THE CARIBBEAN INSTITUTE FOR METEOROLOGY AND HYDROLOGY VLMG6
THE CARIBBEAN INSTITUTE FOR METEOROLOGY AND HYDROLOGY VLMG-6 Barbados Co. E Report Kathy-Ann Caesar Ag. Chief Meteorologist
CIMH Situated in Husbands, immediately north of Queen’s College, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) Celebrating 45 years of being the primary training and education facility for meteorological and hydrological personnel in the Caribbean; . CIMH has resigned itself to not only training but also in the involvement in collative projects that would benefit the local and regional community.
CIMH History The Caribbean Meteorological Institute (CMI) established on the 23 rd August 1967. The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) formed in 1985 Merge with the Caribbean Operational Hydrology Institute (COHI) (1982) Governing Board comprises of Sixteen Commonwealth Caribbean Governments which make up the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO). The Institute - designated a Regional Meteorological Training Centre by WMO in 1978, 2003 CIMH was named as a Center of Excellence in Satellite Meteorology affiliated with NOAA
Member Countries The sixteen member countries participating in the CMO are Anguilla, Antigua* and Barbuda, Cayman Islands*, Dominica, Guyana*, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago*, * National Forecast and Warning Offices Barbados*, Belize*, British Virgin Islands, Grenada*, Jamaica*, St. Lucia*, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands
Caribbean Weather Discussion Regional weather discussion – started in 2003 after the Satellite Training Seminar in Barbados; Under the guidance of Horace and Selvin Burton in collaboration with CIRA and UCAR the discussions promoted regional satellite discussions and the use of virtual labs programs. The Visit. View Focus Group Discussion has since grown to include not only the English speaking Caribbean territories, but much of Latin America as well. In 2008 the Caribbean Weekly Weather discussion started as a means to encourage regional discussion and collaboration in the event of a major weather events across the region
RFG events 2011 - 2012 Regional Focus Groups Visitview Focal Group Monthly Weather Discussion across Latin America and the Caribbean; Lead by Tony Mostek (UCAR/COMET); Bernadette Connell (CIRA) and Mike Davison (NCEP); Caribbean Weather Discussion Monthly weather briefings for Caribbean; Lead by Kathy-Ann Caesar Teaching and Continuous Professional Development Special events: Onset and progress of tropical storms; Introduction of new products; e. g. GOES R
Special events 2011 - 2012 CIMH goes Virtual Aero. CPD Online Course; Aviation Week; Weather briefings using the Dewetra Platform;
Aeronautical Continuing Professional Development Blended Learning Course Designed by CIMH- RMTC and Co. E in cooperation with COMET® and with the support of WMO To provide online aeronautical training to the operational forecasters which will provide tools which will aid in meeting WMO recommended competencies. 8
Need for Training New WMO competency standards Large number of forecasters in the Caribbean need access to continuing professional development Not a lot of time available for training Deadline approaching to demonstrate competency (Nov 2013) 9
Aero. CPD UNITS 1. Review of Tropical Meteorology Fundamentals Operational Aeronautical Meteorology Mesoscale applications of NWP Satellite Interpretation Radar Interpretation
Objectives Demonstrate an understanding of tropical meteorology and its complexities; Use satellite imagery to identify and diagnose various tropical systems; Hurricane forecasting Interpret Doppler radar imagery in the tropics; Utilize mesoscale NWP products in the forecast process; Apply their knowledge and relevant tools to operational aeronautical duties
Course Set Up Course was organized to provide assignments that students completed on their own and opportunities to share ideas Facilitated using Moodle Online training modules, assignments, projects : COMET; Visit. View Live synchronous sessions that included discussion and direct application of material 12
Evolution of Couse Initial offering of course Oct 2011 -Apr 2012 Ten students began the course, seven completed it Countries represented included Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Guyana Now an official course to be offered annually 13
WELCOME TO CIMH Caribbean Aviation Week - April 30 to May 03, 2012 -
CIMH CARIBBEAN AVIATION WEEK April 30 to May 03, 2012 The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology as a Centre of Excellence (Co. E) in Satellite Meteorology proposes to host the Caribbean Aviation Week – an Online event. The event highlighted topics on Aviation Meteorological forecasting techniques, tools, regulations and case studies, open to an international audience. Aviation Week was supported by WMO=CGMS Virtual Laboratory for Education and Training in Satellite Meteorology (VLab); and Eumet. Sat has graciously offered the uses of the Centra Online Program.
14: 00 UTC Attendance 16: 00 UTC April 30 May 01 May 02 May 03 Forecasting Remote Sensing Forecasting 2 Training Fronts and Shear Lines Radar Case Easterly Waves or TUTT Induced Perturbations Competency Training Mike Davison Sabu Best Mike Davison Kathy-Ann Caesar 21 22 21 23 SIGMET in the Caribbean Satellite Case study Forecast Office Operations Open Discussion and Question session Margaratte Mayers-Als Lawrence Pologne Lenard Josiah Open Panel
Disaster Management Weather Briefing -Dewetra The Caribbean Dewetra Platform – a real-time data and information integrated system for hydro-meteorological risk forecasting and disaster risk mitigation. It allows for the combination of data, forecast tools, procedures and expertise; It provides decision makers with high resolution and up-to-date information of the expected and observed risk and vulnerability.
TS Ernesto : Cayman Islands Sounding 00 UTC, 5 August 2012
Difficulties Still a one person show; Many a willing, few are taking; Participation steady – In the year participation has increased to a small but steady group; But only a small percentage of those notified attend; Greater demand for weather briefings • Other of the CWD there are the Disaster Management briefings Network and bandwidth issues; Despite improvement in computer and server capacity, still a great deal needs to be done ;
The Future Starting the my. CIMH Moodle site Launching the CIMH VLab page Support VLab Events Use of the discussion to build Continuing Professional Development program Use of the discussion format to aid Disaster Preparedness efforts
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