FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Lamin Mai Touray
30 July 2007
column
Department of Water Resources
We are all interested in the weather. If we are ever unable to watch the weather forecast on TV or listen to it on the radio, we might ask our family or our friends in the morning; "What will the weather be like today?" We usually need to know this, so that we may decide on how to dress, whether to take an umbrella with us to work or to school, or whether to pack a sun protection cream in our sports bag (for tourists). Organizers of sports events and other outdoor activities, as well as tourist operators, often rely on weather and climate information to make certain that we shall be able to make the most of our holidays and leisure activities.
Similar information can also be used to ensure that our natural environment will remain a healthy one for us and for future generations.
Meteorologists and climatologists provide advice for urban planning, building design and location, including for renewable energy structures. They also assist farmers and foresters in selecting the best times for sowing, planting, irrigating and harvesting and in avoiding and controlling diseases and pests.
Mariners and aviators and road companies, all use meteorological information to delay departures whenever necessary or to plan their routes in order to avoid hazardous weather conditions.
No community is fully immune to natural disaster, but some are certainly more vulnerable than others. Meteorologist can assist those communities by providing them forecasts and warnings, not only before and during a hazard, but also throughout the difficult weather conditions that may follow.
These few aspects of meteorology and climatology - and there are many others - contribute to making life safer, healthier and more comfortable for all. They further ensure that lives and livelihoods will be evolving in a sustained environment whose precious resources will also be protected.
Meteorologists are not high-profile people; they are men and women working behind the scenes for our safety. Their work is very much of a team effort, hence the slogan of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) "Working together in weather, climate and water" Perhaps you had not considered before the role that meteorologists play in our daily lives. I hope that this article will stimulate you to do so, by providing you a glimpse of their work and their contributions to society. Better still, I hope that it may even encourage you to consider, as I did years ago, a career in this highly gratifying field.
Towards a Better World
Nearly all areas of human activity are weather, climate and water sensitive. Of particular importance is the impact of weather and climate fluctuations on food production. Other areas, including fisheries and forestry, energy and water resources management, land, marine and aviation transport, banking and insurance, construction and urban design, all benefit directly from services provided by meteorologists. The provision and application of accurate and timely weather information, forecasts and warning contribute to human well-being and are of considerable benefit to socio-economic development and environmental protection.
Every dalasi invested in meteorological services produces an economic return many times greater, often 10 times or more.
There is growing concern about the impacts on human societies of extreme weather and climate events such as tropical storms, floods and drought. Some of these events cause enormous destruction and loss of life with long-lasting effects. Meteorologists, in collaboration with hydrologists, issue early warnings of natural disasters so that immediate action can be taken.
Exactly what meteorologists do depends upon local requirements and the structure of the National Meteorological Services.
Improving our well-being Weather and Climate are both natural resources and hazards. They support but can also pose a threat to life, property and the environment. In some cases, such as thunderstorms, the impact is usually limited to a relatively small area over a short period of time and affects only a few people. By contrast, drought and flooding cause widespread and long-lasting damage. As well as the immediate threat posed by severe and extreme weather, indirect effects include disease and famine.
Meteorologists play a key role when disasters occur. They help educate the public and raise awareness about weather-related disasters. Their advice assists in preparing for disasters and finding ways of preventing them from happening.
In the developed countries, many commercial organizations use specialized weather and climate information services to support their decision-making. Agriculture, road and marine transport, energy and water resources management, aviation and tourism are particularly sensitive to the weather. Good weather forecasts and climate information help ensure that these activities are carried out safely and efficiently and that long-term plans take full account of any expected changes in the climate.
Demand for energy supplies is highly weather-dependent (cooling in hot). Forecasters provide information that assists suppliers in ensuring that day-to-day requirement for electricity are met. Similarly, the management of water resources requires timely and accurate information about the weather, especially rainfall, to be provided by forecasters.
Weather information, forecasts, and warnings improve public safety and are of enormous potential economic benefit.
Observing the weather
Accurate observations about the current weather are the basis of a good weather forecast. This information is also required to monitor the climate. Traditional sources of observations are observing stations on land and at sea and upper-air-sounding. Today satellites, radar and aircraft are increasingly vital sources of information.
There are many different instruments at an observing site. Some measure temperature and humidity. Others measure air pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall and sunshine duration.
Upper-air-sounding are obtained by releasing a balloon which carries instrument through the atmosphere. Information about pressure, temperature, humidty and wind is sent back to a ground station.
Wind and other useful atmospheric information is also deduced from satellite data. Satellite meteorologists develop the processes for turning the vast amount of data into useful information and products.
The improved accuracy of weather forecasts over the last 30 years is partly due to the increase in the amount of satellite data available, along with advance in extracting useful information for use in computer models.
Forecasters depend upon information from satellites to help identify the location and development of weather systems, especially over the oceans. In addition, radar pictures provide forecasters with detailed information about the structure of rainfall. A series of satellite and radar images helps forecasters make detailed predictions of the weather over the next six hours or so. Such techniques are especially useful for providing warnings of heavy rainfall.
Turning data into products Observations are collected using national telecommunication networks and are then transmitted around the world. A vast network has been established to do this - the WMO Global Telecommunication System (GTS). It is also used to share weather products.
Observational and forecast data need to be stored in databases so that the data are available whenever required. The quantity and variety of data and the need to provide ready access pose significant problems for information and communication technology specialists.
Forecasters need to be able to display observations, analyses and forecasts on meteorological workstations. These workstations prepare weather products and warnings and send them to the appropriate users.
Forecasting the weather
The behaviour of the atmosphere is simulated using computer models which take a detailed analysis of the state of the atmosphere at a particular time using the latest available observations and then apply the laws of physics to forecast what will occur.
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