data

10 Abstract (updates n status and plan f satellite data access, prcessing, applicatin and training) WSO Palau utilizes Japan Meterlgical Agency s (JMA) Satellite Meterlgical Center s HimawariCast Satellite Receptin system with Sataid prgram t bserve and analyze near real time satellite images that are nly 10 minutes behind the actual time. Surf analysis are dne n bth lw and high reslutin images with an verlay f JMA s numerical weather predictin mdels and ASCAT plar rbiting data fr cean surface winds, respectively. This infrmatin is used with varius surces t prduce a lcal frecast. NOAA Gegstatinary satellite data are als used in peratins. Althugh it may be minutes behind, it can be lped faster than HimawariCast. Training is limited t JMA and NOAA prducts. There are user s guide t HimawariCast and sme training at the time f installatin and upgrades. NOAA trainings are limited t Pacific Desk training fr bservers and fully paid schlarship at UH Mana fr Atmspheric Science nminee.

11 Satellite data and prduct requirements, training needs and infrastructure Satellite data and prduct requirements: 10-min multi-spectral imagery fr trpical cyclne frecasting and fr current weather cnditins Training needs: Interpreting varius types f satellite images and cmbining with ther resurces t prvide accurate weather infrmatin and frecasts. Technical infrastructure issues t access and prcess/visualize satellite data: HimawariCast data riginates frm Himawari Satellite t JMA t JMA s cmmunicatin satellite then t WSO Palau. Thus, n internet is needed. Internet fluctuates in Palau, s this is the best surce f satellite infrmatin. If WSO Palau culd be prvided with internet surces f real time data and high reslutin prducts, regardless f cuntry f rigin, it wuld be beneficial t WSO Palau effrts.

14 Mesulang and Thank yu!! Cuntry Reprt by Jyleen Tmatk Temengil Natinal Weather Service, Palau P. O. Bx 520 Krr, Republic f Palau Phne N. (680) Fax N. (680) Jyleen.Tmatk@naa.gv

Tonga Country Report

Tonga Country Report Tonga Meteorological Services Ph. (676)35355 email: metstaff@met.gov.to Joint Meeting of RA II WIGOS Project and RA V TT-SU Jakarta, Indonesia / 11 October 2018 BMKG Headquarter Outline