Observatory’s Colleague Invited as Speaker in Indonesia for Workshop on Volcanic Ash

24 November 2023

At the invitation of Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BMKG), Mr. Chau Ping WONG, a Senior Experimental Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), attended the “Volcanic Ash Impact Handling for Aviation” workshop for AESAN countries as an invited speaker during 13-17 November 2023 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Drawing on his extensive experience as an aviation forecaster, Mr. Wong shared a real case from August 2021 when Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba, an underwater volcano located in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, erupted. The ash plumes were projected to drift towards the Hong Kong Flight Information Region, prompting the Observatory’s Airport Meteorological Office to issue the Volcanic Ash Significant Weather Information (VA SIGMET). Mr. Wong presented a comprehensive meteorological analysis of the case and introduced the diverse monitoring tools employed by HKO for tracking volcanic ash and monitoring hotspots. He also conducted a practical demonstration for workshop participants on how to effectively utilise the SIGMET Coordination Platform developed by HKO for issuing VA SIGMETs.

HKO is keen to share its experiences in handling volcanic ash impact with other meteorological agencies and will continually contribute to the enhancement of aviation hazardous weather warning services.