Maintaining WIGOS Weather Radar Metadata
The WMO Weather Radar Database
The WMO Radar Database (WRD), currently maintained and operated on behalf of WMO by the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS), is the recommended portal through which WMO Members should submit their operational weather radar metadata in support of OSCAR and the WMO Rolling Review of Requirements.
National Focal Points for Weather Radar Metadata
All WMO Members, either operating or intending to operate weather radar systems in support of the World Weather Watch Programme, should nominate a National Focal Point for Weather Radar Metadata who would have responsibility for seeding and maintaining the weather radar metadata within the WMO Radar Database (WRD). The list of National Focal Points for Weather Radar Metadata is available from the WMO Community Platform database here.
Members should please advise of additions or changes to the list of National Focal Points by contacting the Secretariat.
Responsibilities of National Focal Points for Maintenance of Weather Radar Metadata
The Focal Points for Weather Radar Metadata are responsible for:
- Obtaining a login to the WRD by sending an email request to the WMO Weather Radar Metadata Focal Points email list or directly to the Secretariat.
- Ensuring that metadata contained within the WMO Radar Database and for which the Focal Point (FP) is responsible, is current and accurate; and
- Entering and maintaining the WRD with weather radar metadata by following the procedures available from the WRD once NFPs have logged in.
The WRD should be routinely checked by the NFP for completeness and accuracy and updated accordingly on at least a quarterly (3-monthly) basis. It is therefore suggested that NFPs carry out their routine maintenance on weather radar metadata in the last week of March, June, September and December of each year.
Inaccurate metadata can and should be corrected as and when it is discovered.
Policy on Member Provision of Weather Radar Metadata & Relationship with OSCAR/Surface
With the advent of OSCAR/Surface as the central repository for all WIGOS sites metadata, WMO is working towards the establishment of an interface between the WRD and OSCAR/Surface to ensure that the two systems are synchonised. While Members could also enter their weather radar metadata directly via OSCAR/Surface if they choose, and request to WMO, to do so, it is currently WMO recommended practice to maintain weather radar WIGOS metadata through the WRD - see WMO-No. 1165, Guide to WIGOS, Chapter 3, WIGOS Metadata, section 3.3.1.3:
