28 NOV 2018
Operational Data Services, Long-range Forecasting, Climate Monitoring
WMO International Workshop on Global Review of RCC Operations (Pune, India)
Dr Rupa Kumar Kolli (WMO) delivering the opening presentation "Global RCC Review: Background, objectives and goals including the Regional Approach to the Climate Services Information System (CSIS)".
Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) as the overall coordinator of the SEA-RCC Network recently attended an WMO RCC Review Workshop held from 12 to 14 November 2018 in Pune, India, and hosted by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been making concerted efforts to implement Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) in order to support the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in operationally generating and delivering up-to-date climate information and prediction products for climate services. Eight WMO RCCs and three WMO RCC-Networks have been formally designated while one RCC and three RCC-networks have commenced the demonstration phase as of end of year 2018.
Noting the significant progress achieved during the last decade in the establishment and operations of RCCs, the functions and criteria for WMO RCCs have largely remained unchanged since 2009. Meanwhile, there have been considerable developments and scientific advances for e.g. in long range forecasting, downscaling, and verification. Also the needs and requirements of users have been growing. Therefore, there was an urgent need to review and update RCCs functions and criteria, as well as the designation process, to improve RCCs operation and align with state-of-the-art methodologies in order to meet users' expectations and demand.
The purpose of the Workshop is to review the status of operation, methodologies, products/services, and current institutional arrangements of RCCs/RCC-Networks and to propose future-oriented route maps for a more sustainable development of RCCs, following the identification of gaps and new requirements.
All the technical/organizational coordinators from the RCCs/RCC-Networks attended the Workshop either physically or remotely via video conferencing. A number of important recommendations is agreed to move RCCs forward, following the successful conclusion of the Workshop.
