The State of Early Warning Systems - Reducing Disaster: Early Warning Systems for Climate Change - page 113

Fig. 6.4 TCP of WMO (Source: http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/ )

At a global scale, existing technologies for fl ood monitoring must be improved
to be able to provide forecasts and increased fl ood warning lead times. In addition,
there is inadequate coverage of fl ood warning and monitoring systems, in countries
such as China, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, West Africa, and Brazil.

6.3.5.2 Severe Weather, Storms, and Tropical Cyclones

Weather-related EWSs currently exist in many countries worldwide and at the
global level; the WMO through its World Weather Watch (WWW) and Hydrology
and Water Resources Programmes provides weather observations, forecasts, and
warnings (see Fig. 6.4 ). The WWW is an operational framework of coordinated
national systems, operated by national governments. The WWW is composed of the
Global Observing System (GOS), which provides the observed meteorological
data; the Global Telecommunications System (GTS), which reports observations,
forecasts, and other products; and the Global Data Processing System (GDPS),
which provides weather analyses, forecasts, and other products.
The Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP), part of the World Weather Watch
(WWW), was established to support the mitigation of risks associated with tropical
cyclones. TCP issues tropical cyclones and hurricanes forecasts, warning and advi-
sories, also available in the form of maps. The Regional Specialized Meteorological
Centres (RSMCs) of the TCP, together with National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services (NMHSs), monitor tropical cyclones globally and issue offi cial warnings to
the Regional Meteorological Services of countries at risk. Then, the individual coun-
tries are responsible for issuing warnings in their respective coastal lands and waters.
While the WWW is an effi cient operational framework of existing RSMCs,
NMHSs, and networks, most countries lack capacities in effectively delivering and
managing the early warning information and responding to disasters.