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Newsletter Spotlight
WMO RA IV Aviation Workshop
San José, Costa Rica
27 November to 01 December 2023
This workshop is intended for operational aviation forecasters in RA IV. The primary goal is to improve SIGMET availability and accuracy by reviewing current practices, learning new techniques, and strengthening the collaboration and coordination between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). This five-day, in-person workshop is planned to provide training in best practices of SIGMET and TAF production, forecasting of aviation hazards, and presentations on topics relating to QMS and Competencies critical for the operational forecaster. Topics include:
- Closing the gaps in SIGMET availability and consistency.
- Improving understanding of the Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA) and Tropical Cyclone Advisory (TCA) products.
- Strengthening collaboration and coordination between Meteorological Watch Offices (MWOs).
- Explaining why Quality Management Systems (QMS) are important to you and your organization.
- Improving consistency of Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF) between Met Services.
Virtual attendance will also be supported for those that cannot travel to the meeting and for participants from RA III (South America) as well. Spanish and English translations will be provided.
For more information, please contact Heather Smith or Mike Graf (co-chairs of ET-AVI).
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A Message from the New Chair of the RA IV Services Committee, Mr. Kenneth Kerr
Dear Colleagues,
I am honored and excited to assume the role of Chair of the Regional Association IV (RA IV) Services Committee, and I would like to use this newsletter to make three key points. First, I would like to acknowledge the terrific work of my predecessor, the outgoing Chair of the Services Committee, Mr. Glendell De Souza. During his tenure, Glendell made the RA IV Expert Team on Services for Aviation (ET-AVI) much more effective and efficient, which enabled the team to initiate and complete a number of key tasks over the last two years. I thank him on behalf of the entire RA IV membership for his strong and steady work over the years and wish him well in his endeavors.
Second, I would like to acknowledge members of the ET-AVI for their superb services and their accomplishments thus far and to thank the co-leaders for the steady progress in planning and co-hosting the webinars and other priority activities that they were able to accomplish. In my view, the ET-AVI serves as a bridge for collaboration and knowledge sharing to help solve shared challenges in delivering meteorological services for aviation across the region. In this regard, the ET has been quite busy leading the way and advancing the priorities of RA IV’s Services for Aviation, as demonstrated in this newsletter.
As Chair, I have been very fortunate to have been offered this opportunity, and it will be my pleasure to work alongside and closely with the ET-AVI, whose expertise and professionalism are already redounding to the benefit of the region. I see many opportunities ahead for the ET-AVI to continue progressing the region’s aeronautical meteorological service delivery while considering the drivers of change within the latest WMO Services for Aviation priority implementation areas. I am committed to accepting the challenge of supporting ET-AVI as it seeks to achieve its objectives. My ultimate mission is to assist the ET-AVI in pushing forward on the positives already gained to reap the intended benefit of helping RA IV aeronautical meteorological services providers through a program of targeted assistance. Indeed, if our objectives are achieved, we will certainly have enhanced the delivery of meteorological information services in support of safe, effective, and efficient aviation operations and services across the region.
Kenneth Kerr (Trinidad and Tobago) is the Science and Technology Officer with the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO). He is also the newly appointed chair of the Services Committee for Regional Association IV. There are four expert teams in the Services Committee - Climate Services, Services for Aviation, Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Services, and Hydrological Services.
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Quality Management System (QMS) Documentation and Training Resources
Submitted by Karine Dumas
From the ET-AVI survey conducted in July 2022 on QMS implementation, five critical barriers or obstacles to QMS implementation and certification in RA IV were identified:
- Lack of available personnel to establish a QMS management team.
- Insufficient financial resources allocated for certification.
- Lack of available personnel to perform internal audits.
- Lack of quality training or education for a QMS management team.
- Lack of a formal endorsement from management or government to implement or sustain an active QMS.
In this article, we want to propose some training resources for QMS implementation, which is the number 4 barrier listed above.
- WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) Moodle training portal offers extensive resources on QMS implementation and subscription is free.
- Official WMO Guides to QMS implementation can be found here in all 6 languages.
- Guidance to implement a Competency Management System can be found here. This is more specific to Aeronautical Meteorological Forecaster (AMF) and Observer (AMO).
- Presentation on QMS from a 2015 seminar here.
- COMET MetEd has a 2hrs lesson, consisting of 3 units on QMS answering questions such as:
- What is a QMS?
- What is the ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard?
- How will a QMS benefit your organization?
- How will a QMS enhance the delivery of Meteorological Services?
The COMET MetEd Portal requires you to create a login access. This is all free. This is one of the greatest education platforms on meteorology. The QMS lesson is found in English and in Spanish.
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Figure 1. COMET MetEd QMS Lesson divided into three units.
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- WMO Education and Training Program (ETRP) had some online workshops on QMS but specific to climate services. Nevertheless, the material is interesting. Those are listed here. Login access is required (WMO ETRP login) to access most of the workshop material but again, it is free to create an account.
-This PPT on ISO-9001-2015 for example is a great QMS-101 type of presentation. As well as this WMO 1100 introductory PPT
- Generic information on WMO QMS can be found here with a link to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) QMS page filled with resource documents.
- ICAO QMS for Weather Services 2021 workshop documents are available here.
Karine Dumas (Canada) is the National Programs and Applied Development Manager in the Aviation and Defense Services of the Meteorological Service of Canada. Karine is also a co-chair of the WMO Expert Team on Education, Training, and Competency (ET-ETC) under the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI).
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RECAP - The ICAO SIGMET Workshop
Submitted by Luis Raul Sanchez Vargas
In late May and early June 2023, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) supported by the WMO Regional Association IV, hosted a five-day workshop at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Office in Mexico City. The following were the objectives and expected outcomes of the workshop:
- Promote the standardization and harmonization procedures and formats for the preparation and dissemination of SIGMET information.
- Increase its availability and quality in the North American, South American, and Caribbean Regions, through the implementation of the provisions of Annex 3 to the Chicago Convention and Related Guidance material.
The workshop provided Aeronautical Meteorological Personnel (AMP) with the necessary knowledge and skills to improve the diagnosis and forecast of enroute weather phenomena and other local phenomena, that may affect the safety, regularity, and efficiency of international air navigation; the workshop covered areas of meteorological interest as they relate to SIGMETs, including climatological patterns of the Americas, remote sensing, numerical weather prediction, various meteorological phenomena, and volcanic ash implications.
The workshop was attended by 45 representatives of Meteorological Authorities and Civil Aviation Authorities from 19 States and 3 International Organizations, including speakers from Ecuador, Mexico, the United States, and the Caribbean Meteorological Organization. Special recognition was made to the National Weather Service-Weather Prediction Center (WPC) of the United States, represented by Dr. Jose Galvez for providing the training and sharing the material, available in English and Spanish at the event website. This workshop was the first part of a two-part series focused on SIGMETs, part two is being scheduled by the end of 2023 in cooperation with WMO RA IV.
WMO RA IV ET-AVI Co-Leads Heather Smith (Canada) and Mike Graf (USA) provided a brief overview and Terms of Reference (ToR) of the team and highlighted many of its ongoing activities.
For more information on this workshop, visit: RLA09801 (icao.int) or contact Mr. Luis Raul Sanchez Vargas Regional Officer on Aeronautical Meteorology and Environment in the ICAO NACC Regional Office in Mexico City.
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RECAP - The QMS Webinar
Submitted by Katie Deroche
On 29-30 June 2023, WMO RA IV ET-AVI hosted a Quality Management System (QMS) webinar. There were approximately 119 attendees from 41 States and Territories.
Dr. Guillermo Navarro and Dr. Marcos Erize, both QMS International Consultants, introduced their talk, “QMS Implementation - How to Get Top Management Commitment”. by quoting world leaders on the threat of Climate Change and how it is one of humanity's most serious challenges today and in the future. For this reason, it’s imperative for Meteorological and Hydrological Services to take concrete actions to fulfill their mission to satisfy the needs of their users. Having a set QMS in place will help meet customers’ requirements, which in this case is mitigation of climate change within WMO offices. Some of the benefits of having a QMS include: Meeting customers’ requirements, improving and controlling processes, preventing mistakes, and reducing waste. The Meteorological Directorate of Chile has been successful in its mission to fulfill its QMS goals and has been advising several South and Central American countries, as well as Caribbean countries, to achieve their goals as well.
Oscar Lovell, the Quality Manager of Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service discussed in his talk, “QMS Drivers for Implementation and the Consequences of Not” how having a QMS set in place has benefits that far outweigh the cost. Having a QMS in place ensures products are consistent and meet customer requirements. A QMS streamlines processes to make for more efficient work, and Met Services are doing their part to ensure a safe aviation environment. The risks of not having a QMS in place or being in non-compliance can have ripple effects across the aviation community in the region. Non-compliance will be made available to users, who then can make the decision on how they choose to respond. Relevant stakeholders can take whatever action they deem necessary in light of these reports. The results of these audits can have far-reaching consequences for airports and Met Services.
Fernando Andres discussed the “Calibration Capacity of the Laboratorio Costarricense de Metrología (LCM)” There is a need to have a QMS implemented on an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard so that Met Services can carry out reliable measurements, because without calibration measurements are stranded without a reference. These calibrations must be performed according to the ISO 17025 certificate and will have measurement certainty. LCM not only serves Costa Rica but also other countries in the region.
Kathryn Franc in her talk, “The Calibration Capacity of the USA National Weather Service (NWS) Sterling Field Support Center Laboratories” discussed how she supports calibrations across all NWS forecast offices. Between five dedicated staff members, 350 calibrations are performed each year on barometers and 50-70 temperature sensors. Though other agencies can request a calibration, NWS offices are prioritized. Costs to perform a calibration are for materials and shipping only. Since this is a US federal government agency, no extra costs can be charged (US meteorological services are not “fee for service” and are paid for through federal taxes). Calibration requests can be sent to nws.cal@noaa.gov.
Kathy-Ann Caesar of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in Barbados introduced “Competency Management Systems (CMS), Frameworks, and Tools”. In a later talk, Kathy-Ann also held an interactive exercise on forecaster competencies. The benefit of building a CMS is that it’s a process that builds upon itself and continually improves services as the company moves forward. There are five steps to building a CMS: Plan, Design, Implement, Assess and Maintain, and Verification and Audit.
Jessica Howell, an Aviation Meteorologist from the Meteorological Service of Canada discussed “How to Conduct an AMF Assessment” outlining what it takes to perform a proper competency assessment for meteorological offices. The qualities an assessor should possess, the process of assessing a forecaster, and how to give feedback to areas that are lacking. Assessment documents should be continually checked for any improvements and affirm that the competencies fit what your forecasters are supposed to do. In short: Do what you say to do, and verify it continually!
Katie Deroche (USA) is the NOAA/NWS Quality Management System Program Manager, Aviation Services Training Program Manager, and Volcanic Ash Services Program Coordinator. Katie is a member of the RA IV ET-AVI working with the QMS team.
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Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Equity
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In 2021, a survey was conducted on Gender Equality in Aeronautical Meteorology in response to Resolution 6 adopted by the 16th Session of the WMO Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM-16) in 2018. The following information comes directly from the survey report.
Resolution 6 observed that:
- Women were under-represented in the working structures of that Commission,
- Increased female participation was required, and
- Strategies should be devised to increase the involvement of women in the work of the Commission.
Following the reform of the WMO governance in 2020, the level of participation of women in the aeronautical meteorology domain of the WMO has remained largely unchanged at around 20%. The follow-up to Resolution 6 was addressed by the SC-AVI by:
- Establishing the Thematic Coordinator on Gender Mainstreaming, and
- Administering the 2021 survey
The survey consisted of 29 free-text and multiple-choice questions; it was sent to Aeronautical Meteorology Personnel (staff and management) at the national level through the WMO Permanent Representatives of Members. The objective of the survey was to collect information on the respondents’ experience regarding gender equality and empowerment of women in the aeronautical meteorology domain, particularly at the national level. The survey also looked to gain additional insight into the policies, action plans, and guidelines pertaining to gender equality that may exist in the aeronautical meteorology workplace. The scope of the survey addressed the following areas:
- General information, including affiliation of the respondent within the international aeronautical meteorology community;
- Policies, action plans and guidelines on gender equality and/or empowerment of women within the respondent’s agency;
- Training events and human resources policies and measures to promote and increase gender equality within the respondent’s agency;
- Gender equality issues that the respondents may be experiencing;
- Strategies to improve the participation of women in the work of WMO in the aeronautical meteorology domain;
From 25 June to 31 August 2021, there were a total of 519 complete responses from personnel working in 96 of the 193 Member States and Territories (50%) across all six WMO Regional Associations. The key recommendations arising from the survey are indicated in the graphic below.
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To read the full report, please visit this link
We would love to hear your stories of diversity, inclusion, equality and equity. If you’d like to have that story included in a future edition of the newsletter, send your information to Lora Wilson.
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Member Article - The Precious Value of Clouds
Submitted by Nelson Vasquez Castellar
Shy or threatening, tall or short, big or small, there is something for everyone. They are part of everyday life even when they go unnoticed by the human sensory system. Their beauty is admired. They are captured in paintings and songs; they are contemplated or feared. But all too often, their vital value is omitted.
Clouds, that important interface in the terrestrial hydrological cycle, that agglomeration of aqueous solid and liquid particles, represent much more than what is generally taken into consideration. Their role in the planetary climatic equilibrium goes beyond the generation of precipitation in any of its various forms, whether it be rain, drizzle, showers, hail, snow, etc., and the enormous benefits that these meteorological phenomena bring to biodiversity and livelihoods.
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Figure 1. Towering Cumulonimbus. Photograph taken by the author.
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Clouds are also important for their role in the planet's heat balance due to their role as reflectors or absorbers of solar and terrestrial radiation. They are important in the transfer of thermal energy in the form of latent heat and moisture at the atmospheric level, both vertically and horizontally. They are fundamental in atmospheric circulation at the general, regional, and local levels through their ability to release latent heat in their formation process. In addition, through their formation mechanisms, they allow for the constant removal of atmospheric particles that can be detrimental to the normal development of human activities and health.
When we see them, their value is underestimated; the fascination for their physical appearance overcomes the functional appreciation that their role reveals. Only at times and in seasons when the voracious thermal appetite of the atmosphere allows its disproportionate growth and then violently rages against the surface, then, there, at that precise moment, do they capture the level of attention that such an actor deserves. The staging is complete, accompanied by thunder and lightning, intense, continuous, and with intermittent precipitation. A sudden cooling of the environment, the wind gusts erratically, the brightness of the sun is dulled, and, at a certain point and, at a certain moment, an initial roar serves as a bell ringing for the party to begin. Behold the cumulonimbus has said, “Present”.
Its varied forms give a signal, each state of the weather brings a particular and unique combination of its typology. Instability or stability, convection or advection, precipitation possibilities or harbinger of dry weather, water or ice crystals. What are the characteristics associated with the different types of clouds and what do they want to communicate by their presence? These are two questions that require an accurate answer. To identify them and their behavior and conditions of formation are fertile ground for further analysis. Their omnipresence is evidence of their importance in the planet's climatic path; life without clouds is unimaginable.
Current studies on the progressive warming of the planet attempt to quantify their role in contributing to or opposing this phenomenon, but the results are not clear; the mechanisms by which they intervene in the heat balance are known, but quantifying their impact on global warming is not yet possible. It is a pending task on which work will have to be done. In the future, this is one of the priorities.
In a warmer scenario, it is assumed that a greater amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is available for the formation of clouds and the role that these play, as up to now will continue to play a decisive role, as it has up to now. Their importance is beyond doubt; they accompany the day-to-day existence of human beings, providing benefits for their livelihood, often quietly, passing unnoticed, and incognito; sometimes making themselves felt beyond what is bearable, but always in the pursuit of a regulatory task, always in pursuit of a regulatory task of balance.
May the clouds continue to dance in the agitated sea of atmospheric air.
Nelson Vasquez Castellar (Colombia) is a member of ET-AVI and works for the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) of Colombia in the field of aeronautical meteorology as a forecaster at the Ernesto Cortissoz Airport in Barranquilla. He is also a teacher at several aeronautical training centers in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, and is in charge of training personnel working in this field.
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Feedback for ET-AVI
We want to hear from you! What can the RA IV ET-AVI do for you and your organization? If you have feedback to share; suggestions for activities related to services for aviation; newsletter articles or future webinar topics, please fill out this short questionnaire.
Link to the survey form.
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Webinars
The RA IV ET-AVI team plans to host two webinars each year with specific aviation topics that the aviation community would like to see more information about. Below are links to the most recent webinar materials. For access to more archived materials, please see the link in the Resources section below.
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Reminders & Coming Events
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Resources
WMO Regional Association IV (RA IV) Website - Highlights all WMO activities for North America, Central America and the Caribbean (RA IV)
WMO RA IV ET-AVI Website - The official WMO website for RA IV Expert Team on Services for Aviation (ET-AVI). It includes the Terms of Reference (ToR) which steers the activities undertaken by the team.
Archive of Previous RA IV ET-AVI Newsletters (English and Spanish)
WMO Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) Site
WMO Aviation Training Moodle Site - This Moodle training portal is provided and maintained by the Expert Team on Education, Training and Competency (ET-ETC) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI). The ET-ETC comprises aeronautical meteorology experts from around the world nominated by WMO Member States and Territories.
WMO Long-term Plan for Aeronautical Meteorology (2019) - The long-term plan for aeronautical meteorology (LTP-AeM) is intended to provide a framework upon which aeronautical meteorological service providers (AMSPs) of WMO Members in particular, and the broader meteorology and aviation communities in general, can plan a progressive transformation from a conventional “product-centric” approach to a modern “information-centric” approach to service provision for aviation through to 2030 and beyond.
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RA IV Expert Team on
Services for Aviation
Co-Leaders:
-Mike Graf
US NOAA National Weather Service
-Heather Smith
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Editor:
-Lora Wilson
US NOAA National Weather Service
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