The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Forecast Demonstration Project: Forecasting, observing network infrastructure, and data processing issues

摘要

The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games World Weather Research Programme Forecast Demonstration Project (WWRP FDP) aimed to demonstrate the utility and impact of modern nowcast systems. The project focused on the use of radar processing systems and products for nowcasting, including severe weather. The forecast problems facing the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on these short timescales during the FDP are briefly described. The observing system is then discussed and enhancements to the network that supported the Olympic Games forecast requirements and the WWRP FDP project are outlined. In particular, issues related to radar calibration and quality control are discussed in some detail. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the observing system requirements to meet such modern nowcast systems, areas of further development, and impacts that the FDP had on BoM nowcasting systems. The need for end-to-end design of systems from data gathering, to analysis and product generation is emphasized.