21 November 2008
WMO Expands Use of Commercial Aircraft to Collect Meteorological Data
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17 November 2008: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) Panel convened from 17-21 November 2008, in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, to discuss ways to broaden its global coverage.

The AMDAR is a part of the WMO Integrated Global Observing Systems.

The meeting was hosted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, and brought together […]

AMDAR
17 November 2008: The World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) Panel convened from 17-21
November 2008, in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, to discuss ways to broaden its
global coverage.

The AMDAR is a part of the WMO Integrated Global Observing
Systems. The meeting was hosted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, and
brought together Panel members who represent the WMO member countries
participating in the programme. The AMDAR employs local commercial aircrafts, as
well as some military and private aircrafts, to automatically measure and
transmit meteorological and environment observations while on their regular
flights. Modern onboard sensors, computers and communications systems collect,
process, format and transmit the meteorological data to ground stations via
satellite or radio links. Once on the ground, the data is relayed to the global
network of National Meteorological Services and other authorized users.
National Meteorological Services extensively use this high-quality data to
improve weather information and forecasts, including early warnings and
disaster alerts, as well as for the analysis of local and regional climate
patterns. The number of aircraft equipped for AMDAR has increased 50-fold since
the programme’s inception in 1998, and now accounts for 250,000 jets. The
system captures weather observations for areas that often lack ground-based
meteorological systems. In recent years, coverage has expanded over Africa and
East Asia, but the AMDAR Panel is seeking to expand coverage in a number of
regions, including Siberia, the Caribbean and South America, the Middle East,
Central and Southeast Asia, South West Pacific and Africa.
The AMDAR Science
and Technology workshop, which met the same week as the AMDAR Panel meeting,
discussed ways to implement national AMDAR programmes in countries that
currently lack coverage. [WMO
Press Release
] [AMDAR Website]