PWS in support of disaster prevention and mitigation

1. PWS in support of disaster prevention and mitigation How to improve collaboration and coordination Sarah Davies UK Met Office 27th November 2012

2. By the end of this session you will understand: How to get to know your customer How to improve collaboration and co-ordination Aim

3. General public Category one & two emergency response community members Identify our customers

4. How do we find out what our customers need? What services do the customers need?

5. Get to know them What does your company do? What issues does your company face? What is your role within the company? How bad does the weather have to be to affect your job? What types of weather affect your job? How does the weather affect your job? Customers

6. Get to know them Involve them Customers

7. National Severe Weather Warning Service Public Weather Service Advisors Used the Civil Contingency Act to help identify who the customers were Advisors contacted emergency responders Explained the services the Met Office could provide to emergency responders Became point of contact between the customer and the Met Office Build two-way relationship to allow delivery of services and provide valuable feedback In the beginning…..Met Office PWS

8. Raising awareness and understanding of PWS across the UK resilience community Planning and exercises Weather & local resilience risk registers Risk assessment, mitigation & incident support Incident/operational support Cabinet Office Incident Command Centres PWS Advisors

9. PWS Advisors

10. Partnerships • Working with customers • Working with other departments

11. Natural Hazards Partnership

12. Flood Forecasting Centre

13. 2007 Floods Met Office We played a vital role throughout the summer, providing highly accurate Forecasts and warnings ahead of the heavy rains. Environment Agency 35,000 homes and businesses flooded from surface water for which there is no specific warning service. Our warning service on rivers was effective for the majority. But we were not able to provide 4,100 properties – mainly on rivers which reacted quickly to the rain – with warnings.

14. UK government’s ‘Pitt Review’ key recommendations (3 and 5) “The Met Office should continue to improve its forecasting and predicting methods to a level which meets the needs of emergency responders.” “The Environment Agency should work with partners to urgently take forward work to develop tools and techniques to model surface water flooding.”

15. UK government’s ‘Pitt Review’ key recommendation (6) “The Environment Agency and the Met Office should work together, through a joint centre, to improve their technical capability to forecast, model and warn against all sources of flooding.” “The Review understands that this is a significant change to current arrangements and we do not take the option lightly”

16. Stage 1: Meteorological Experience Stage 1: Hydrological Experience • Stage 2: Hydrological Fundamentals • Hydrology • Hydraulics • Hydrometry • Real Time Modelling • NFFS • Hyrad • Stage 2: Meteorological Fundamentals • Dynamic Meteorology • Thermodynamics • Numerical Modelling • Remote Sensing • Clouds • Forecasting Techniques • Wave Forecasting Stage 3: On the job training (including EA work placement) Stage 3: On the job training (including MO work placement) Training Hydrometeorologists Stage 4: Hydrometeorological Training Stage 5: Professional Review in Hydrometeorology

17. End-to-end service Flash floods Heavy rainfall River and coastal flooding Longer lead time river and coastal flooding Surface water

18. Our Customers Environment Agency • Flood Risk and Coastal Management; • Incident & Contingency Planning; National Government: • Welsh Government • Defra • Cabinet Office • Department for Communities & Local Government Emergency Responders: • Blue Light Services • Local Authorities • Utility Companies

19. Our Services For the Environment Agency : • Hydromet Services • UK Coastal Monitoring & Forecasting Service • Consultancy For Government and Emergency Responders: • Flood Guidance Statement • Advice and guidance • Flood Advisory Service For the Public : • Three Day Flood Risk Forecast (and link to NSWWS)

20. Pitt Review – Improved Warnings UK government’s ‘Pitt Review’ key recommendation (35) “The Met Office and Environment Agency should issue joint warnings and impact information on severe weather and flooding emergencies to responder organisations and the public.”

21. Government and Emergency Responders :Flood Guidance Statement (FGS) • Five day national forecast of flood risk for England & Wales • Issued daily, and more frequently at times of higher risk • Risk split up into Flood source (River, Surface Water, Coastal and Groundwater) • Email and Fax to 2500+ government and emergency responders

22. Sharing forecasts with the public • Three-day flood risk online • Raise public awareness • and preparedness

23. Potential Impacts Key

24. Flood Risk Matrix Risk colour is determined by assessing both likelihood of flooding and potential impact.

25. Get Ready for winter

26. Get Ready for winter • Join up messages from Government, the voluntary sector, Local Authorities and others • Encourage individuals, families and communities to think about winter preparations to help them stay warm, healthy and safe • Better co-ordination, sign posting and ease of access • www.metoffice.gov.uk/getreadyforwinter

27. Get Ready for Winter • raise awareness of weather impacts and the benefits of planning • highlight some very practical and straight forward advice to help individuals and communities prepare for a range of winter weathers including, cold, snow, ice, high winds & flooding • provide an opportunity to link local activities and messages to a national initiative • user friendly access of information through a central webpage which will provide links to further information

30. Aim • By the end of this session you will understand: • How to get to know your customer • How to improve collaboration and co-ordination

31. Questions and answers