About the AMDAR Observing System
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Introductory Information About the AMDAR Observing System
The global Aircraft Meteorological DAta Relay (AMDAR) programme was initiated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and its Members, in cooperation with aviation partners and has led to the development of the AMDAR observing system. The AMDAR observing system is a sub-system of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System and the Global Observing System, which is defined and maintained under the WMO World Weather Watch Programme.
The AMDAR system utilises predominantly existing aircraft onboard sensors, computers and communications systems to collect, process, format and transmit meteorological data to ground stations via satellite or radio links. Once on the ground, the data is relayed to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, where it is processed, quality controlled and transmitted on the WMO Information System (WIS).
The WMO global AMDAR system now (May 2017) produces over 700,000 high-quality observations per day of air temperature and wind speed and direction, together with the required positional and temporal information and with an increasing number of humidity and turbulence measurements being made.
The data collected is used for a range of meteorological applications, including, public weather forecasting, climate monitoring and prediction, early warning systems for weather hazards and, importantly, weather monitoring and prediction in support of the aviation industry.
The global AMDAR observing system is comprised of the operational AMDAR observing systems maintained by National & Regional AMDAR Programmes in collaboration with their partner airlines.
From 1998 until 2012, the development and implementation of the AMDAR system was the responsibility of the WMO AMDAR Panel, however, at its 15th Session, the AMDAR Panel formally handed over this responsibility to WMO and its Technical Commissions.
WMO maintains the international regulatory material and standards for operation of the AMDAR observing system and, through it's Technical Commissions, oversees the maintenance and development of the AMDAR observing system and the work program on aircraft-based observations through the coordination of Technical Commission expert teams.
WMO urges Members to continue to develop and expand the AMDAR observing system in line with the Actions of the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) Implementation Plan for the Evolution of the Global Observing System.
Resource material related to national and regional AMDAR programme development can be found in the AMDAR Resources/AMDAR Programme Development area.