Issued at 10:21am 11-Dec-2003
International Weather Meetings hosted by MetService
Two meetings on communication of weather data and forecasts under the umbrella of the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) are being hosted by MetService in Wellington.
The first meeting is reviewing telecommunications systems used for collection and dissemination of weather information
and warnings around the Pacific. With the approach of a new tropical cyclone season in the Southern Hemisphere these
discussions are being attended by representatives not only from South Pacific Island nations, but also from Malaysia,
Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines.
The second meeting is a technical discussion on sharing weather data via the Internet between national meteorological
providers. Participants for this discussion come from the European Union, India, Canada, Japan, Australia and New
Zealand.
"MetService staff are happy to host these WMO meetings", commented MetService Weather Ambassador, Bob McDavitt. "The
science of meteorology has always grown with technological advances in communication, and it is through meetings such as
these that systems for the timely and robust delivery of weather warnings are improved."
Meetings are being held in the MetService headquarters overlooking Wellington's Botanic Gardens. The first meeting
finishes on Friday 12 December, and the second meeting commences today (Thursday) and finishes on Tuesday 16 December.
ENDS