RA IV Hurricane Committe, Twenty-sixth session - WMO

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first stage of the Project, seven countries, from Central America, have RAMSDIS systems that
are receiving digital imagery and products, and are using this capability for weather analysis and
forecasting on a 30 minute basis. The NMS of Costa Rica and CIRA/NOAA/NESDIS are given
the maintenance and technical support to the System. An alternative back-up system was
created for manually and near real time access of satellite data in case of failure of the main
system. The CIMH representative informed the Committee that the Institute had been using a
similar RAMSDIS system for the last three years and was in the process of discussing the
acquisition of a system to use the products of the Unidata program and the Cooperative
Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) in its training
programmes.
8.12 The Committee was informed that Canada, the United States, the University of
Costa Rica and Unidata are going to install a NOAA PORT at the RMTC of Costa Rica in
February 2004. The University of Costa Rica will provide the telecommunication equipment and
facilities; Canada and the United States will facilitate the hardware; and Unidata will assemble
the hardware and software. The system will provide a valuable tool to training activities of the
RMTC located at the University of Costa Rica.
9. OTHER MATTERS (Agenda item 9)
9.1 The observer from Bermuda informed the meeting that the United Kingdom (U.K.)
intended to apply for membership of WMO Regional Association IV by virtue of Bermuda being
an Overseas Territory. This would facilitate Bermuda’s direct representation and coordination
within WMO RA IV, on behalf of the U.K.
9.2 The representative of the BCT, in his role as the Second Vice-president of WMO,
briefed the Committee on the new high-level global initiative on Earth Observations. He
mentioned that this was initiated by the USA, in partnership with the European Union, Japan
and South Africa, shortly after the 14 th World Meteorological Congress in May 2003. The aim of
the initiative was to coordinate all types of earth observations, which included fields other than
those undertaken under the auspices of WMO and its partner organizations. He mentioned that
while the only truly operational global observing system was that of the WMO, specifically the
World Weather Watch, several other systems would be involved. An Ad-Hoc Group on Earth
Observations (GEO) had been established and several other GEO activities had taken place,
including a second summit. Because of the very rapid pace of GEO initiatives and activities, the
Committee urged all concerned to keep abreast of this issue and to position their Services and
organizations to fully contribute to the process when appropriate. Information on the GEO
process could be obtained through the Web Site: http://earthobservations.org/
10. DATE AND PLACE OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH SESSION (Agenda item 10)
10.1 The delegate of Costa Rica informed the Committee that his country would host the
twenty-seventh session of the RA IV Hurricane Committee in San José.
10.2 The Committee, in welcoming the information and accepting with pleasure this offer,
expressed its warm appreciation to the Government of Costa Rica. The President of RA IV
agreed that the session be held tentatively from 30 March to 2 April 2005, in conjunction with
the thirteenth session of Regional Association IV tentatively scheduled from 4 to 13 April 2005.