Strong regional partnerships see Australia benefit from satellite data
10/12/2014
A Bureau of Meteorology delegation has completed a successful visit to Japan and China which focused on data and applications from the next generation of meteorological satellites for the Asia-Pacific region.
Bureau of Meteorology Director, Dr Rob Vertessy, said the discussions with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and China Meteorological Administration (CMA) focused on implementation plans and data sharing arrangements for meteorological satellites.
“Australia will have access to data from satellites operated by China and Japan, for both operational use and research purposes,” Dr Vertessy said.
“For Australia, satellite data is invaluable in weather forecasting due to the size of the country and the expense involved in obtaining ground-based observations over land and oceans.
“The Bureau’s homepage is visited by tens of millions of people every year and the first thing they see is real-time meteorological satellite imagery.
“Through the cooperation and generosity of our international partners, the Australian community benefits from the Bureau’s access to valuable satellite information. This information assists in our delivery of critical weather forecast and warning information.”
The JMA launched its newest satellite, Himawari-8, in October and the satellite is expected to start transmitting data for operational use in mid-2015.
The CMA is preparing to launch its meteorological satellite, Fengyun-4, in 2016. This satellite will have a range of experimental capabilities, including a lightning mapper and a sounder for measuring temperature and moisture in the atmosphere.
“Australia does not operate its own meteorological satellites and has benefited from meteorological satellites operated by China and Japan for many years now, and the capability of these next generation satellites will really take us to the next level,” Dr Vertessy said.
“Both Himawari-8 and Fengyun-4 will offer great leaps in available data, which combined with a planned increase in the Bureau’s supercomputer capability to analyse and interpret this data, will continue to drive improvements in forecast accuracy.”
During the overseas mission, the delegation attended the Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users Conference, hosted by the CMA in Shanghai, China.
“The conference acknowledged the Bureau as an important international innovator in the development of satellite-based products, as well as in the use of satellite imagery in weather forecasting.
“The capabilities offered by Himawari-8 and Fengyun-4 will enable the development of new weather services and the strengthening of existing scientific relationships across the region.
“The Bureau of Meteorology wishes both JMA and CMA every success in their respective satellite missions and looks forward to a bright future with ongoing international collaboration.”
Image courtesy of Japan Meteorological Agency’s Next Generation Satellite named Himawari 8.
