Survey on WMO CAeM Pilot Project
"Aviation-weather Disaster Risk Reduction" (ADRR) Website
 
Background
Led by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), a pilot project on "Aviation-weather Disaster Risk Reduction" was established in the Asia and South-West Pacific regions by the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in its 13th session in 2006. The project involved the development of a website (http://adrr.weather.gov.hk) by HKO, focusing initially on tropical cyclones. In particular, the website provides tropical cyclone warnings issued by weather services in China, Hong Kong (China), Japan and the Philippines, advisories issued by the Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre of Japan and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre of USA, and numerical forecasts of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Aviation specific weather forecasts for the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and its alternates are also provided to demonstrate the benefits of the information to the operations at an airport. Sample information provided on the ADRR website is attached below for reference. Further information on the pilot project can be found in an article available at: http://www.hko.gov.hk/publica/reprint/r740.pdf.
Purpose
Since September 2007, the pilot project website has been made available to a number of aviation users and WMO Members in the regions for trial use and evaluation. The purpose of this survey is to invite feedback from the users so that further adjustments and enhancements to the website could be made prior to its full operational use. Specifically, the survey focuses on the following areas :
  1. The skill of the aviation weather forecasts and early warnings for tropical cyclones for 24-48 hours ahead; and
  2. The benefits to aviation in particular, and in general to the population in the regions affected by natural disasters.
Submission of questionnaire
  1. Please fill in the questionnaire below and press 'submit' button at the end of the questionnaire; or
  2. Download and fill in the questionnaire and return to us either by fax ((852) 2375 2645), email (mksong@hko.gov.hk) or mail.
  3. Username and password for accessing real-time information : please contact mksong@hko.gov.hk
Thank you for spending your valuable time and effort in responding to this questionnaire.   Your views are very useful to the improvement of our products and service for the aviation community.
Questionnaire:
Section I - General Information
Name:  
Email:  
Position:  
Organization:  
Date:  
Section II - Feedback
Survey Items Information / products useful?
  G = good
  A = acceptable
  I = improvement required		 Remarks or areas for improvement
(Please provide details below)
1. Overall quality of the TC forecasts  
(a) presentation aspects (e.g. colour, legibility)  
(i) "TC forecast track" (Fig.1)
G
A
I
(ii) "Objective Forecast" (Fig.2)
G
A
I
(b) forecast area - currently between 10-30N 105-125E
G
A
I
 
2. Skill of the TC forecasts for :  
(i) 0-24 hr ahead
G
A
I
(ii) 24-48 hours ahead
G
A
I
 
3. Usefulness of the other products  
(i) HKIA weather summary (Fig.3)
G
A
I
(ii) HKIA alternates (Fig.4)
G
A
I
(iii) Takeoff forecasts (HKIA) (Fig.5)
G
A
I
(iv) SIGMET/Advisories
G
A
I
(v) Satellite pictures
G
A
I
 
4. Timeliness of products
G
A
I
 
5. User friendliness of web interface for access of information
G
A
I
 
6.(a) Overall benefits of website to:  
(i) flight planning
G
A
I
(ii) aviation risk reduction
G
A
I
6.(b) How is the information being used by your organization, e.g. in decision- making related to runway changes, crosswind landing minima, etc?
 
7. Overall benefits to aviation in particular, and in general to the population in the regions affected by natural disasters
G
A
I
 
8. Priority on possible enhancements to the website:   Suggestions of other enhancements:
(i) extension of forecast area to the entire Western North Pacific Ocean
High
Mid
Low
(ii) extension of forecast area to the Bay Of Bengal and the Arabian Sea
High
Mid
Low
(iii) addition of strike probability ensemble forecasts from other meteorological centers
High
Mid
Low
(iv) addition of forecasts for other hazardous weather, e.g. severe convection, heavy rain, flooding
High
Mid
Low
 
9. Other comments/suggestions on the pilot project
 
>> 
Samples of tropical cyclone forecasts and other products on the ADRR website:
Fig. 1. TC Forecast Track -- Tropical cyclone forecasts (tracks and intensity) based on tropical cyclone warnings issued by weather services in China, Hong Kong (China), Japan and the Philippines, advisories issued by the Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre of Japan and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre of USA, and numerical forecasts of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
Fig. 2. Objective Forecast -- Strike probability objective forecast issued by ECMWF.
Fig. 3. HKIA weather summary
Fig. 4. HKIA alternates
Fig. 5. Extended take-off forecast for HKIA