World Meteorological Organization

Beneficiary Countries:

5 countries in Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam

Regional Centres' web portals:

• RFSC Ha Noi (new SWFP web portal since January 2022) (password protected)
• RSMC Hong Kong for Nowcasting (and technical training support)
• RSMC Tokyo for Nowcasting; JMA Met. Satellite Centre
• RSMC Tokyo for typhoon forecast support
• RSMC New Delhi for tropical cyclone forecast support 

Global Centres/WMCs' web portals:

• WMC ECMWF; ENS Meteograms; and Forecaster User Guide 
• CMA (WMC Beijing); Global EFI; RSMC Beijing (SDS-WAS Asian Centre); RCC (Beijing Climate Centre);  
• JMA (WMC Tokyo)
• KMA
• DWD (WMC Offenbach) (to access to global NWP/ICON data)
• NCEP/NOAA (WMC Washington); Link for MJO

Main Focus (Severe weather types):

Heavy rain, strong winds and damaging waves

Present Status:

In Phase-III 

Download:

Regional Subproject Implementation Plan (RSIP, ver.6) as reviewed and updated by RSMT in 2017)

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) funds through Climate Risk & Early Waning Systems (CREWS) initiative (since 2017)

SWFP implementation in Southeast Asia

The SWFP-Southeast Asia was started as a 'demonstration project' (i.e. as SWFDP-Southeast Asia) with a technical planning workshop in Ha Noi, Viet Nam (2-5 February, 2010) to explore sub-region's needs and possible benefits for Cambodia, People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, Thailand, and Viet Nam.  The workshop recommended that the project could focus on various hazards especially heavy precipitation, strong winds and high waves due to various meteorological events in the region, while also developing the capacity of the National Hydro-Meteorological Centre of Ha Noi, Viet Nam as a Regional Centre, with the assistance of the Hong Kong Observatory. NWP and satellite products could be provided by the global centres e.g. CMA, JMA and KMA. A meeting to develop a strategy for preparing a draft regional subproject implementation plan (RSIP) for Southeast Asia was also organized in Tokyo, Japan on 17-18 September, 2010. The first two-week SWFDP-Southeast Asia Training Workshop on severe weather forecasting (GDPFS) and warning services (PWS) was conducted in Hong Kong, China during 4-15 July, 2011 and the first meeting of Regional Subproject Management Team (RSMT) was held at RFSC Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 10-13 October, 2011 to discuss and review the RSIP  for SWFDP-Southeast Asia. The subproject website (RFSC Ha Noi web portal) was also developed in 2011 to make available NWP including EPS products, and satellite based information for the NMHSs. The Philippines also joined the subproject in May 2012. In later years, several SWFP training workshops were organized to develop capacity of the NMHSs on NWP products' interpretation and use in severe weather forecasting and delivery of warning services. 

During recent years, SWFP workshops have also focused on impact-based forecast and warning services (IBFWS).

The subproject activities from 2017 onward are mainly funded through Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) project entitled “Building Resilience to High-Impact Hydrometeorological Events through Strengthening Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Southeast Asia (SEA)”

Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-18, June 2019) through its Resolution 15 (Cg-18) decided among others to remove the 'demonstration' designation of the SWFDP and renamed it as Severe Weather Forecasting programme (SWFP). Subsequently, the SWFDP-Southeast Asia also became SWFP-Southeast Asia.

• CREWS / SWFP-Southeast Asia - Introductory Training on Nowcasting of Severe Weather (for Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic) (14-16 November 2022) (ORGANIZED REMOTELY ONLINE)
• SWFP – South Asia and Southeast Asia - Training Workshop on Severe Weather and Impact Based Forecasting and Warning Services (28 February -10 March 2022) (ORGANIZED REMOTELY ONLINE)

• SWFP – South Asia and Southeast Asia - Training Workshop on Severe Weather and Impact Based Forecasting and Warning Services (1-12 February) (ORGANIZED REMOTELY ONLINE)

• SWFP-SeA RFSC Training Desk (7-9 December 2020) (ORGANIZED REMOTELY ONLINE)

• Eighteenth WM Congress (Cg-18, June 2019) through its Resolution 15 (Cg-18) decided among others to remove the 'demonstration' designation of the SWFDP and renamed it as Severe Weather Forecasting programme (SWFP). Subsequently, the SWFDP-SeA became SWFP-SeA
• SWFP-SeA RFSC Training Desk (Ha Noi, 9-20 December 2019)
• Fourth Meeting of RSMT (Bangkok, 24-27 September 2019) to review progress and update the RSIP for SWFP-SeA (Meeting Report)
• Two-week SWFDP-SeA Training Workshop (Vientiane,19 February - 1 March 2019)

• Two-week SWFDP-SeA Training Workshop (Ha Noi, 9-30 March 2018)
• SWFDP-SeA RFSC Training Desk (Ha Noi, 7-18 May 2018) (Training Desk Report)

• Third Meeting of RSMT (Ha Noi, 20-23 November 2017) to review progress and discuss transition of the subproject into operations and update the RSIP for SWFDP-SeA. A joint session of RSMT and SeAFFGS initial planning meeting was also held on 23 November 2017 to discuss requirements and potential synergies between the two subprojects (Meeting Report).

• Start of demonstration phase from 1 January 2016

• RFSC Ha Noi started issuance  of Guidance Product for Short-range (1-2 Days) and Medium-range (3-5 Days)
• Second Meeting of RSMT to discuss and review the RSIP  for SWFDP-SeA (Ha Noi, 11-14 August 2015) preceded by a Preparatory Meeting on 10 August, 2015 (Meeting Report)
• Two-week SWFDP Training Workshop (Bangkok, 14-25 September 2015) jointly organized for both Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal (South Asia) sub-regions

• Two-week SWFDP-SeA Training Workshop (Quezon City, 2-13 June 2014)

• Two-week SWFDP Training Workshop (Macao, 8-19 April 2013) jointly organized for  both Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal (South Asia) sub-regions (Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia and Macao also participated)

• Philippines joined as a participating country in May 2012

• Two-week  SWFDP-SeA Training Workshop (GDPFS & PWS) (Hong Kong, 4-15 July, 2011)
• First Meeting of RSMT to discuss and review the RSIP  for SWFDP-SeA (Ha Noi, 10-13 October 2011) (Meeting Report)
• RFSC Ha Noi web portal since July 2011

• Meeting to develop a strategy for preparing a regional subproject implementation plan (RSIP) for SWFDP-SeA (Tokyo, 17-18 September 2010) (Meeting Report)
• Technical Planning Workshop on SWFDP Development for Southeast Asia (Ha Noi, 2-5 February 2010) (Meeting Report)