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Improvement of early warning by integration of warning and forecasting services

Ivan Obrusnik, Marián Wolek, Jan Kubát
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), Na ~Šabatce 17, 14306 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
Tel. : +4202401 6503, Fax: +4202401 0800,
E-mail: obrusnik@chmi.cz

Abstract:
Precise and timely issued warnings and forecasts have become the most important functions of National (Hydro-) Meteorological Services in advance of natural disasters like floods. Most warnings are based on a modern meteorological forecast, used as an input for specialised forecasting in other fields like hydrology (floods) or air protection (smog situations). Such integration can be useful in the services like those provided by the CHMI, which include more fields than just meteorology yielding both the improvement of range, quality and the timeliness of warnings.

The integrated warning and forecasting service of the CHMI is based on the system of regional branch forecasting offices connected via a network with the central forecasting office in Prague. The meteorological part of forecasting offices utilises all modern means, like numerical weather models, radars, satellite images and observation data to create various types of meteorological forecasts which differ by time interval of predictions, the area of forecast etc.

The integrated warning and forecast system in the CHMI has undergone a critical examination since the 1997 catastrophic flooding in the Czech Republic and neighbouring central European countries.