Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre

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Hurricane Kate of 2003
Tropical cyclones
Formation and naming
Development - Structure
Naming - Seasonal lists - Full list
Effects

Effects
Watches and warnings
Storm surge - Notable storms
Retired names (Atlantic - Eastern Pacific - Western Pacific)
Climatology and tracking
Basins - RSMCs - TCWCs - Scales
Observation - Forecasting
Rainfall forecasting
Rainfall climatology
Part of the Nature series: Weather

A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (also Regional Specialized Meteorological Center and Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre) is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.

Contents

[edit] Tropical Cyclone Programme

There are six such meteorological centres and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres utilized for naming of tropical cyclones and the distribution of tropical cyclone advisories and warnings:

[edit] Major basins

Basins and WMO Monitoring Institutions[2]
Basin Responsible RSMCs and TCWCs
Northern Atlantic National Hurricane Center
Northeastern Pacific National Hurricane Center
North central Pacific Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Northwestern Pacific Japan Meteorological Agency
Northern Indian Indian Meteorological Department
Southwestern Indian Météo-France
South and
Southwestern Pacific		 Fiji Meteorological Service
Meteorological Service of New Zealand†
Papua New Guinea National Weather Service†
Bureau of Meteorology† (Australia)
Southeastern Indian Bureau of Meteorology† (Australia)
Meteorology and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia†
†: Indicates a Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre
The majors tropical cyclones basins and the center in charge of each one.
The majors tropical cyclones basins and the center in charge of each one.

Traditionally, areas of tropical cyclone formation are divided into seven basins. These include the north Atlantic Ocean, the eastern and western parts of the Pacific Ocean (considered separately because tropical cyclones rarely form in the central Pacific), the southwestern Pacific, the southwestern and southeastern Indian Oceans, and the northern Indian Ocean. The western Pacific is the most active and the north Indian the least active. An average of 86 tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity form annually worldwide, with 47 reaching hurricane/typhoon strength, and 20 becoming intense tropical cyclones (at least of Category 3 intensity).[3]

  • Northwestern Pacific Ocean: Tropical storms in this region often affect China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan, as well as countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and parts of Indonesia, plus numerous Oceanian islands. This is by far the most active basin, accounting for one-third of all tropical cyclone activity. The coast of China sees the most landfalling tropical cyclones worldwide.[4] The Philippines receives an average of 6-7 tropical cyclone landfalls per year.[5]
  • Northeastern Pacific Ocean: This is the second most active basin and has the highest number of storms per unit area. Storms that form here often affect western Mexico, and less commonly the Continental United States (in particular California), or northern Central America. No hurricane included in the modern database has made landfall in California; however, historical records from 1858 speak of a storm that brought San Diego winds over 75 mph/65 kts (marginal hurricane force), though it is not known if the storm actually made landfall.[6] Tropical storms in 1939, 1976 and 1997 brought gale-force winds to California.[6]
  • Northern Atlantic Ocean: This region includes the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical cyclone formation here varies widely from year to year, ranging from one to over twenty per year with an average of around ten.[7] The United States Atlantic coast, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and Bermuda are frequently affected by storms in this basin. Venezuela, the south-east of Canada and Atlantic Macaronesian islands also are occasionally affected. Many of the more intense Atlantic storms are Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which form off the west coast of Africa near the Cape Verde islands. Occasionally, a hurricane that evolves into an extratropical cyclone can reach western Europe, including Hurricane Gordon (2006), which spread high winds across Spain and the British Isles in September 2006.[8] Tropical Storm Vince, which made landfall on the southwestern coast of Spain as a tropical depression in September 2005, is the only known system to impact mainland Europe as a tropical cyclone.[9]
  • Northern Indian Ocean: This basin is divided into two areas, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, with the Bay of Bengal dominating (5 to 6 times more activity). This basin's season has a double peak: one in April and May, before the onset of the monsoon, and another in October and November, just after.[10] The most deadly tropical cyclones have formed in this basin, including the 1970 Bhola cyclone that killed 200,000 people. Nations affected include India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Rarely, a tropical cyclone that forms in this basin affects the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Southwestern Pacific Ocean: Tropical activity in this region largely affects Australia and Oceania. Tropical storms rarely reach the vicinity of Brisbane, Australia and into New Zealand, usually during or after extratropical transition.[11]
  • Southeastern Indian Ocean: Tropical activity in this region affects Australia and Indonesia. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the most frequently hit portion of Australia is between Exmouth and Broome in Western Australia.[12]
  • Southwestern Indian Ocean: Despite nearly a half century of historical data, research at Reunion Island into tropical cyclones has been a priority only since 1999, when Météo-France began assigning additional personnel for research purposes.[13] Cyclones forming in this area can affect Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Réunion, Comoros, Tanzania, and Kenya.[13]

[edit] Environmental Emergency Response Programme

There are eight meteorological centres for distribution of transport, deposition, and dispersion modeling, in the event of an environmental catastrophe that crosses international borders:[14]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ World Meteorological Organization. Severe Weather Information Centre. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
  2. ^ Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Frequently Asked Questions: What regions around the globe have tropical cyclones and who is responsible for forecasting there?. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
  3. ^ Chris Landsea. Climate Variability table - Tropical Cyclones. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
  4. ^ Weyman, James C. and Linda J. Anderson-Berry (December 2002). Societal Impact of Tropical Cyclones. Fifth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Retrieved on 2006-04-26.
  5. ^ Shoemaker, Daniel N. (1991). Characteristics of Tropical Cyclones Affecting the Philippine Islands (PDF). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  6. ^ a b Chenoweth, Michael and Christopher Landsea (November 2004). The San Diego Hurricane of 2 October 1858 (PDF). American Meteorological Society. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  7. ^ Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Frequently Asked Questions: What are the average, most, and least tropical cyclones occurring in each basin?. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  8. ^ Blake, Eric S. (November 14, 2006). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Gordon: 10-20 September 2006 (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  9. ^ Franklin, James L. (February 22, 2006). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Vince: 8-11 October 2005 (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  10. ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2004). 1.2: North Indian Tropical Cyclones. 2003 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  11. ^ Sinclair, Mark (March 2002). "How often is New Zealand hit by tropical cyclones?" ([dead link] – Scholar search). Water & Atmosphere 10 (1). NIWA Science. 
  12. ^ Bureau of Meteorology. Tropical Cyclones in Western Australia – Climatology. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.
  13. ^ a b World Meteorological Organization. Tropical Cyclone RSMC / South-West Indian Ocean (DOC). Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  14. ^ Roland Draxler. Capabilities of the NOAA Washington Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for Atmospheric Transport Model Products for Environmental Emergency Response. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
  15. ^ World Meteorological Organization.WMO Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres’ Operational Practices / Procedures and Role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services for Nuclear Emergency Response Activities. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.

[edit] External links