TCAR - Typhoon Committee

82
ESCAP/WMO
Typhoon Committee Annual Review 2009
divergence, vertical motion and potential vorticity
fields as well as the equatorward propagation of
the cold surges in triggering monsoon disturbances
over the South China Sea and subsequently causing
heavy rainfall especially over the coastal areas of east
coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
Research work on ensemble forecasting related
to numerical weather modeling and verification of the
operational wave model is part of an effort to obtain
more accurate and reliable numerical forecasts. The
research work on climate extremes is an effort to
investigate the behavior of extreme phenomena
related to the Malaysian climate using A1B, A2 and B2
scenario outputs. There is very little work done
thus far to look at the impacts of tropical cyclones
in the Bay of Bengal upon the weather in Malaysia.
This work will definitely gives very useful information
on how the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal
influence the weather over Malaysia, especially
Peninsular Malaysia.
Two officers from the MMD had attended the numerical
weather modeling related training at the Korea
Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Japan
Meteorological Agency (JMA). The training session
at KMA was related to data assimilation processes
involved in using WRF-VAR. Meanwhile the training
session at JMA was to introduce the operational
numerical weather model at JMA and to impart technical
know how regarding methodology of using initial
conditions from the JMA numerical weather model.
Four scientists from the Chinese Meteorological
Administration (CMA) were also invited to MMD
to introduce the concepts of Typhoon Bogussing,
verification of numerical weather prediction output
and ensemble technique to MMD officers.
Courses related to flood and hydrology organized
by the Department of Drainage and Irrigation (DID)
during this year are as follows:
i. “Basic Hydrology for Engineers”, Kuala Lumpur, 5
– 7 May 2009.
ii. “Applied Hydrology for Engineers”, Kuala Lumpur,
17 - 19 Feb 2009.
iii. “Hydraulics and Catchment Modelling”, Kuala
Lumpur, 23 – 26 Mac 2009.
iv. “Hydraulics and Flood Mapping Modelling”, Kuala
Lumpur, 4 – 6 August 2009.
v. “3rdOn The Job Training (OJT)”, DID, Kuala
Lumpur, 21 July – 23 August 2009.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
In this age of information, the media plays a crucial
role in inculcating a culture of safety and resilience.
The mass media is an effective platform to raise
awareness among the public on risk reduction
and disaster preparedness measures. Realizing the
importance of the media in disaster risk reduction,
the Ministry of Information, Communication and
Culture has established a Disaster Unit in the
Department of Broadcasting Malaysia.
ICT is also an essential medium to promote awareness
and disseminate warnings to the community. In this
respect, a Fixed-Line Disaster Alert System (FLAS) is
put in place to disseminate disaster alert from the
authorities to the public. A separate system known
as the Government Integrated Radio Network (GIRN)
on the other hand provides radio communication
between responders during emergency or disaster.
Disaster reporting by affected civilians is now more
efficient via the Malaysia Emergency Response
System (MERS) emergency hotline, 999.
Early warning information for disasters are
disseminated via sirens, short messaging system
(SMS), telephone, telefax, webpage, mass media
broadcasting system and public announcement. The
dissemination of information in a timely manner is
crucial to ensure that the vulnerable communities and
responders are promptly informed to enable them
to take necessary actions.
Towards the end of last year and early this year,
communication lines at the MMD headquarters and
Regional Forecast Offices had been upgraded. At the
headquarters, the LAN lines have been upgraded
from 3 Mbytes to 8 Mbytes. At the Regional Forecast
Offices, the LAN lines have been upgraded from 512
Kbytes to 2 Mbytes. The Short Messaging System
Meteorological Information System (SMSMIS) was
operationalized at the end of last year. Dissemination
of critical weather information and warnings with
minimal hindrances and at a faster speed has been
achieved using the upgraded LAN lines.
3.0 Resource Mobilization Activities
Department of Social Welfare
Annually, before the advent of the Northeast
Monsoon, the Department of Social Welfare
together with other government agencies do the
necessary preparations to give the best possible
aid to victims in the face of severe weather
related disasters such as flooding and landslides.
Among the measures that have been adapted are:
i. Identification of 4744 relief or evacuation centers
that can handle up to 3 million victims at any one time
if required;
ii. 402 ration storage centers have been set up at