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MetService NZ Marine MetService NZ Marine ProgrammeProgramme

Julie FletcherJulie Fletcher

Manager Marine ObservationsManager Marine Observations

MetService Marine NetworkMetService Marine Network

NZ Marine Network at 1 Feb 2006

• 48 VOS Ships

(37 Selected 4 Supplementary 7 Auxiliary)

• 7 Drifting Buoys

Marine Programme ObjectivesMarine Programme Objectives

• To maintain a VOS fleet of about 40 Sel Ships & a network of 7 Drifting Buoys to provide quality real-time marine data for NZ Forecasting Operations

• To exchange SHIP and BUOY data internationally to provide input to Global Models and for Climatological and Research applications

VOS ManagementVOS Management

• All Ship visits as PMO• Recruitment of VOS ships • All correspondence with ships, shipping

companies, WMO, etc• Maintenance of VOS database• Assistance to foreign VOS• Monitoring of Ship OBs• QC + follow up action

NZ VOS Fleet Changes in 2005

• Recruited 2005 = 5

• Decommissioned 2005 = 3

• TurboWin Installations started Feb 2004 - 16 ships now using TurboWin on ships’ PCs

Number of Selected NZ VOS Ships

0

10

20

30

40

50

60Ja

n-95

May

-95

Sep

-95

Jan-

96

May

-96

Sep

-96

Jan-

97

May

-97

Sep

-97

Jan-

98

May

-98

Sep

-98

Jan-

99

May

-99

Sep

-99

Jan-

00

May

-00

Sep

-00

Jan-

01

May

-01

Sep

-01

Jan-

02

May

-02

Sep

-02

Jan-

03

May

-03

Sep

-03

Jan-

04

May

-04

Sep

-04

Jan-

05

May

-05

Sep

-05

Jan-

06

Sel

ecte

d S

hip

s

21692 Obs recvd from NZ VOS SHIPS in 2005

NZ VOS Instrumentation/Automation

• Precision Aneroid Barometer• Marine Barograph• Stevenson Screen + thermometers• Sea Bucket• TurboWin electronic logbook software– One Marine AWS- based on Sutron

9000RTU– Two Marine AWS planned for 2006

CommunicationsCommunications

• Most ships send via SAT C - special access code 41

• Few coastal ships phone/fax to 0800 number

Inspection Regime

• All NZ VOS inspected at least once per year

• Some ships receive several visits

• All barometers calibrated against PMO’s Vaisala PTB220AD Transfer Standard barometer which is traceable to National/International standards

• Foreign VOS ships visited when possible and on request

Challenges & Difficulties• Volatility - constant change in ships, routes,

personnel affects VOS programme• Security issues from exposure of Ship details

on web and the potential impact on VOS fleet• Compliance with ISPS & Customs Regs• Shorter port stays - more after hours &

weekend visiting• Language problems

Receipt of OBs Monitored

No OBs can be first sign of problems

• Monthly count of number of Obs per NZ VOS ship

• Follow up ships identified as sending few or no Obs

• Use ‘Time of Receipt’ Monitoring tool developed by UKMO

OBs Quality Monitored

• PMO access to Real Time GTS OBs

• Forecaster & Data Entry feedback

• Daily summary of OBs with coding errors

• Use of Meteo France VOS QC Monitoring site

• UKMO monthly Monitoring Stats

Important Factors for successful Important Factors for successful VOSVOS

• RealTime access to GTS SHIP OBs

• Use of monitoring tools to identify ships with problems

• Timely follow up to rectify problems

• Providing ships with clear instructions

• It’s about being pro-active

What could improve my job?

• Up to date on-line WMO No 47

• Reliable callsign/ship name/Sat C matching

• Greater global communication between PMOs

Steering Strategies

• Number of ships in VOS not important - it’s the number that report that count

• Coded OBs must be received in real-time to be of maximum benefit to the Forecasting Office

• Doesn’t matter which country a ship reports for, so long as it reports.

PMO JobPMO Job

• Its unique• Meet many interesting people• Visit a huge variety of ships• Job is challenging• Doing it well makes a difference

PMOs efforts directly impact on the quality & quantity of OBs from Ships