TCWC Wellington Activity Report

1. TCWC WellingtonActivity Report Presented to the 4th Tropical Cyclone RSMCs Technical Coordination Meeting by Rod Stainer

2. New Zealand’s Responsibities • Wellington is an RSMC with geographical specialisation, but is designated as a tropical cyclone warning centre for the subtropical region of the South Pacific south of 25 south. • Wellington provides SIGMETs for a portion of the Pacific Ocean through to 5 south - FIR modified in August 2002

3. New Zealand’s TCWC AOR

4. Auckland Oceanic FIR

5. Contingency Arrangements • RSMC Wellington will takeover as TCWC for Nadi’s area of responsibility in the event of an outgage at RSMC Nadi. • Last takeover due to storm damage occurred in 1984

6. Nadi Backup Procedures (1) • When there is a direct threat posed by a tropical cyclone Nadi: • Advises Wellington that it will initiate Check Bulletins on the GTS at 30 min intervals:This is Check Bulletin Number One issued by RSMC Nadi at {time, date}

7. Nadi Backup Procedures (2) • In the event of a Check Bulletin failure, Wellington attempts to ascertain the operational status of Nadi; • If three Check Bulletins are missed and no contact has been established with Nadi then Wellington takes over Nadi’s TCWC responsibilities.

8. Services Provided (1) • First Priority (must be issued) • TC Alerts and Warnings for Island groups • Marine Warnings • SIGMETs • Special Advisory (for Vanuata) • Second Priority (all efforts made) • Tropical Disturbance Advisory • High Seas Bulletins • 24 Hour TAFs

9. Services Provided (2) • Third Priority (only if resources allow) • Aviation Area forecasts • Minor TAFs • Fourth Priority (only if resources allow) • Routine public weather bulletins

10. Preparation for TC Season • An annual 1 day workshop for forecasters is held generally in November, covering: • Back-up and contingency arrangements; • monitoring procedures; • case studies from the previous season; • forecasting techniques.

11. Analysis • SNOWIE, interactive forecaster chart analysis tool • Heavy reliance on subjective satellite imagery techniques to provide “ball park” wind speeds • Dvorak not used systematically

15. CYTRACK • Interactive tool for monitoring tropical cyclones; • Operational, forecast and model cyclone positions - entered manually • Provides an extrapolated track; • Database for historical information

19. Communications with Governments (1) • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade • Contribute to pre-season briefing to coordinate disaster relief planning, with participants from the Ministries of Defence, and Civil Defence & Emergency Management, officials from the French Embassy and Australian High Commission. • MFAT immediately advise of a development of a new TC, forwarded all warnings

20. Communications with Governments (2) • FRANZ, high level inter-governmental coordination committee concerning Pacific disaster relief that recommends policy to governments • Steve Ready from MetService will be participating at the next FRANZ meeting in Wellington on 2 December

21. Communications with Governments (3) • Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management are immediately advised whenever a cyclone enters the area south of 20 south between longitudes 160 east and 170 west

22. Communications with Governments (4) • Radio New Zealand International • Provides SW services to the Pacific; • Immediately informed by forecasts of a development of a new TC; • All warnings issued by Nadi are broadcast on RNZI’s short wave service; • If a cyclone is posing a threat to an Island Group then RNZI will broadcast warnings around the clock.

23. Other Activities • Annually exchange best track information with Brisbane and Nadi • Tropical cyclone summaries for the Wellington area forwarded to WMO for Annual Tropical Cyclone Summary • Steve Ready presented a workshop to Fiji Met Service forecaster in June 2001 on “T.C. Monitoring and Tracking”; • Steve Ready contributed to the WMO/BOM sponsored Southern Hemisphere Course on Tropical Cyclones held in Melbourne in September 2002