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Last updated: 31 August 2006 |
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2006 Stockholm
Water Prize The 2006 Stockholm Water Prize was awarded to Prof. Asit K. Biswas (Canada) by HRH Crown Princess Victoria on 24 August 2006 at a special ceremony in Stockholm during World Water Week. For more information about the Prize
and this year’s laureate, see: |
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Less rain means
respite for western Nepal Forecasters at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said today that the monsoon rains which triggered two fatal landslides in western regions of the country had abated and were not expected to recur before the end of the week. On 26 August, 310 mm of rain fell in just 24 hours, a rate not recorded since 2000. Ensuing mudslides over the next two days took the lives of at least 22 people; scores are still missing and floods have displaced thousands. The monsoon season in Nepal begins in June and generally ends towards the end of September. Between 21 July and 23 August, however, the country suffered a serious drought before the rains returned. |
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International
Disaster Reduction Conference WMO is taking part in the International Disaster Reduction Conference in Davos, Switzerland, from 27 August to 1 September. Topics include multi-hazard management, including environmental aspects of flood management and management of weather-, climate- and water-related environmental risks, including stratospheric ozone depletion, airborne pollution, forest fires as well as floods and dust- and sandstorms. The Conference is jointly organized by the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction (GADR), the Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN/International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. See the Conference website: http://www.davos2006.ch/ See also: http://www.wmo.int/disasters/ |
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New WMO
publication on drought monitoring and early warning Drought monitoring and early warning: concepts, progress and future challenges (WMO-No. 1006) has just been published. It explains the various concepts and challenges of drought monitoring and early warning systems. 24 pp., numerous figures and photos in full colour. To obtain this publication, see the catalogue of WMO publications: http://www.wmo.int/web/catalogue/ It can also be downloaded (pdf) from: http://www.wmo.int/web/catalogue/freedwn/index.html For more information, see: http://www.wmo.int/web/wcp/agm/agmp.html and Info Note No. 26 |
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Wildfires in USA Unusually hot, dry, windy weather conditions have contributed to the most serious wildfire season in the USA in six years, especially in north-western areas. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of land have been burned in the states of Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington and parts of northern California. According to reports, 43 new fires ignited in Oregon on 22 and 23 August, some with flames of up to 14 m high, forcing the closure of several major highways. Combustible material such as dead leaves has been accumulating throughout the region since last year when the wildfire season was far less intense. |
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More rain
predicted for Ethiopia Rains that caused rivers to burst their banks in the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia and other lowland areas, killing hundreds and uprooting tens of thousands (see items below), will continue until mid-October, according to the National Meteorological Agency. |
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Latest issue of
the WMO Bulletin The July issue of the newly designed WMO Bulletin is now available, together with a CD-ROM. The theme of this issue is "Flooding and sustainable development", with several articles by experts in the field and an interview with Li Guoying of the Chinese Yellow River Conservancy Commission, as well as other feature articles. To buy this issue or to subscribe to the WMO Bulletin, contact: pubsales@wmo.int or see the WMO catalogue online at: http://www.wmo.int/web/catalogue/cat_en.html
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South-east
European heat wave subsides A heat wave in many parts of south-east Europe over the weekend of 19-20 August has subsided in most regions according to the National Meteorological Services (NMSs) of the countries affected. In Greece, the NMS predicted a high of 41°C in Attica for 22 August but elsewhere in the country, temperatures were expected to be more in line with seasonal averages. In Italy, Sicily topped 40°C on 20 August but has since returned to temperatures in the 30°s. Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and other regions in the Balkans have also seen temperatures fall. The NMS of Cyprus however, has forecast inland highs of around 40°C for the coming three days. NMSs issued warnings as the heat wave—originating in North Africa—took hold in South-east Europe at the end of last week. Scores of people were reportedly hospitalized. Several wild fires broke out in Greece, while Bulgaria suffered electricity outages. |
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Iraqi meteorologists trained
in Jordan The Jordan Meteorological Department has organized two intensive training events for some 30 meteorologists from the Iraq Meteorological Organization. Most of the trainees were young graduates with little or no operational experience in meteorology who will be operating aeronautical meteorological offices. They received theoretical and practical training in various topics with emphasis on aviation meteorology. The training was carried out at the Meteorological Training Centre and at the National Weather Forecasting Centre in Amman, Jordan. These events support the efforts of the Iraq Meteorological Organization to rebuild its capacity and rehabilitate its human resources through bilateral agreements and collaboration with neighbouring and other WMO Members.. |
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Flooding in
Cambodia and Viet Nam Torrential rains have swollen the annual Mekong floods in Cambodia and Viet Nam, claiming some 50 lives, leaving thousands homeless and damaging several thousand hectares of paddy fields. See: http://www.nchmf.gov.vn/ (in Vietnamese) |
The Mekong River near
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 21 August |
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Lethal storm in
Hungary A violent storm in Budapest on 20 August killed four people and injured some 300 as they watched a fireworks display. Wind gusts of up to 120 km/h and torrential rain poured down on about one million onlookers gathered by the banks of the Danube. Trees were uprooted, stages collapsed, and several high voltage lines were knocked down. On the Danube river boats collided and several people fell overboard. Warnings of high winds and thunderstorms were still in place for the north-eastern part of the country two days later. |
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Indian Ocean
tsunami-detection buoy to be installed Progress is being made in the effort to develop an end-to-end regional warning system for tsunamis and other hazards in the Indian Ocean. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will deploy the first of two deep-ocean monitoring buoys in the Indian Ocean in December, located to give many of the region’s 27 coastal nations warning of an impending tsunami via WMO ’s Global Telecommunication System. See: http://www.wmo.int/web/www/TEM/gts.html |
Deployment of a tsunami buoy |
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Catalogue of WMO
publications—2006 edition The catalogue is available in hard copy, together with a CD-ROM, free upon request from pubsales@wmo.int. |
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Southern Africa
Climate Outlook Forum The Climate Experts Meeting and 10th Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum get underway today in Harare, Zimbabwe. Climate scientists attend the initial meeting and are joined for the Forum by stakeholders whose work heavily relies on weather forecasts. Experts from southern Africa’s 14 countries will examine issues such as the El Niño phenomenon and behaviour of the Indian Ocean, both of which are linked to regional drought and rainfall patterns. They are then expected to reach a consensus forecast about the rainfall season, considered crucial for sectors such as agriculture, aviation, health and tourism. The Forum ends on 31 August. |
(Credit map: UNEP/GRID-Arendal) |
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Ozone depletion—latest According to the the WMO/UNEP Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2006, the ozone layer over mid-latitudes (30°-60°N and S) should recover by 2049, five years later than anticipated by the previous assessment (2002). Ozone over the Antarctic should recover by 2065, 15 years later than earlier predictions. Because of special conditions within the Antarctic vortex (a natural cyclone of super-cold, super-fast winds), the Antarctic ozone hole is expected to recur regularly for another two decades. The later projected date of recovery over mid-latitudes is primarily the result of upward revisions in the amounts of certain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases now contained in refrigerators and other equipment, from which much of both types will eventually be released. Higher estimates of future production levels of a CFC substitute that, although much safer, still causes some depletion) is another factor. Recovery of the Antarctic ozone layer will
take place later than previously calculated due to the greater age of air in
that region. This essentially means that ozone-depleting molecules take longer
to reach (and also dissipate from) the stratsophere, a factor not previously
taken into account. http://www.wmo.int/web/arep/reports/ozone_2006/ozone_asst_report.html |
The ozone layer over the South Pole on 14 August 2006 (Image: NASA) |
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Further rain expected for western
Kenya until end of August An updated mid-term forecast issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department indicates that rainfall which triggered flooding earlier this month in western Kenya and the central Rift Valley will continue to diminish over most of the areas save for parts of western Kenya (Uashin Gishu and Trans Nzoia) which are still expected to experience occasional heavy precipitation until the end of the month. Meteorologists predict that the meridional arm of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will intensify as pressures over the Atlantic Ocean (St Helena) strengthen and weaken over the Mozambique Channel. The ITCZ is an area of low pressure that forms where north-east trade winds meet the south-east trade winds near the Equator. As these winds converge, moist air is forced upward. This causes water vapour to condense, or be "squeezed" out, as the air cools and rises, resulting in a band of heavy precipitation. Moderate rain fell 3-9 August on areas around Lake Victoria (western Kenya), spreading to some parts of the Central Rift Valley. Flash flooding hit several towns including Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret and Laisamis, severely disrupting transportation and trade. in Laisamis, six people reportedly died, hundreds of others were displaced and hundreds of livestock washed away. Kenya Meteorological Department: http://www.meteo.go.ke |
Weather forecast for Kenya for 19 August 2006 (KMD) |
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More flooding
in Ethiopia Flooding has killed at least 194 people and left some 10 000 people stranded in southern Ethiopia, where heavy rains caused the River Omo to burst its banks. Bad weather is hampering relief efforts and weather forecasters say heavier-than-usual rains are expected in the coming weeks across much of Ethiopia (see: http://www.ethiomet.gov.et) Flooding has now killed more than 700 Ethiopians in the last 10 days. The Dechatu river burst its banks last week in the eastern town of Dire Dawa, killing 254 people and leaving 250 missing and feared dead (see item below). |
(credit : BBC) |
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Floods in Sudan but few casualties, thanks to preparedness measures Heavy floods have forced more than 1 100 families to flee their homes and the River Nile has risen to a dangerous level (16.4 m on 13 August). One person is reported to have died. Thanks to public education and preparedness at the national and local levels, however, authorities predict that casualties will be far lower than in the severe flooding of 1998, when scores of people died. |
Flood
damage near Khartoum on 14 August 2006 |
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Fires in Spain and Portugal A large number of fires continue to burn across the Iberian peninsula. On the night of Sunday 6 August, there were 91 separate fires burning in Galicia, north-western Spain. Catalonia, in the north-east, has also been struggling to control fires. In Portugal’s worst drought in 60 years, more than 3 000 firefighters were trying to contain fires ravaging the northern part of the country. Water shortages and temperatures higher than 40°C have hampered control efforts. |
Satellites are capable of detecting signals from such fires from geostationary orbit, which show up on this METEOSAT image (taken on 10 August) as red dots. (Image courtesy EUMETSAT) |
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World Water Week Experts from
governments, water management and science sectors, intergovernmental
organizations, NGOs, research and training institutions, United Nations agencies
and the business sector will be gathering in Stockholm, Sweden,
for World Water Week 2006. The event features
plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific workshops, seminars, side events,
exhibitions and prize ceremonies honouring excellence in the water field. On 23 August,
the UN-Water Seminar will address the issue of water scarcity. A World Water Week
theme is selected and followed for a certain number of
years. For 2003-2007, the theme is ”Drainage basin security: prospects for
trade-offs and benefit sharing in a globalized world". The sub-theme for
2006 is “Beyond the river―
sharing benefits and responsibilities”. World Water Week runs
from 20 to 26 August. |
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Météo-France ends “orange
alert” in l’Aisne Météo-France
has ended the “orange alert”—issued as driving rain drenched the northern
department of l’Aisne—after precipitation subsided in the early hours of 11
August. Some 100 mm of rainfall fell in the commune of Soissons in 24
hours. The alert cautioned the public to be on its guard against serious
flooding and reduced visibility, especially on the roads.
The “orange alert” is the second highest (on a scale of four) weather-related warnings issued by Météo-France. |
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India: more
monsoon rain forecast for flooded regions A new low-pressure system over the north-west region of the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring more rain to flood-stricken parts of India (Orissa, Chattisgarh and east central parts) next week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Under the system’s influence, precipitation is likely to increase over Orissa, Gangetic West Bengal and north coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are also expected over western Madhya Pradesh, northern Gujarat and eastern Rajasthan for the next 24 hours, due to the remnants of a low-pressure system responsible for flooding many parts of the country over the last week. The possibility of extensive rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls is forecast over Gujarat region, Konkan and Goa from 12 August with fairly widespread rainfall plus isolated heavy falls also likely over Saurashtra and Kutch. As many as 500 people are reported to have died and an estimated 4.5 million displaced by some of the worst flooding to have hit India in recent years. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat have been the worst affected regions. |
(Credit: AFP)
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Typhoon
Saomai: strongest
to hit Chinese mainland in over 50 years Typhoon Saomai struck the coast of Zhejiang province in the south-east of China on 10 August. Prior to making landfall, maximum sustained winds within the tropical cyclone were recorded by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) at 216 km/h, making it the most powerful typhoon to hit the country’s mainland in some 50 years. The CMA estimates that Saomai will move further inland at some 20 km/h. It is reported (on 16 August) that 295 people have died and scores are still missing. Saomai sank more than 1 000 ships and wrecked more than 50 000 houses. Saomai was probably more powerful than the typhoon in August 1956 which triggered a massive storm surge, killing between 3 000 and 4 500 people in Zhejiang province. Eight hours before the typhoon arrived on the coast and for the first time ever, CMA initiated a Category 1 typhoon response plan and intensified atmospheric and surface observations, ensuring that the latest data were made available to central and local authorities as rapidly as possible. More than 1 300 000 people were evacuated. In the western North Pacific region, the average number of named storms reaches 8.5 by the end of July with 14 at the end of August. On 10 August 2006, nine storms had been named. However, seven of these have made landfall on Chinese coasts which CMA says is significantly higher than average. Saomai has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. |
(Source: Xinhua news)
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Hot weather brings jellyfish to Mediterranean waters Marine biologists are blaming the weather for plagues of jellyfish which have forced the closure of some Spanish beaches. An estimated 30 000 people have been stung by the creatures throughout the Mediterranean since the beginning of the summer. Sicily and North Africa have also been seriously affected. Experts say the hot dry conditions and the resulting lack of runoff from local rivers have been providing ideal conditions for the jellyfish invasions. Overfishing of their natural predators is another explanation for the appearance of vast numbers in coastal waters where 10 jellyfish per square metre have been recorded in some areas. |
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Revised hurricane season forecast
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has fine-tuned its predictions for this year’s tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic and Caribbean. NOAA forecasters are now expecting between seven and nine hurricanes, with three or four developing into major ones. At the beginning of the season, NOAA predicted 13-16 named storms with eight to 10 as hurricanes and four to six as major events. However, officials pointed out that this year is still likely to be more active than average owing to warm sea-surface temperatures and favourable wind patterns. The season officially ends 30 November though tropical cyclones have been known to develop in the region after that date. The last hurricane of the 2005 season developed on 30 December and persisted until 6 January 2006. Also during last year’s record hurricane season, nine storms had already been named by 8 August compared to this year’s figure of three. |
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Mumbai flooding Flooding caused by monsoon rains has is reported to have killed 69 people in Maharashtra state in western India since 5 August and caused tens of thousands to flee their homes. In July 2005, the state capital of Mumbai received 944 mm of rain, the highest one-day rainfall ever recorded in India. The water rose nearly two meters in places, claiming about 1,000 lives, leaving thousands more homeless and destroying property. See: WMO Bulletin 55 (3), 126-128 for a full description of the July 2005 deluge in Mumbai. See also: http://www.imd.ernet.in/ |
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Heat wave in New York City wave kills 22 people On 7 August, the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City said the heat wave there of the week 31 July-4 August had claimed the lives of at least 22 people. Temperatures during the extreme event topped 38°C (100°F), breaking existing records, while the heat index which takes moisture readings into account, reached 44°C (111°F). |
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Floods kill hundreds in Ethiopian city Heavy rain caused serious flooding in the eastern Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa, when the River Dechatu burst its banks in the night of 5/6 August. On 11 August 2006, 254 people were reported killed with 250 still missing. Eastern and southern areas of the country have been hit by flooding on several occasions during the past two years. Hundreds of lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. |
(Courtesy: BBC) |
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Adequate and
evenly distributed rainfall in India
As the south-west monsoon enters the second half of its four-month season, rainfall has been adequate with fairly even distribution over large tracts of the country, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The average cumulative rainfall recorded over the past two months is 441.2 mm, which is 93% of the long-term normal average rain for the period. If the rains continue at this level, the IMD’s forecast of 92% of normal rains for the four-month period may prove to be correct. |
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Floods and landslides in Pakistan earthquake zone Heavy monsoon rains have triggered floods and landslides in areas hit by the massive earthquake of October 2005 in Pakistan, killing scores of people and creating thousands more refugees, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Over 6 000 people have already been moved from 23 villages threatened by landslides; another 20 000 are expecting relocation. Pakistani officials have identified some 160 potential landslide sites throughout the mountainous region. Last year’s earthquake killed an estimated 75 000 people; around 200 000 survivors were forced to brave harsh weather conditions in refugee camps during the ensuing winter while many others remained cut off from major communications. |
Workers clear the Neelum
Valley road which was heavily damaged by a landslide after heavy rain,
north of the earthquake-devastated city of Muzaffarabad. |
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Typhoon Prapiroon Floods and landslides caused by tropical storm Prapiroon are reported to have caused the deaths of 77 people in southern China. In Guangxi province, Prapiroon killed 26 people, destroyed 9 300 houses and damaged 20 000 hectares of cropland. Prapiroon made landfall in Guandong province on 3 August, killing 51 and causing economic losses of US$ 677 million Prapiroon previously killed six people in the Philippines and stranded thousands of travellers in Hong Kong. In July, Typhoon Bilis took the lives of more than 600 people in southern China. Prapiroon, which means "God of rain" in Thai, was the sixth storm of the season to hit southern China. Tropical storm Bilis killed more than 600 people when it struck in July, and was quickly followed by Kaemi, which claimed at least 30 lives. |
Haikou, Hainan province, southern China on 3 August 2006. Photo: Reuters |
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Health impacts of UV radiation According to the World Health Organization (WHO), excessive exposure to the Sun kills some 60 000 people around the world every year. Its report "Global burden of disease of solar ultraviolet radiation" is the first systematic examination of the issue. It is estimated that 48 000 annual deaths are caused by malignant melanomas and the other 12 000 by skin carcinomas. WHO works closely with WMO to monitor UV radiation through the Global Solar UV Index. Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, the Index measures UV radiation levels at the Earth’s surface and serves as an important vehicle to alert the public about the dangers of overexposure to the Sun’s harmful rays. To read the full UV report: For information on UV radiation,
consult WMO’s UV Radiation page: |
(Credit: European Space Agency-NASA) |
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CIIFEN seasonal weather outlook for western South America The International Centre on Research "El Niño" (CIIFEN) has released its seasonal weather prediction concerning western South America for the months of July, August and September 2006. Details of the seasonal prediction can be found at: http://www.ciifen-int.org/modules.php?name=News&file=categories&op=newindex&catid=4 The inauguration of CIIFEN took place in 2003. The Centre was established by three sponsors: WMO, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the Government of Ecuador in response to resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on international cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Niño phenomenon. |
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Addressing
climate variability As the world continues to experience
extreme weather events, including heat waves in the USA and Europe, drought in
Africa and severe monsoons in Asia, the need to better manage climate
variability is becoming increasingly urgent. At the conference Living with
Climate Variability and Change (Espoo, Finland, 17-21 July 2006),
representatives of more than 60 countries discussed practical ways of achieving
better management of climate risks in their short- and long-term operations. They
agreed that better understanding and operational integration of climate
information, as well as collaboration and increased dialogue, are important for
dealing with climate variability and change. A lack of awareness of
climate-related risk management has been a major obstacle to improved prevention
and loss reduction. For
more information about the conference and to read the conference statement, see:
www.livingwithclimate.fi |
Many cities in Germany,
including Dresden, were partially submerged by floods in August 2002. |
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Heat wave affects Europe and the United States Several parts of Europe and of the United States are experiencing a heat wave. Governments are taking action to prepare communities for the potential impacts of the record high temperatures. Britain experienced on Wednesday 19 July its hottest day for the month of July, with temperature reaching 36.3 °C, beyond the previous records reached in 1911. According to Germany’s National Meteorological Service, many parts of the country may be exposed to the highest temperatures since the earliest temperature records available for Germany for the month of July. According to the U.S. National Weather Service, temperatures will average above normal in the southern and central parts of the country in August. Temperatures will be well above normal over eastern Texas, according to the monthly forecast. Forecasts and heat wave safety tips are available at the websites of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of the countries in the region and can be accessed at: http://www.wmo.int/index-en.html (click on Members) |
(Source: NOAA) |
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WMO Professor Mariolopoulos Trust Fund Award At a special ceremony in Anavyssos, Athens, Greece, on 17 May 2006, the 2006 WMO Professor Mariolopoulos Trust Fund Award was conferred upon Jeffrey Knight (United Kingdom) for his paper entitled "A signature of persistent natural thermohaline circulation cycles in observed climate"; and Nikolaos Christidis for his paper entitled "Detection of changes in temperature extremes during the second half of the 20th century". More details of this award will be found in the August 2006 edition of MeteoWorld. |
One of the prizewinners, Jeffrey Knight |
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Another very active North Atlantic hurricane season predicted The United States Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that a very active North Atlantic hurricane season is likely. Some 13-16 named storms are predicted, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six could become "major" hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). On average, the North Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes, including two major hurricanes. |
Katrina |
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Website
for safety at sea The
operational official Website of the Joint WMO/IOC Commission for Oceanography
and Marine Meteorology provides real-time access to marine weather information (e.g. movement of
cyclones) produced under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System:
http://weather.gmdss.org. See also WMO
Bulletin 53 (2) or online (Word version) |
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