0 MAURITIUS /

r ''· ', '

c:? ! """ I

I

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~ PAGO PAGO

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Trajectory of balloon launched from Christchurch on 30 March 1966 and drifting·at an altitude of about 12 km . Position plotted at dally intervals .

LIMA

THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

WMO was created : - to facilitate international co-operation in the establishment of networks of

stations and centres to provide meteorological services and observations,

- to promote the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of meteorological information,

- to promote standardization of meteorological observations and ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics,

- to further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, agliculture and other human activities,

- to encourage research and training in meteorology.

The World Meteorological Congress

is the supreme body of the Organization. It brings together the delegates of all Members once every four years to determine general policies for the fulfilment of the purposes of the Organization.

The Executive Committee

is composed of zr directors of national meteorological services, and meets at least once a year to supervise the programme approved by Congress.

Six Regional Associations

are each composed of Members whose task is to co-ordinate meteorological activities within their respective regions.

Eight Technical Commissions

composed of experts designated by Members, are responsible for studying the special technical branches relating to meteorological observation, analysis, forecasting, research and the applications of meteorology.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Dr. A. NYBERG First Vice-President: Mr. L. DE AzcARRAGA

Second Vice-President: Academician E. K. FEDOROV

Regional

Africa (I) : Mr. N. A. AKINGBEHIN Asia (II) : Dr. M. H. GANJI South America (III) :

Mr. F. L. FERNANDEZ

Association presidents North and Central America (IV) :

Ing. ELLIOTT COEN (acting) South-West Pacific (V) :

Mr. J. L. GIOVANNELLI Europe (VI) : Ing. M. PEROVIC

Elected members

Mr. F. A. A. AcguAAH Mr. M. AYADI Dr. G. BELL Mr. J. BESSEMOULIN (acting) Mr. A. GARdA S. Mr. W. J. GIBBS

Dr. B. J. MASON (acting) Mr. C. RAMASWAMY (acting) Mr. M. F. TAHA Prof. J. V AN MIEGHEM Mr. A. A. WAHAB (acting) Dr. R. M. WHITE (acting)

TECHNICAL COMMISSION PRESIDENTS

Aerology: Dr. J. F. GABITES Aeronautical Meteorology :

Mr. w. A. DWYER Agricultural Meteorology :

Mr. L. P. SMITH Climatology : Mr. C. C. BouGHNER

Hydrometeorology : Mr. M. A. KoHLER Instruments and Methods of Observa­

tion : Dr. L. S. MATHUR Maritime Meteorology :

Mr. K. T. McLEoD Synoptic Meteorology : Dr. S. N. SEN

SECRETARIAT

Secretary-General : Mr. D. A. DAVIES Deputy Secretary- General : Mr. J. R. RIVET

The Secretariat of the Organization is located at 41, Avenue Giuseppe-Motta, Geneva, Switzerland

I /

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE WMO BULLETIN

The second column gives the full title in English (though the abbreviation may derive from the French title) followed by the initials of the parent or sponsoring body (in brackets)

ACC CAe CA eM CA gM CCIR CCITT CCI CCTA CHy CIG CIMO CIRM CMM COSPAR CSA CSAGI CSM ECA ECAFE ECE ECLA ECOSOC EPPO EPTA FAGS FAO FID IACB IAEA IAF IAGA IAH IAMAP IAPO lASH lATA IAU ICAO ICES I CID ICNAF ICSU IF ALP A IFAP IGC IGU IGY HOE IMCO IMO IOC IQSY ISB ISO ISSS ITU IUGG lUGS PAIGH PlO SA SCAR SCOR TAO UN UNDP UNESCO UNSCEAR URSI WFUNA WHO WMO WPC

Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ECOSOC) Commission for Aerology (WMO) Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (WMO) Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (WMO) International Radio Consultative Committee (ITU) International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (ITU) Commission for Climatology (WMO) Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa Commission for Hydrometeorology (WMO) International Geophysical Committee (ICSU) Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation CWMO) International Radio Maritime Committee Commission for Maritime Meteorology (WMO) Committee for Space Research (ICSU) Scientific Council for Africa South of the Sahara (CCTA) Special Committee for the Intern,ational Geophysical Year (ICSU) Commission for Synoptic Meteorology (WMO) Economic Commission for Mrica (UN) Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (UN) Economic Commission for Europe (UN) Economic Commission for Latin America (UN) Economic and Social Council (UN) European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (UN) Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Permanent Services (I CS U) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Federation for Documentation Inter-Agency Consultative Board International Atomic Energy Agency International Astronautical Federation International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IUGG) International Association of Hydrogeologists (lUGS) International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (IUGG) International Association of Physical Oceanography (IUGG) International Association of Scientific Hydrology (IUGG) International Air Transport Association International Astronomical Union (ICSU) International Civil Aviation Organization International Council for the Exploration of the Sea International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries International Council of Scientific Unions International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations International Federation of Agricultural Producers International Geophysical Co-operation (ICSU) International Geographical Union (ICSU) International Geophysical Year (ICSU) International Indian Ocean Expedition (SCOR) Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization International Meteorological Organization (predecessor of WMO) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO) International Years of the Quiet Sun (ICSU) International Society of Biometeorology International Organization for Standardization International Society of Soil Science International Telecommunication Union International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (ICSU) International Union of Geological Sciences (ICSU) Pan American Institute of Geography and History Pan Indian Ocean Scientific Association Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (ICSU) Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (ICSU) Bureau of Technical Assistance Operations (UN) United Nations United Nations Development Programme United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UN) International Scientific Radio Union (ICSU) World Federation of United Nations Associations World Health Organization World Meteorological Organization World Power Conference

W 0 R LD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

~oo ~ru[[~lJ~~ JULY 1966 EDITOR: 0. M. ASHFORD VOL. XV No. 3

THE PICTURE ON THE COVER

Since the early days of the planning for

the World Weather Watch it has been real­

ized that to obtain the required meteorolo­

gical observations from all over the world by

conventional methods, such as manned sur­

face and upper-air stations, would be very

costly. Efforts are therefore being directed

towards the development of new techniques

which can provide the data in a more eco­

nomical manner. These include the nse of

meteorological satellites, automatic weather

stations and floating balloons.

The first major international experiment

with floating balloons is described in the

article on page 124- and the picture on the

cover shows the trajectory of one of these

balloons launched at Christchurch, New

Zealand, on 30 March rg66. The latest

information is that this balloon has completed

five journeys round the world and is expected

to remain aloft for several months. The full

results of this exciting experiment will be

awaited with interest by meteorologists from

all over the world. In the meantime we offer

our congratulations to the scientists taking

part in this venture, which demonstrates

once again what can be achieved by interna­

tional collaboration for peaceful purposes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

The southern hemisphere GHOST experi-ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

World Weather Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Fourt hsession of the Commission for Synop-tic Meteorology .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. . .. 131

Third session of the WMO Advisory Com-mittee ................................ :. 136

Review of decisions of the Regional Asso-ciation for Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Meteorological training and education- First session of panel of experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Technical co-operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Antarctic meteorology- First session of the Executive Committee working group . . . . . 150

International Hydrological Decade . . . . . . . . . 152

Noctilucent clouds - International sympo-sium in Tallinn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Activities of the regional associations . . . . 157

The assessment of flood flows - WMO/ ECAFE seminar in Bangkok............. 159

Activities of the technical commissions . . . 160

Collaboration with other international organ i-zations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

News and notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

News from the WMO Secretariat.......... 172

Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Calendar of coming events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Selected list of WMO publications . . . . . . . . 178

Members of WMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

The purpose of the WMO Bulletin is to provide a summary of the work of the World

Meteorological Organization and of developments in international meteorology of interest

to Members of the Organization and others concerned with the application of meteorology

to human activity. The WMO Bulletin is published quarterly in two separate editions: English and French.

The price is r Swiss franc per copy, including postage. Annual subscriptions (4- Swiss francs)

and all other correspondence about the Bulletin should be addressed to the Secretary-General,

World Meteorological Organization, Case postale No. I, IZII Geneva zo, Switzerland.

Permission to publish extracts from the WMO Bulletin is granted, provided the customary

acknowledgment is made.

Signed contributions do not necessarily represent the views of the Organization.

123

THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE GHOST EXPERIMENT (THE Fl RST SEVENTY DA VS)

By V. E. LALLY, E. W. LrcHFIELD and S. B. SoLoT *

The need for quantitative data on the atmospheric circulation on a global basis has long been recognized. Neither the expanded observing networks of the World Weather Watch nor the picture-taking satellite can provide the detailed data on winds, pressure, tem­perature and moisture which are re­quired to provide an adequate physical

Figure r - GHOST electronics package (mass = gogm)

description of the atmosphere. It has been proposed that thousands of super­pressure balloons flying at several alti­tudes in both hemispheres could pro­vide these necessary data. The ultimate plan for the Global Horizontal Sound­ing Technique (GHOST) system is to locate the balloons by satellite and relay the meteorological data to ground stations. The position of the balloons from hour to hour accurately computed (located within two to four kilometres) would provide the data for wind deter­mination.

The basic concept of the GHOST sys­tem is described in some detail in

National Academy of Sciences - N a­tional Research Council Publication rzgoa- The feasibility of a global obser­vation and analysis experiment.

The southern hemisphere GHOST experiment was undertaken to answer a number of technical problems which must be resolved before embarking on a: full-scale balloon-satellite experiment.

OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPERIMENT

The principal objective of the south­ern hemisphere GHOST experiment is to determine the life expectancy of super-pressure balloons floating at alti­tudes of 500, zoo and 30 millibars. Balloon life is the principal factor in determining whether the ultimate bal­loon-satellite system is economically feasible. An average duration of one week would make the cost of the sys­tem too high for use - not only because of the increased cost of ex­pendables but because of the logistics problems in replacement of thousands of balloons. Average durations in excess of six months will reduce the cost to a fraction of the cost of main­tenance of our existing radiosonde net­work.

The second objective of the experi­ment is to investigate the stability of the super-pressure balloon floating at its design altitude. If the balloon deviates markedly or erratically from this altitude the system would be of marginal utility.

The third objective of the experi­ment is to determine the problems in

* The authors are afnliated with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado.

124

deployment and clustering of balloons. If there is a pronounced tendency for the balloons to clump then the num­ber of balloons required to describe the atmospheric circulation accurately would be significantly increased.

The fourth objective is to test the adequacy of various sensors to measure pressure, temperature and humidity from the balloon platform.

The fifth and subordinate objective of the experiment is to provide imme­diately useful meteorological data on the atmospheric circulation in the southern hemisphere.

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION

The southern hemisphere test flights are a co-operative project of the United States (the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Science Services Administration of the Department of Commerce) and New Zealand (the New Zealand Meteoro­logical Service). The project has not only been endorsed by WMO but the good offices of the Secretariat have been invaluable in obtaining co-opera­tion and participation from the south­ern hemisphere nations.

Twelve of the nations of the southern hemisphere indicated a desire to assist in the programme in whatever fashion was considered suitable. Informal tracking stations have been set up in many of these countries and full-time tracking stations have been set up in French Polynesia, Peru, Brazil, Ar­gentina, South Africa, Zambia, Mauri­tius and Australia as well as in New Zealand. These stations are shown in the map on the cover.

THE LOCATION TECHNIQUE

For the initial experiment the sophis­tication of a balloon-satellite tracking

system is not warranted. Each balloon is equipped with a solar-powered minia­ture radio transmitter which sends out a Morse-code identification letter dur­ing daylight hours. The period of the Morse-code transmission is controlled by a photo-resistor sensitive to sun angle. Any person equipped with a radio receiver and a stop-watch is able to obtain data on the balloon's location by timing the period of transmission and consulting a calibration chart

125

Figure 2 - GHOST balloon and package in flight

which relates code period to sun angle. (These charts are distributed to parti­cipating agencies from Christchurch, New Zealand.) Sun-angle determina­tions separated by two to three hours provide a location accuracy of the order of roo kilometres.

The balloons transmit at a frequency of 15,025 kilocycles per second and provide reliable transmission for dis­tances of 5,ooo kilometres. The Christ­church tracking station has been obtaining reliable reception during the test period for distances up to 8,ooo kilometres. It is thus possible under optimum conditions to maintain con­tinuous track with as few as three receiving stations strategically located

in the southern hemisphere. The anom­alies of propagation, however, require approximately six stations to ensure constant coverage during periods of poor propagation.

The electronics package used during the test is shown in Figure I. The solar cell power supply and sun angle sensor are seen on top. The entire package weighs go grammes. Figure 2 shows the balloon and package in flight.

THE USE OF BALLOON DATA IN WMO REGION V

The data from the tracking stations are mailed back to Boulder, Colorado, where a computer programme is used to provide accurate balloon location as well as estimated winds: These data will be published at Boulder and dis­tributed to all individuals or agencies who request them.

In the expectation that some modest synoptic use might be made of the balloon location data, an arrangement has been made to distribute quick-fix reports from New Zealand by radio­teletype through WMO Region V. The coverage of balloons is not yet sufficient to provide extensive use of the data. Track of the movement of the balloons through the Pacific from clay to clay has been of assistance in verification of synoptic analyses in the data-sparse areas.

Figure 3 indicates the code used in transmitting data by radio-teletype.

RESULTS OF THE FIRST SEVENTY DAYS

Life expectancy - By 13 May rg66, 14 flights had been made at 200 milli­bars. Two of these balloons iced up during ascent and failed to reach alti­tude. Two balloons developed trans­mitter difficulties and are not being tracked continuously. One balloon dis­appeared into the Antarctic night on

22 April and has not yet returned into the sunlit regions. The nine remaining balloons are floating at altitude under continuous track. Six of these have made at least one circuit of the globe ; three have made two circuits ; one has made three circuits ; and one balloon is completing its fourth circuit. This last balloon has been flying for 44 clays. At this time we are sanguine that the majority of the balloons will remain aloft for periods approaching their theoretical life of 6oo clays.

126

Nine balloon flights have been made at soo millibars. Typical flight clura­tions were from 7 to 14 clays. The

Figure 3 - GHOST POSITION REPORTING CODE

GHOST

nnPPf MMM YYGGC QLaLaLoLo

nn - Balloon serial number PP - Pressure in tens of millibars

f - Frequency in kilocycles (rs,oz f) MMM - Morse code letter (repeated three

times) YY - Day of month GG - Greenwich hour

C - Confidence (o- not specified 2 - with confidence 5 - uncertain 8 - very doubtful)

Q - Quadrant of globe LaLa - Latitude in degrees L 0 L 0 - Longitude in degrees

longest reported flight was 21 clays. Balloons which remained in semi­tropicallatitucles continued to fly; how­ever, balloons flying in temperate lati­tudes were brought clown by icing con­ditions as they crossed frontal zones. Experiments on the ground have indi­cated that these r.s-metre diameter bal­loons (weighing about r,roo grammes with payload attached) can collect up to 35 per cent of their gross weight in water droplets. Since the balloons were flown with only ro to 12 per cent free lift they could not survive passage through the super-cooled water droplets in altostratus clouds. Wax treatment

of balloons provides improved water­

shedding capabilities. The wax-treated

balloons held only 10 to 15 per cent of

their gross weight of water in ground

tests. Flights will be made with waxed

balloons carrying free lifts of 20 to

30 per cent in the next few weeks. It is

hoped that the combination of surface

treatment and higher free lifts will

permit 500-millibar balloons to achieve

their theoretical life expectancy of 150

to r8o days.

Clustering- There has been no evi­

dence of balloon clumping on either

the 500 or 200 millibar flights to date.

At 200 millibars there has been a strong

tendency evidenced for the balloons to

remain in mid-latitudes moving in

sinusoidal patterns between the limits

of I5 degrees and 65 degrees latitude

with a marked affinity for seeking out

and remaining contained within regions

of strong winds.

Testing sensors - There was con­

siderable concern at one time that it

would not be possible to measure tem­

perature accurately under the condi­

tions of zero ventilation experienced on

the super-pressure balloon. Laboratory

experiments, and now flight tests, have

verified that thin thermistor rods pro­

vide air temperature measurements to

better than o.5°C. Mounting the rod

in the vertical position makes it pos­

sible to calculate the small increase in

temperature due to solar heating. This

increase is less than o.5°C at altitudes

below 20 kilometres when a thin ( dia­

meter less than 250 microns) metallized

rod is used.

The lack of vibration and motion on

a super-pressure balloon introduces

serious errors in an aneroid pressure

device which uses a contact arm. An

aneroid pressure element has been used

during this testing programme with an

error of less than one millibar at 500

millibars. Development is still needed

to provide an accurate lightweight pres­

sure transducer, although it may be

127

argued that the balloon flies along a

constant-density surface and only a

temperature measurement is required

TABLE r

Position reports for a single balloon distri­

buted to WMO Region V from Christchurch

(cf. Figure 3 for code)

20206 vvv o6oo2 74178 07002 63848 o8oo2 64319 09005 64402 10005 63698 II155 53546 13125 84014 16042 83478 18035 71905 19032 72531 20022 73062 20232 63070 21222 63427 22205 53585 27102 84240 28082 8386o 30002 75736 01002 73270 02002 65261 03002 62937 04002 53488 o6r22 84602 !0045 84889

to compute pressure. This is undoubt­

edly the case at the higher altitudes,

but it now appears that a pressure

transducer is needed for all balloons

flying at 500 millibars or lower alti­

tudes to verify that the balloon is at

design altitude.

No tests have yet been made on

humidity elements.

METEOROLOGICAL UTILITY

The last objective of the southern

hemisphere GHOST experiment is to

provide as a by-product useful mete­

orological data. Since there are so

few data available over the vast

ocean areas of the southern hemisphere

any additional data should be useful to

both the analyst and the climatologist.

Table r is a compilation of the position

reports that have been issued to date

on a single balloon using the quick-fix techniques at Christchurch. As the tracking stations throughout the world reach full operational status and the computer data are made available from Boulder, new insight into the general circulation patterns in the southern hemisphere will be revealed. It has become obvious during the initial phases of the experiment that the jet in the southern hemisphere is a much more continuous phenomenon than generally realized. Several balloons apparently have become trapped in the jet and have made the global circuit in ten to twelve days - much more rapidly than initial estimates.

PLANS

Additional flights at 200 millibars will be made during the next six months until the tracking station capabilities are fully saturated. Twenty flights will

be made at 30 millibars during the southern hemisphere summer. These flights should provide an insight into the climatology of the stratospheric easterlies.

Tests of modified balloon designs will be continued until a solution is provided to the problem of icing at 500 millibars.

A similar endeavour will be under­taken by the French project using satellites and constant-density balloons (EOLE) which is planning 20 flights from New Caledonia at 300 millibars during the next few months. These flights, using equipment similar to the GHOST design, will complement the present southern hemisphere tests. GHOST tracking stations will be able to receive the EOLE signals since they will be in the same frequency band as the GHOST transmissions.

WORLD WEATHER WATCH A MEANS OF ACCELERATING DEVELOPMENT

By N. A. AKINGBEHIN *

There is no doubt that many develop­ing countries have realized the impor­tant role which meteorology can play in the economic development of their countries. Unfortunately these devel­oping countries are experiencing great difficulties - connected with shortage of trained staff, inadequacy of surface and upper-air networks and shortage of

·foreign currency to buy the necessary equipment. One other important as­pect of these difficulties is that most developing countries are often sur­rounded by other developing countries and therefore do not receive all the observations they need from their

neighbours. The unreliable and inade­quate telecommunications systems in these countries also create other prob­lems. Meteorological Services in the advanced countries have developed gradually over many decades. One cannot, however, expect. that develop­ing countries should take such a long period in developing their Services. A way must therefore be found for rapid advancement and expansion of the Meteorological Services of the develop­ing countries in order to catch up with those of more developed countries, and in order that the importance of mete­orology in economic development can

* Mr. Akingbehin is director of the Meteorological Service of Nigeria and president of WMO Regional Association I (Africa).

128

be fully realized within these countries. In this connexion, the developing countries have the advantage of draw­ing from the experience of the devel­oped countries and avoiding the mis­takes of the past. There is also the advantage of systematic planning in making full use of modern technology in developing their national Services on some rational basis compared with the ad hoc manner in which some Services had developed in the past. Meteoro­logy has a vital role to play from the early stages of the growth of a develop­ing country, and can only play this role if the Meteorological Service is given the right impetus towards an acceler­ated advancement.

To achieve this, developing countries have, in recent years, turned more and more to the World Meteorological Or­ganization for assistance in building up their national Meteorological Services through the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund. Undoubtedly this will continue increasingly in the context of participation in, and bene­fit from, the World Weather Watch

(WWW).

Impact of WWW

The first impact of WWW will be to provide an impetus to developing coun­tries. While these countries direct their activities to removing some oi the diffi­culties due to shortage of trained per­sonnel and inadequacy of networks, etc., there is no doubt that some means and methods must be found to bridge the time interval between the removal of these difficulties and the receiving, as early as possible, of the benefits that would accrue from the implementation of WWW. It is essential that, while the Meteorological Services of the developing countries continue to grow, this growth should not be in isolation, but hand in hand with the Meteoro­logical Services of the countries all over

the world. It is also important that the

achievement of this growth should be regarded as an urgent challenge, and a

sine qua non in the economic develop­inenrorthe countries.

The sparseness of surface and upper­air networks, especially over the large expanse of desert and sea areas, will

take many decades to remedy. Even

if stations were rapidly established in these areas by technical assistance there

would still be the problems of adequate trained staff to maintain the stations, and there would still be the difficulties

of communications - telex, road and

sea. Most of the areas where network deficiencies exist are inaccessible and

uninhabitable. It would therefore be necessary, for some period to come, to

use other methods provided by modern technology ; for instance, the use of

dropsondes, constant-level balloons and automatic weather stations, observa­tions from which can be channelled into the antenna of orbiting meteoro­logical satellites. By this means, more data will become available from most of these areas, while the deficiencies in

observational networks in most devel­oping countries will continue to be

removed and, in accordance with the WWW plan, the data so collected will

be sent to the world centres for proces­sing. The resulting provision .of large­scale analyses and prognoses from the world and regional meteorological cen­tres will facilitate the task of national

Meteorological Services - analyses and prognoses which can only be made at large centres possessing the necessary

electronic equipment and trained per­sonnel not readily available to the smaller services. The limited staff available in developing countries will

thus be able to concentrate more of their attention on the national and local

meteorological problems which are the most important and '1neaningful, as

regards economic develO-pment.

129

Again, under the WWW programme, each national Meteorological Service

will be connected through regional me­teorological centres to world meteoro­logical centres by means of much faster and more efficient telecommunications systems, thus receiving as many data as they need in a much shorter time. In addition to this, new technological developments such as APT will provide data free of charge which will supple­ment the conventional data and, to some extent, help to make up for the weaknesses in the observational net­works in neighbouring countries. In the meantime the increased attention, paid by WMO to meteorological train­ing, which is part of WWW planning, will help in solving the staff shortage problems.

Under the present system of mete­orological observations, the atmosphere could be regarded as practically un­probed. The WWW represents the beginning of an era where the atmo­sphere will be treated as a single phy­sical system, and subjected to better scientific investigations. This is the only hope of developing long-range prediction techniques and of establish­ing the feasibility of climate modifica­tion, both of which will provide im­measurable benefits to developing countries.

In the immediate future, we can expect an improvement in short-range forecasts, resulting from the improved networks and telecommunications facil­ities being planned under WWW.

Applications of meteorology

Most developing countries are agra­rian, and rely extensively on agricul­tural products for their economic development. There is no doubt that meteorology can play an importq.nt role in the development of agriculture in any country, and national Meteorological Services are being called upon, with greater emphasis, to improve their agro-

meteorological work. In addition to providing agroclimatological data, the meteorologist is also called upon to make medium-range forecasts of exces­sive rain periods or droughts, and fore­casts of any weather phenomena which may affect agriculture and animal hus­bandry, including control of pests and other crop hazards.

Meteorological data are essential for the planning of all major projects in the fields of transport and water resource development. Another field in which the meteorologists, particularly those in developing countries, are being called upon to participate is that of bio­meteorology, especially in the eradica­tion of diseases and in medium-range forecasts of possibilities of outbreaks of epidemics which are dependent on cli­matic conditions.

In all these fields, the improved data situation resulting from the WWW will be of great benefit. The WWW pre­sents an opportunity which must be grasped by all the Meteorological Ser­vices, large and small. While it is true that, for some time, the developing countries may rely on some assistance from WMO and the United Nations, these countries cannot simply wait for this assistance. They must help them­selves, in the sure knowledge that their efforts will be part of a world-wide effort which, in an international science like meteorology, means that they will get a better return for their investment, and which, on the national level, will accelerate economic growth without

-much risk of expensive mistakes.

130

It is gratifying that the Regional Technical Conference on Meteorological Telecommunications in Africa (Tunis, November rg65) took many important decisions in anticipation of the partici­pation of the African Region in the WWW telecommunications networks. One of the most important resolutions adopted at this conference was that on

the regional telecommunications plan

for Africa - a plan for the collection,

exchange and distribution of meteoro­

logical information. By this resolution,

six AFMET centres in the Region

(Cairo, Nairobi, Pretoria, Kano, Dakar

and Algiers) will be interconnected by

one duplex point-to-point teleprinter

circuit. By feeding in to this regional

network from the WWW world centres,

analyses and prognoses processed at the

world centres will thus become avail­

able to all national Meteorological Ser­

vices in Region I as may be desired. It

is noteworthy also that a few national

Meteorological Services in the Region

have already installed APT equipment

for the reception of satellite photo­

graphs, and that an increasing number

of other Meteorological Services are

planning to install APT equipment in

the very near future. No doubt, for the

implementation of this regional tele­

communications plan, much assistance

will be required from WMO as well as

greater financial support from the

governments of the Region.

It is to be hoped that the various

governmental authorities will place

more facilities at the disposal of their

national Meteorological Services to

meet the challenge of World Weather

Watch.

FOURTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SYNOPTIC

METEOROlOGY

At the invitation of the Government

of the Federal Republic of Germany,

the fourth session of the Commission

for Synoptic Meteorology was held in

Wiesbaden from 8 March to I April

rg66. For the first time in a session

of a technical commission of WMO,

simultaneous interpretation was pro­

vided during the plenary meetings in

five languages, namely English, French,

Russian, Spanish and German.

In welcoming the rz6 participants at

the session, Dr. Seiermann, representa­

tive of the Federal Government, re­

called that one of the first comprehen­

sive studies in synoptic meteorology

had been undertaken by Professor

Brandes, who had based his studies on

the early observations made by the

39 stations established by the Societas

Meteorologica Palatina in Mannheim,

which was founded in 178o. In review­

ing some other milestones of the past

century, Dr. Seiermann demonstrated

the youth of meteorology as a science

and the progress achieved within a

short period. He considered that this

131

progress had been due to close inter­

national co-operation, particularly un­

der the guidance of WMO.

The participants were also wel­

comed by Mr. Arndt, Minister of Trans­

port of Hessen, by Mr. Buch, Mayor of

Wiesbaden and by Dr. G. Bell, director

of the Deutscher W etterdienst. Dr. Bell

stated that one of the main reasons for

the very rapid progress in synoptic

meteorology was the development in

electronics, in particular, in high-speed

electronic computers for analysing

weather maps and making calculations

for forecasts. He felt that the age of

romanticism had passed and that the

present era called for new methods of

international co-operation. The Secre­

tary-General, who attended the opening

meeting, expressed to the representa­

tives of the host country the apprecia­

tion and gratitude of the Organization. ....

In his presidential address, Dr. S. N.

Sen reviewed the history of the com­

mission and outlined particularly the

most recent developments in the light of the World Weather Watch.

As usual in sessions of this commis­sion, three working committees were established to deal with the questions relating to codes, telecommunications and general matters. The respective chairmen were Mr. F. W. Benum (Canada), Mr. S. R. Barbagallo (U.S.A.) and Dr. 0. Lonnqvist (Sweden). The session made 53 recommendations and adopted 12 resolutions. In addition to an Advisory Working Group, five other working groups were established for the study of data needs and codes, tele­communications, the synoptic use of meteorological satellite data, descrip­tion of hydrometeors, and WMO Tech­nical Regulations. Five rapporteurs were nominated to report on network density criteria, meteorological fore­casts of importance to hydrological forecasting, synoptic meteorology in the tropics, long-range forecasting, and organization of meteorological activi­ties in the field of synoptic meteorology.

General questions

The World Weather Watch and its relation to CSM were discussed for one full day in a joint meeting of the three working committees. Some results of these discussions are noted on page I73·

Considerable time was also devoted to the question of dealing with require­ments in the field of synoptic meteoro­logy which have, up to now, been con­sidered independently by the relevant working groups of CSM. The commis­sion agreed that there was a need for examination and co-ordination of the different requirements and considered that this task could best be handled by the newly-established Advisory Work­ing Group.

There is still a strong demand for research projects to determine the optimum network density of observing stations required to ensure a high level

of accuracy of analysis and forecasting. Previous working groups on networks have studied this question but were not able to reach the desired results owing to the extremely complex nature of the task. The session felt that such projects might be more advantageously carried out by Members (some Members have already undertaken such research work) and made an appropriate recommenda­tion to this end.

The discussion on information from weather satellites dealt mainly with the form of its reception. For cloud photo­graphs it was felt that the installation by Members of APT receiving equip­ment would be the best means of meet­ing local requirements and that bilateral or multilateral arrangements might be made for the exchange of these data. For international exchanges, the most desirable method of transmission of cloud data was considered to be by nephanalysis in facsimile or coded form.

Hydrological forecasts are becoming increasingly important, particularly in connexion with the rational utilization of water resources. For their prepara­tion, however, hydrologists need fore­casts of certain meteorological para­meters, such as amount of precipita­tion, and also long-range meteorological forecasts. These requirements were examined at the request of the Com­mission for Hydrometeorology and it was agreed that the best way to meet them was to prepare guidance material on the availability and reliability in different countries of certain meteoro­logical forecasts useful for hydrological forecasting.

132

The Working Group on Methods of Analysis and Prognosis in the Tropics concluded in its report that it was not possible at present to recommend any particular method. The commission agreed that a considerable amount of work would still be required before such a recommendation became feasible. The Secretary-General was requested to

publish the report of the working group as a WMO Technical Note after certain editorial amendments and addi­tions.

The commission considered the need for the addition of the value of the pressure at station level in SYNOP reports for numerical weather predic­tion purposes. It was agreed that for two categories of stations, which in

Dr. Sudhindra N. Sen, re-elected president of the Commission for Synoptic Meteorology

fact constitute the majority of SYNOP stations, this requirement did not need to be taken into account, because the possible error in the pressure reduction is too small to be of any importance for numerical weather prediction. The sta­tions in question are those situated within 500 m of the level to which the pressure is reduced (regardless of method of reduction) and those that use reduction methods permitting the computation of station pressure from the actual S YN 0 P report using certain information available in WMO publi­cations (regardless of their elevation).

The Executive Committee had re­quested CSM (and also the Commission for Climatology) to consider the pro-

cedural and other repercussions of a changeover to the new scale of equiva­lent wind speeds for the Beaufort num­bers proposed by the Commission for Maritime Meteorology ( CMM). The commission found that a changeover would result in a higher frequency of warnings of gales and hurricanes, though such a change might be justified if the new scale gave better equivalents. It was, however, pointed out that new studies had become available on this subject and the commission therefore agreed that CMM be asked to assess whether there might be a need to reconsider its original proposal. The introduction of any revised equivalent speeds for the Beaufort numbers could advantageously be done on I January rg68 since a number of amendments to the SHIP code form will be introduced on that date.

133

There is a need, particularly in devel­oping countries, for advice on the organization of synoptic meteorological services. The commission proposed two methods of approaching this problem. Firstly, it requested that guidance material be prepared by the Secretary­General in collaboration with a rap­porteur nominated by the session. Secondly, the commission stressed the importance for Meteorological Services to arrange bilaterally for appropriate staff members to visit other Services or to obtain expert advice under the United Nations Development Pro­gramme to assist them in developing their services in synoptic meteorology.

Codes

The comprehensive report of the chairman of the Working Group on Codes was used as a basis for discus­sions on code questions. The two main tasks of this working group had been to ascertain fundamental requirements in the international exchange of meteoro­logical information and to develop code forms to meet these requirements.

The session devoted considerable time to the review of requirements established by the group. The impact of new developments (for instance, the increasing use of information from meteorological satellites and weather radars, changes in the requirements for numerical weather prediction, and ex­pected new requirements for the World Weather Watch) on the existing con­cept of data reporting, could not yet be fully ascertained and, in view of the fact that certain requirements were not yet finally established (such as data needed in the tropics), the commission was not in a position to complete the surveys of requirements. It was there­fore concluded that further intensive study, in particular of requirements for surface data, had to be carried out. The main problems to be solved were specified.

As regards the second part of the task, the commission decided to make only restricted and urgent changes in SYNOP and SHIP code forms and adopted a number of amendments to meet mainly the requirements of CMM.

A new method was studied for the reporting of upper-air data. This is based on the idea that data for signifi­cant levels with respect to tempera­ture, humidity and wind are of primary importance since they permit the re­construction of soundings within the limits of the specified criteria. It was, however, felt that certain facilities (computers) which might be required for the application of this method were not yet available to the necessary extent and that further study should be devoted to this method with a view to its future introduction if practicable.

The revised PILOT and TEMP code forms adopted by the session show a number of important new features. The introduction of the new isobaric surfaces (goo, Boo and 6oomb), required for numerical weather prediction pur-

poses in Parts A of PILOT and TEMP code forms, was postponed since the telecommunication facilities available are inadequate for the increased amount of data.

To meet the requirements stated by the various bodies of WMO, the com­mission adopted a new figure code form for the international exchange of air­craft observations and a number of important code changes in particular with respect to aeronautical and cli­matological codes.

The question of units used in inter­national exchange for the reporting of wind speed was discussed and it was decided to recommend that the Execu­tive Committee take appropriate meas­ures for speeding up the introduction of metres per second as the sole unit for this purpose. As regards the date of implementation of the code changes adopted by the session, r January rg68 was recommended for all amendments approved by the Executive Committee.

134

Telecommunications

The commission reviewed the tele­communication arrangements, prac­tices and procedures adopted at its pre­vious session and made a number of changes designed largely to take into account developments since rg6o. The most important change is the adoption of a revised Guide to meteorological tele­communications, included as chapter I in WMO Publication No. 9, Volume C. In particular, changes to the present procedures refer mainly to the exchange and collection of observational data for hemisphere or global exchanges. In order to meet the requirements of auto­matic handling of meteorological data either by telecommunication or data­processing centres some minor adjust­ments were made to the WMO tele­printer procedures. The commission recognized, however, that further stand­ardization of teleprinter procedures for

all types of meteorological messages

transmitted on WMO or ICAO net­

works is desirable. Consideration was

also given to the use of AFTN circuits

for the transmission of basic meteoro­

logical information.

In considering the global aspects of

meteorological telecommunications and,

in particular, the organization and

engineering of the main trunk circuit

and global procedures and practices,

the commission stressed that regional

Discussions in a working committee during the fourth session of CSM. Left to right : Professor W. Blee­ker (Netherlands) ; Dr. I-I. C. Morales (WMO Secreta­riat) ; Dr. 0. Li:innqvist (Sweden), chairman of the committee; Dr. K. Langlo (WMO Secretariat) (Photo-

Espert, Wiesbaden)

telecommunication networks and cen­

tres serving these regional networks will

have to be determined by regional

associations. An important outcome of

the discussions was the adoption of

some planning principles which should

be applied by all concerned in planning

the World Weather Watch global tele­

communication system.

Developments in the introduction of

electronic computers and other auto­

matic data-processing devices were

reviewed in detail. The commission felt

that studies of the problems associated

with high-speed data transmissions

over cable and radio circuits should be

continued by small planning meetings

convened by the Secretary-General.

135

Conclusion

Dr. S. N. Sen (India) was re-elected

president and Dr. N. G. Leonov

(U.S.S.R.) was elected vice-president of

the commission.

One afternoon meeting was devoted

to scientific lectures mainly related

to current questions within synoptic

meteorology.

At the closing session a number of

delegations expressed their sincere

thanks to Dr. Sen for his activity and

devotion both prior to and during the

fourth session and stressed the friendly

and impartial manner in which he had

directed the work of the session. Trib­

ute was also paid to the Federal Repub­

lic of Germany for having acted as

host and for having provided the excel­

lent facilities which had contributed to

the success of the session and had also

allowed the participants to spend some

memorable moments in the beautiful

Rhine valley.

The commission accepted with ap­

preciation an invitation from India to

hold its fifth session in New Delhi in

1970. H. C. M.

THIRD SESSION OF THE WMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The annual meetings of the WMO Advisory Committee are among the highlights in the life of WMO. As most readers will recall, this Committee advises the Executive Committee both on the scientific aspects of the World Weather Watch and on the major operational problems involved. The Committee held its third session at WMO Headquarters, Geneva, from r8 to 22 April rg66, with Professor K. Y a. Kondratiev as the session chair­man. Dr. C. H. B. Priestley was elected vice-chairman ; other members present were Professor V. A. Bugaev, Dr. G. P. Cressman, Professor W. Die­minger, Professor L. Krastanov, Pro­fessor M. Nicolet, Dr. W. 0. Roberts, Dr. R. C. Sutcliffe and Professor E. Vassy. ICSU was represented by Professor A. M. Oboukhov and IUGG by Dr. W. L. Godson.

Some of the members of the Advisory Committee are also members of the IUGG Committee on Atmospheric Sciences and close collaboration be­tween the two committees is also ensured by the organization of joint meetings (see Bulletin, Vol. XIV, No. 2, p. 95). At the third session, joint meetings of the two committees were held on 22 April and the IUGG Com­mittee continued in separate session until 25 April.

World Weather Watch

The Advisory Committee paid con­siderable attention to the research aspects of the World Weather Watch and agreed that these are of great interest for scientists of various disci­plines and branches of study. It was noted that the World Weather Watch would provide a greatly improved sys­tem for the observation of the atmo­sphere on a global basis which could

136

lead to substantially improved predic­tion of the weather and its related effects. The data to be provided by the World Weather Watch would furnish a considerably expanded means for research aimed at understanding the general circulation of the atmosphere. This called for a significantly expanded in tern a tional research programme which would concentrate on the problem of general circulation and which would attempt to solve those scientific pro­blems which must be clarified and resolved before an effective World Weather Watch is possible. The Com­mittee therefore recommended that a major co-operative international scien­tific effort should be focused on solu­tion of the crucially important problem of the improvement of our understand­ing of the general circulation of the atmosphere, including high latitude phenomena, tropical circulations and inter-hemispheric connexions at all levels and also including consideration of ocean-atmosphere interactions.

The Committee also recommended that consideration be given to the designation of a co-operative world meteorological period to be imple­mented at an appropriate time for intensive global observation and re­search in meteorology. The Committee enthusiastically endorsed the objec­tives of a global observational experi­ment. A prerequisite of such an experiment is a tropical observing experiment which will be necessary to provide the information required for the design of a time-limited experiment and also for the design of a permanent global observing system. The Com­mittee considered that the financial requirements for a really adequate system, even a time-limited one, con­stituted a serious problem if present observing technology were used. It was

therefore recommended that WMO

Members should devote significant

efforts to the development of new or

improved equipment and methods of

observation with the aim of providing

a more economic method of imple­

menting a global observing system.

Attention was also paid to the ques­

tion of participation of the scientific

community in the World Weather

Watch. The Committee supported the

views of the IUGG Committee as to

the establishment of international study

groups, within the various host coun­

tries and institutions, to explore the

feasibility and organization of specific

scientific projects capable of contri­

buting to the development or use of

the World Weather Watch for research

purposes. It also supported the pro­

posal to have, during the 1967 General

Assembly of IUGG, special symposia

on scientific matters connected with

the global atmospheric research pro­

gramme. The Committee suggested

that these symposia be sponsored

jointly by WMO and IUGG. It also recommended that WMO should con­

sider granting an increased subvention

for support of some of the expenses of

the proposed international study groups

and the planning meeting at the 1967

General Assembly of IUGG.

Scientific problems related to World

Weather Watch

With regard to the requirements for

meteorological data outside the tropical

areas, the Committee noted that the

Technical Regulations of WMO called

for a 300 km spacing of vertical sound­

ings over inhabited areas and a maxi­

mum of rooo km .over oceanic or

uninhabited areas. The Committee

considered that accurate forecasting

required a knowledge of the initial

location and intensity of the bursts of

kinetic energy generation, which fre­

quently occur within areas of rsoo­

zooo km in diameter, and are usually

137

associated with jet streams. The Com­

mittee therefore concluded that a net­

work of upper-air soundings (or equi­

valent data) must have a spacing of

wind and temperature reports of about

500 km in jet-stream areas.

With regard to meteorological data

for tropical areas, the Committee

expressed the view that the whole pro­

blem of physical and dynamic predic­

tion for the tropics is very poorly under­

stood. Adequate information is not

available even to indicate the scales in

space and time of the most important

variations. The Advisory Committee

therefore strongly supported the idea

and objectives of a tropical observa­

tional project designed to obtain the

data necessary to make meaningful

studies of tropical dynamics and ther­

modynamics. Only after this had been

accomplished would it be possible to

establish adequate requirements for

tropical data for the World Weather

Watch. The Committee therefore agreed

that this experiment should be given a high priority.

With regard to the southern hemi­

sphere data problem, the Committee

noted that the high cost of obtaining

adequate data by currently available

methods constituted a formidable ob­

stacle to progress. The Committee felt

that the best hope for solution of this

problem lay in the development of new

observing techniques, and strongly

endorsed the experiments of several

countries to test and improve horizon­

tally floating balloon systems as a

partial solution for the southern half

of the globe. The Committee also con­

sidered meteorological satellites as a

possible solution to the data problem

and noted with great satisfaction the

recent advances in the acquisition, dis­

tribution and use of cloud data from

such satellites. The Committee em­

phasized the utility of these data both

for analysis in sparse-data areas and

as an aid in interpretation and fore­casting of local weather events. It expressed the hope that all WMO Members would avail themselves of the opportunity to receive and use these data.

The Committee felt that the full potentialities of these orbiting plat­forms had yet to be achieved. It con­sidered that the work being carried out in several countries on methods of using satellite-borne instruments for remote sensing of the vertical tem­perature and humidity structure of the atmosphere was of the greatest impor­tance to the fundamental objectives of the World Weather Watch and should be vigorously pursued. The Committee further agreed that a major effort was necessary in studies of earth-atmo­sphere interactions. The requirement for these studies arose from a need to express the vertical :fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum at the earth­atmosphere interface in terms of vari­ables suitable for dynamical prediction models. An essential part of such boundary layer studies should consist of the use of net radiometers, as in­dicated in a recent resolution of the IAMAP Commission for Dynamic Meteorology.

Study of specific projects

Under a review of specific projects originated at earlier sessions, the Com­mittee considered a survey carried out by a consultant, Mr. G. Verploegh, of records of historical sea surface tem­perature and certain other parameters. The Committee recommended that WMO should approve action broadly on the lines suggested by the con­sultant, namely the production and publication of historical records from I86o onwards of sea surface tempera­ture, air temperature and mean scalar wind speed for individual months for selected areas. It also recommended that records of vector wind velocity

(speed and direction) should be simi­larly compiled. The Committee made proposals concerning the implementa­tion of this project and recommended that it be accorded the highest priority in view of its great importance in con­nexion with studies of the general circu­lation of the atmosphere, long-range forecasting and climatic :fluctuations.

The Committee also supported a number of recommendations proposed by the Working Group on the Stra­tospheric Warming Experiment of the Commission for Aerology, and in this connexion also recommended that ma­chinery should be established for ensuring co-ordination between the meteorologists involved in this project and the ionospheric physicists who would be conducting further investiga­tions of the winter anomaly.

138

In the fields of training and educa­tion, the Committee studied with in­terest the comprehensive report of the first session of the Executive Com­mittee Panel of Experts on Meteoro­logical Training and Education (see p. I4I). It supported the proposals outlined m the report and recom­mended their adoption by the Execu­tive Committee.

The recommendations of the Advis­ory Committee were considered by the subsequent session of the Executive Committee, held in Geneva during May and June Ig66.

The Advisory Committee recom­mended that its next session be held in March I967 and that the session should be mainly devoted to the dis­cussion of the various aspects of the global atmospheric research programme concerned with the World Weather Watch.

K.L.

REVIEW OF DECISIONS OF THE REGIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AFRICA

The Regional Association for Africa (RA I) has adopted by correspondence 55 resolutions and 6 recommendations since February rg65. A brief summary of the most important decisions is given in the following paragraphs.

Working groups

Four working groups, on codes, meteorological telecommunications, hy­drometeorology and radiation, have been established. The members of these working groups were designated by the president of RA I in consulta­tion with the Members of the associa­tion. Messrs. J. Sissons (Kenya), K. A. Khalil (U.A.R.), M. Seck (Senegal) and M. Ayadi (Tunisia) have been appointed provisional chairmen for these working groups . respectively until the formal election of chairmen has been com­pleted.

Requirements for meteorological information

The association emphasized the fact that the statement of requirements for meteorological information provides a useful tool for studying the regional aspects of networks of observations, the availability of analyses and other processed data and hence the coding problems and the telecommunications means and procedures needed to ex­change this information. The presi­dent of RA I has therefore been re­quested to ensure that the Working Groups on Codes and Meteorological Telecommunications should take into consideration in their studies the state­ment of requirements regarding mete­orological information from inside the Region as expressed by individual Members prior to the fourth· session of

the association. The statement of the regional requirements regarding mete­orological information from inside and outside Africa should be revised in the early stages of future sessions of the association, and detailed preparations of these requirements should be made by the president of the association and the Secretary-General prior to the fifth session.

Networks, observations and codes

The association adopted a revised regional basic synoptic network which included a number of small changes to take into account developments since rg6z. The new target plan of phased implementation comprises a two-year (rg65-rg66) and a four-year plan (rg65-rg68). The most important changes are that all the radiosonde and radio­wind stations included in the network should make observations at oooo and rzoo GMT; where only one observation per day can be made, this should be at oooo GMT. The great importance of strict adherence to the standard times of observations, particularly as regards upper-air observations, is emphasized.

139

In view of the great value of ground­radar weather observations, aircraft weather reports and observations of atmospherics for the Region, a number of decisions have been adopted to improve the making and exchange of these observations.

The association adopted a number of amendments to the regional coding practices, including a mandatory prac­tice for the dissemination of available upper-air data above the standard isobaric surface of roo mb. The amendments came into force on r J anu­ary rg66.

Telecommunications

A new regional introduction for Chapter II of WMO Publication No. g, V ohtme C-Transmissions was adopted. Twenty-one resolutions in the field of telecommunications were adopted, most of these stemming from the recommen­dations of the Technical Conference on Meteorological Telecommunications in Africa (Tunis, November rg65- see Bulletin, Vol. XV, No. I, p. IJ).

Regional aspects of the World Weather Watch

The association expressed its convic­tion that the World Weather Watch (WWW) would assist its Members in meeting to the fullest possible extent their national and international obliga­tions in the field of meteorology. Mem­bers have therefore been urged to con­tribute efficiently to the WWW by making every effort to implement fully the regional network of observing sta­tions and telecommunications facilities in their respective countries and to develop their national Meteorological Services to the standard which will enable them to make use of the infor­mation to be furnished by the WWW. The association reiterated the decision of Fourth Congress that the WWW must make basic meteorological data available at the national level.

Maritime meteorology

The association approved the broad outlines of the zones, within the boundaries of the Region, recommended by the Commission for Maritime Mete­orology for the collection and dissemi­nation of ships' reports, and requested its president to discuss with the presi­dents of adjacent regional associations the question of a possible overlap with the zones for the collection and disse­mination of the ships' reports of their respective Regions. The president was also requested to make the necessary

140

arrangements to ensure the continua­tion and the good quality of the broad­casts for shipping in the Region.

Climatology and agricultural meteorology

The association established a regional network of stations transmitting CLI­MAT reports and decided that the regional network of stations transmit­ting CLIMA T TEMP reports should be the same as the regional basic net­work of radiosonde stations.

A resolution on the development of agricultural meteorology in Africa, based on the conclusions of the Re­gional Seminar on Agrometeorological Problems in Africa (Cairo, October/ November rg64), urges Members to establish networks of agrometeoro­logical stations, to organize agromete­orological sections within their Me­teorological Services, to give parti­cular attention to the training of their agricultural meteorologists and to main­tain close collaboiatiim between agri­cultural meteorologists and agricul­turists in their own countries and between agricultural meteorologists of their countries and those of other countries which share common prob­lems.

H ydrometeorology

To assist the Meteorological Services of the Region to play their full part in the field of hydrometeorology, particu­larly during the International Hydro­logical Decade, the association recom­mended the organization of three regional seminars or conferences in the field of hydrometeorology. These in­clude a training seminar on hydro­meteorological instruments, methods of observation and networks in Africa, to be organized during rg66, if possible, with the co-operation of the Economic Commission for Africa ; a regional seminar on methods of hydrometeoro­logical data processing in Africa, during

rg67-rg68; and a technical conference on hydrometeorology in Africa, during rg6g-rg7o. The association also adopted a resolution with the aim of ensuring close collaboration between the mete­orological and hydrological authorities of its Members particularly in con­nexion with the International Hydro­logical Decade.

Radiation

Resolutions on the regional aspects of radiation measurements concern the establishment of a regional network of radiation stations, the standard of designated regional radiation centres and the publication of radiation data in Africa.

Training

The association reaffirmed the re­quirements for the regional training facilities as envisaged in the Plan for the

development of professional meteorologi­

cal training in Africa prepared by Professor J. V an Mieghem. It also

stressed the need for the inclusion of tmining in hydrometeorology in the courses given at the regional meteoro­logical training centres in Africa and the adoption of the plan for the develop­ment of professional hydrometeorologi­cal training in Africa which is being prepared by the Secretary-General at the request of the Executive Com­mittee.

Technical co-operation

A number of regional projects are recommended for inclusion in the WMO/UNDP regional programme for the biennium rg67-rg68. Among these projects are the continuation of sup­port as necessary to the WMO regional meteorological training chairs and cen~ tres in Africa which are financed at present by the UNDP funds, and the organization of regional training semi­nars in the fields of hydrometeorology, tropical agrometeorology and meteoro-logical telecommunications. ·

A. M. E.

METEOROLOGICAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION

·' FIRST SESSION OF PANEL OF EXPERTS

At its seventeenth session, the Exe­cutive Committee established a Panel of Experts on Meteorological Training and Education to act as a focal point for all WMO activities in the field of meteorological training and to deal with the general aspects of this problem. The panel's terms of reference include advising on all aspects of technical and scientific training ; providing guidance to the Secretariat on the co-ordination of all WMO activities in the field of meteorological training and the promo­tion of the training of personnel for the national Meteorological Services, par­ticularly in the developing countries ;

141

and preparing programmes for WMO conferences and seminars concerning meteorological training.

All seven members were in attend­ance when the first session of the panel was held from 28 March tor April rg66 at the WMO Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Professor J. V an Mieghem. Following a welcoming ad­dress by Mr. J. R. Rivet, Deputy Secretary-General, in the absence of the Secretary-General, the panel began its work on the r6-item agenda. The fol­lowing resume of the 64-page report of the panel to the Executive Committee

will give an indication of the topics covered and the work achieved.

WMO training

The panel was informed of the train­ing activities of WMO, particularly as regards the implementation of the re­commendations made by Professor J. Van Mieghem for the development of

El Salvador :Visit of Dr. H. Taba (WMO Secretariat) for discussions on meteoro­logical training. Left to right : Ing. H. Lessmann, director of the Meteorologi­cal Service ; Dr. Taba ; Ing. Torres; Ing. R. D. Escalente Orozco, Minister of Agriculture and Live-

stock ; and Ing. Tenorio

professional meteorological training in Africa. The panel noted that great progress had been made in this field and commended the action taken by the Secretary-General, notably in con­nexion with the establishment of train­ing centres.

Since its publication as WMO Tech­nical Note No. 50, the report by Pro­fessor Van Mieghem entitled The pro­blem of the professional training of meteorological personnel of all grades in the less-developed countries has been widely used. The panel considered that, in the light of the experience gained, there would be great merit in giving formal status to the report's classifi­cation scheme for meteorological per­sonnel.

Since WMO must have syllabi for the various classes of meteorological personnel, the panel recommended that the Executive Committee take the necessary steps to adopt officially the syllabi prepared by Professor Van Mieghem on the understanding that

142

they be modified as necessary and in accordance with regional and climatic requirements.

The panel also stressed the need for associating the training of Class I mete­orological personnel (university gradu­ates) with research in the atmospheric sciences. WMO should send visiting scientists to centres which give such

training under WMO auspices, to lec­ture in their specialized fields and to supervise research projects.

Training and the World Weather Watch

If the World Weather Watch is to be a success, enough qualified personnel of all categories must be made available to man observing stations and to carry out weather analyses and research ; a first estimate indicates that at least an additional 2,700 staff of various levels will be needed. The panel considered that the training of these meteorologists in time was a most serious problem; it was suggested that a consultant should be engaged to produce a report on the feasibility of meeting the personnel requirements, and to recommend the best methods of tackling the problems connected with the component sectors of WWW, in each successive phase of implementation.

Other questions

The panel agreed that the proposed conference for personnel engaged in

training should include instructors of Classes I and II personnel and should deal only with basic meteorological subjects (dynamical, physical and syn­optic meteorology and climatology). Professor V an Mieghem was proposed as director of this conference, which should be held in rg67, under the title World conference on meteorological edu­cation and training. A detailed pro­gramme for the conference was prepared.

After agreeing that the publication of a workbook by WMO containing

United Kingdom :Mr. Yasir Ibrahim Abu Rub (Jordan) testing a bimetallic thermo­graph as part of his training course at the Meteorological Office, Bracknell (British official photograph : Crown

copyright reserved)

problems in meteorology would be very useful, the panel suggested that the workbook should cover only prob­lems connected with the training of Classes Ill and II meteorological per­sonnel; the problems should be arranged in accordance with the syllabi proposed by Professor V an Mieghem for these classes, and in order of increasing diffi­culty. While one consultant could compile and edit all the problems for Class III, special consultants in each of the basic meteorological subjects should be employed for the Class II problems.

The panel noted with interest the establishment by most of the technical

143

commissions of working groups on quali­fications, training and syllabi in their own fields of interest and reviewed the progress achieved.

The panel studied a report on the training of meteorological personnel in the Central American and Caribbean countries and territories and endorsed the recommendations made in the report. Of particular importance is the recommendation concerning the estab­lishment of a chair of meteorology at the University of Costa Rica for the

training of Class I meteorological per­sonnel of the Spanish-speaking coun­tries. The panel agreed that the pro­gramme of training at this university should be oriented towards tropical meteorology. Since adequate facilities for meteorological research and studies already exist at the University of Buenos Aires, the panel recommended that close co-operation and an exchange of personnel be ef-fected between the Department of Meteorology of the University of Buenos Aires and the University of Costa Rica, once the latter has established its chair of meteo­rology.

H. T.

Technical co-operation EVALUATION OF 1965 ACTIVITIES

An important feature in technical assistance activities is a thorough evalu­ation of the results achieved and of the benefits which developing countries have actually derived. For a number of years WMO has been giving par­ticular attention to this aspect and recently a series of evaluations has been carried out.

On various occasions discussions have taken place in the Executive Committee as to the best method to be applied for such evaluations. It was decided that they should be based on reports from permanent representatives of countries which received technical assistance since they were considered to be in the best position to assess the effectiveness of the help given to their respective countries. When the Execu­tive Committee considered this ques­tion again in May/June 1965, it was decided that the best way of presenting the information received from perma­nent representatives would be in statis­tical form. The Secretary-General there­fore arranged for such statistical evalua­tion to be carried out for the year 1965 ; some of the main results are quoted below. An earlier report in the Bulletin, (Vol. XIV, No. 3, p. 171) referred to the biennium 1963-1964, whereas the following notes refer to one year only, namely 1965.

The total value of assistance ren­dered by WMO in 1965 under the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA) and the Special Fund was r.8 million dollars; 39 per cent of this total was spent on meteoro­logical training, 32 per cent on advisory and operational assistance other than training and 29 per cent on equipment

and supplies connected with either expert missions under the EPT A or with Special Fund projects.

Meteorological training

In 1965, training was given to 1,256 persons, by WMO fellowships, through classroom training by experts, or by on-the-job training; others were trained through participation in semi­nars or conferences organized under the WMO technical assistance pro­gramme. The total includes 305 non­meteorological personnel (pilots, air traffic controllers, aeronautical tele­communications personnel, agrono­mists, geophysicists and hydrological staff).

Applying the classification proposed by Professor Van Mieghem to the 518 students who completed their training in 1965, either by obtaining an appro­priate grade or by increasing their knowledge in a specialized field, 21 per cent fall in Class I, 24 per cent in Class II, 30 per cent in Class Ill and 25 per cent in Class IV. By comparison with the figures for previous years, the number of Class I and II personnel trained shows a considerable increase. This is partly due to the activities of training centres established by WMO and partly to training courses organized by several countries with WMO assis­tance. On the other hand, training of Class Ill and, in particular, of Class IV personnel has decreased in 1965. This is because such training is increasingly being placed in the hands of national instructors.

More than half (645) of the 1,256 who received training belong to countries of Regional Association I (Africa). The

144

:figures of the other Regions are 230

(Region III), 220 (Region II), II2

(Region VI), 45 (Region IV), and 4 (Region V).

The 95 WMO fellows whose training

was completed in 1965 had been trained at the three WMO regional centres in

Africa or in 21 host countries in other

parts of the world. A number of them are reported to have been promoted to

higher functions after return to their parent country. One became head of

the Meteorological Service ; many others became chiefs of divisions, sections or

important stations and thus have full

opportunity for applying the know­ledge acquired for the benefit of their

country.

Development of meteorological services

During 1965 WMO experts assisted a number of countries in the estab­lishment of national co-ordinating com­

mittees on meteorology, hydromete­orology or on the International Hydro­

logical Decade in several countries (Algeria, Bechuanaland, Chile, Colom­

bia, Greece, Nepal and Sierra Leone).

In 1other countries important steps were made towards the establishment

or consolidation of the Meteorological

Service with the help of WMO experts or of returning WMO fellows and a number of new divisions or sections

were established. Among these were the meteorological institute for research

and training in Cairo (United Arab

Republic) and two new divisions in the institute of tropical meteorology in Poona (India). Both institutions are

being built up with the help of large

WMO Special Fund projects.

A total of 510 meteorological observ­

ing stations were. established in 1965

with WMO assistance. The reason for a somewhat lower :figure than in preced­

ing years is that several large Special Fund projects had just reached the

concluding stages, whe1'eas other newly­approved projects had not then been

started. This :figure represents, how-

ever, a significant achievement; it in­cludes 21 surface stations, four upper­air synoptic stations and a large number of hydrometeorological, agro­

meteorological and climatological sta­

tions.

There are many aspects of the WMO

technical assistance activities which do

not lend themselves to a statistical

145

Ethiopia : Pilot balloon observations for the

DLCOEA on the Eritrean Red Sea coast

(Photo by H. H. Krarup)

evaluation. The :figures quoted, how­ever, may help to show that, even with

relatively modest means, much can be achieved through a great number of

projects for the development of many

Meteorological Services. Altogether 85 countries received assistance from WMO

in various forms during 1965.

UNDP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

REGIONAL PROJECTS

Training seminars

Five training seminars are included

in the regional programme for 1966. A brief account of the first of these, a

hydrological seminar for Regions II

and V organized jointly with ECAFE (Bangkok, ApriljMay rg66), will be found on page 159. A seminar on agrometeorology, also for these Re­gions, will be held in Melbourne during November/December rg66.

At the invitation of the Government of the United Arab Republic, a regional seminar in Africa for staff in charge of

Kenya : The regional mete­orological training centre in Nairobi (Photo by E. F.

Amann)

the training of Class III and Class IV personnel in their countries will be held in Cairo from 3 to 21 October 1966.

A seminar on hydrometeorological instruments and methods of observa­tion and on the establishment of hydro­meteorological networks in Latin Amer­ica will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 12 to 30 September 1966 at the invitation of the Government of Brazil. It will provide hydrometeorological training for participants from WMO Members in Regions III and IV (see also page r6r).

Five international experts provided by WMO and a similar number of experts provided by the U.S.S.R. will conduct the lectures and practical work of the seminar on the interpretation and use of meteorological satellite data, which will be held in Moscow from 5 to 21 October 1966.

146

Training centres

Two postgraduate students com­pleted successfully in 1965 the second course in the department of meteoro­logy at the University of Nairobi and a third course, comprising three stu­dents from East Africa and two from Ghana, began in October rg65. One of the successful candidates from the

second course has been appointed acting deputy director of the East African Meteorological Department.

The first course for Class II meteoro­logists which commenced at the regional meteorological training centre in Nai­robi in July 1965 was completed suc­cessfully by three students in March 1966. A second course commenced in March with ten students- three from Ethiopia, two from Uganda and one each from Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Bechuanaland. Two stu­dents from Somalia joined the course in May. The basic background of the students in this course being lower, the duration of the training is expected to be 24 months.

At the regional meteorological train­ing centre in Lagos, Nigeria, a one­year course for Class II meteorologists began in October 1965 with eight stu­dents (four from Ghana and four from

Nigeria). A similar course of 30 months'

duration for students with lower basic

education commenced in May rg65.

The 12 students at present attending

this course come from the Sudan (5),

Malawi (2), Sierra Leone (z), and

Ethiopia : Wind measure­ment in vegetation by a DLCOEA observer on the Eritrean Red Sea coast plain

(Photo by H. H. Krarup)

Nigeria (3). Two international instruc­

tors assisted by Nigerian staff are

conducting the training programme in

this centre.

RECENTLY COMPLETED MISSIONS

Desert Locust control profect

Mr. Hans H. Krarup (Denmark)

completed in March rg66 a four-month

mission to eastern Africa, the purpose

of which was to advise and train the

staff of the headquarters of the Desert

Locust Control Organization for East­

ern Africa in Asmara (Ethiopia) in the

interpretation and evaluation of fac­

simile weather charts for application

to the planning of Desert Locust con­

trol work and to assist in organizing

the collection and transmission of

meteorological data by radio commu­

nications and other means.

The expert also carried out some

studies of the currently available wind

data for application to locust problems.

He found a number of interesting

147

results particularly as regards variation

of wind over small distances or short

periods of time in equatorial moun­

tainous regions- these variations were

found to be quite large and irregular,

with diurnal effects playing a much

smaller part than might have been

expected. Mr. Krarup concluded that

the representativeness of upper-wind

observations is rendering analysis of

low-level windfields, and in particular

of fields of horizontal divergence, very

difficult in the region, and he recom­

mended further studies of this problem

as well as other practical and theoretical

work on the connexion between mete­

orological conditions and Desert Locust

control operations.

MISSIONS IN PROGRESS

Nepal

Mr. M. Gilead (Israel) is now ex­

pected to remain in Nepal until mid­

rg6J. His main tasks are to advise the

Government of Nepal on the organiza­

tion and development of the national

Meteorological Service and evaluate the

needs of the country in the field of

meteorology. He has developed the

nucleus of a Meteorological Service and

has done much to improve the status

of meteorology in the country.

VACANCIES IN WMO TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROGRAMMES

Country Title of post Date of Duration Language commencement needed

Albania Hydro meteorologist As soon as I month French or possible Italian

Argentina Expert in atmospheric I December 4 months Spanish ozone Ig66

Expert in satellite February I967 4 months Spanish meteorology

Cameroon Agrometeorologist As soon as 3 months French possible

Congo (Demo- Chief of mission I September I2 months French cratic Republic) Ig66

Chief instructor and I August Ig66 I2 months French project manager of training centre (SF)

Dahomey Agrometeorologist As soon as 3 months French possible

Guinea Aerologist To be deter- 6 months French mined (Ig66)

Malawi Meteorological training As soon as I2 months English (operational) possible

Malaysia Tropical meteorologist As soon as I2 months English possible

Romania Radar meteorologist I September 3 months French Ig66

Syria Agrometeorologist As soon as I2 months English possible

Tunisia H yclrometeorologist As soon as 3 months French possible

Upper Volta Expert in solar energy As soon as 3 months French possible

Regional projects

Caribbean Project manager for To be deter- 24 months English improvement of Mete- mined (Ig66) orological Services (SF)

Africa (I-I ydro- Meteorologist (SF) To be deter- I2 months English meteorological mined (Ig66) survey of the

Hydrologist (SF) To be deter- I2 months English catchments of Lakes Victoria, mined (Ig66) Kioga and Albert)

SF = Special Fund project

Further information may be obtained from the Secretary-General, WMO, Geneva.

148

Turkey

Since April rg64, Dr. W. U. L. Wei­mann (Federal Republic of Germany) has completed four training courses for forecasters during which 67 meteoro­logists were trained in high-level fore­casting. At present a fifth group is being trained under his supervision ; this group consists of 29 university graduates. In addition, the expert is

Guinea : Mr. R. Vasi6, WMO expert from Yugo­slavia, helped to plan the reorganization of the Mete-

orological Service

g1vmg on-the-job training to staff of the Main Analysis Centre in Ankara where daily surface and aerological charts up to roo mb are being analysed and prognostic charts prepared.

NEW EXPERT MISSIONS

Brazil- Mr. Miguel Ballester (Spain). Instructor in meteorology in the Uni­versity of Brazil. To organize and give meteorological training to undergrad­uate students in the University.

Burundi- Mr. R. Vasic (Y ougoslavia). Meteorological organization and train­ing.

Cambodia - Mr. G. Girard (France). Hydrometeorology. To initiate a train­ing programme and to assist in special rainfall studies for the planning of major water development projects.

Iran - Mr. A. C. Duffy (Canada). Meteorological telecommunications. To

149

assist and advise on the programming and operation of the sub-regional broadcast centre in Tehran.

FELLOWSHIPS

Since the last issue of the WMO Bulletin 24 new fellowships have been awarded to nationals of r8 countries. In addition, financial support was provided to I5 participants from coun-

tries in Asia (WMO Regions II and V) to attend the hydrological seminar in Bangkok. A number of WMO fellows are trainees at the courses for Class II or Class I meteorologists being given in Nairobi and Lagos (see page 146).

In addition, four WMO fellows have joined a r6 months' training course in aeronautical meteorology which started in May rg66, at the Civil Aviation Training Centre, Bangkok, Thailand ; and 21 WMO fellows from Latin American countries are following a two-year Class II forecasters' course in the University of Buenos Aires.

UNDP SPECIAL FUND

Burma

The project for the expansion of meteorological and hydrological ser­vices in Burma is making steady progress. Since the beginning of the

project 9 meteorological stations, 13 hy­drometeorological stations, 14 hydrolo­gical stations, 130 precipitation stations and 6o water-level stations have been established. The experts have carried out a number of training courses in hydrology and a laboratory has been set up for sediment and runoff studies.

Preliminary preparations have been made for setting up an effective flood­forecasting system in Burma and, with the arrival in April 1966 of the flood­forecasting expert, Mr. A. P. Shastin (U.S.S.R.), this phase of the project is now expected to make rapid progress.

China

Field operations in the project for the improvement and expansion of typhoon and flood-warning services began with the arrival in China of the project manager, Mr. H. Bogin (U.S.A.) in May 1966. A draft plan of operation

has been prepared. The project in­volves the setting up of two weather radar stations, one to be provided by the Government and the other under the UNDP allocation. The first of these became operational early in 1966. Another radar station and several tele­metering rainfall stations provided by the UNDP will be established in the course of the project.

Con go (Democratic Republic)

A Class II forecaster training course which started in October 1965 con­tinues with 25 students. A Class IV course with 27 students, which started at the same time, was completed in February 1966, 20 students passing suc­cessfully the final examination. Twelve of these continue with practical training for seven months and will then be posted as observers. The remaining eight have joined a course for Class III personnel. A new Class IV course started in March 1966 with 22 students.

ANTARCTIC METEOROLOGY FIRST SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP

The first session of the Executive Committee Working Group on Antarc­tic Meteorology was held in Melbourne from 23 February to 3 March rg66 at the invitation of the Australian Govern­ment. The session took place in the building of the Southern Cross Hotel, which provided excellent conference facilities. Seventeen experts, from eight Member countries of WMO and from the Special Committee on Antarctic Research, took part in the session. Mr. W. J. Gibbs (Australia) was elected chairman of the working group and Mr. Morton J. Rubin (U.S.A.) was elected vice-chairman of the session.

The following questions were studied in detail by the working group : data

150

requirements of stations in the Antarc­tic, as well as requirements for recep­tion of Antarctic data by centres out­side the Antarctic ; the surface and upper-air networks in the Antarctic ; regional aspects of the World Weather Watch; code forms for the Antarctic; methods of observation and instru­ments; aeronautical and maritime me­teorology ; telecommunications ; and research aspects. The working group also discussed questions arising from collaboration with ICSU and SCAR.

Data requirements and networks

The working group examined the data requirements of centres in the Antarctic and of those centres outside

the Antarctic which provide services for Antarctic stations, for shipping, or for aviation within the Antarctic. The data required are observational and processed meteorological information coming, firstly, from within the Antarc­tic and, secondly, from other areas. The group set forth a number of criteria defining the maximum tolerable delay for receipt of observational data. The aircraft reports made during :flights within the Antarctic as well as during :flights to and from Antarctic bases were considered as an important source of additional upper-air information.

The group developed a plan for the basic regional networks in the Antarc­tic, taking into account the expressed requirements of Members as well as the needs for the global observational sys­tems in the framework of the World Weather Watch. The networks recom­mended would necessitate the estab­lishment of 30 surface observing stations and 17 upper-air observing stations. Surface stations should make and dis­seminate observations at all main and intern1ediate synoptic hours and upper­air stations should make and disse­minate radiowind and radiosonde ob­servations at oooo and 1200 GMT. It was, however, agreed that if only one radiosondejradiowind ascent a day is to be made, this should preferably be at oooo GMT, but a second observation should be made during World Geo­physical Intervals.

Even if these recommended networks were fully implemented, there would still be certain areas where the density of surface and upper-air observations would not meet the minimum data requirements specified by the Executive Committee for world meteorological centres. The group, therefore, felt that Members should be invited to arrange, either independently or co-operatively, for meteorological data for the sparse data areas in the Antarctic to be obtained either by conventional or newly developed observing techniques.

The group noted with great interest the

development of horizontal balloon sounding systems (see p. 124), and hoped that these techniques would

provide the additional urgently re­quired data. It was stressed that the

conventional observational networks in the Antarctic should be supplemented

by meteorological data from satellites. Finally, the establishment of supple­mentary networks of either automatic or manned stations in the vicinity of coastal stations was recommended with a view to obtaining wind and tem­perature data not unduly affected by local conditions.

Telecommunications

The telecommunication arrangements

proposed by the Antarctic Treaty

Meeting on Telecommunications (Wash­ington, 1963) were reviewed and the efforts of Members to ensure rapid col­lection and exchange of observational

data were warmly welcomed. However, some suggestions were made for further improvements of the data exchanges within the Antctrctic and with centres

outside the Antarctic. The group noted with appreciation the operation of

facsimile broadcasts at Mirny and McMurdo. In addition, recommenda­tions were made for improving the pre­sent telecommunication system to meet

the needs of the World Weather Watch. In particular it was proposed that

regional telecommunication hubs be established at Molodezhnaja, McMurdo

and B. A. Pedro Aguirra Cerda, and if possible elsewhere.

151

Other questions

The working group noted that re­search in Antarctic meteorology is being undertaken in various countries and

expressed in particular its appreciation to Australia for ensuring the continua­tion of the work started by the Inter­national Antarctic Analysis Centre (IAAC) by the establishment of the

International Antarctic Meteorological

Research Centre (IAMRC) at Mel­bourne. It was recommended that the IAMRC should receive support from Members and international bodies in the same way as had IAAC in the past.

The working group examined the cur­rent code forms for the Antarctic and recommended some small adjustments. Procedures were proposed for weather reporting from aircraft flying within the Antarctic. The problems of collection of ships' weather reports and services to aviation and shipping were dis­cussed in detail and general recom­mendations on these subjects were adopted.

The good spirit of co-operation and the guidance of the chairman and vice­chairman ensured the complete success of the session. The secretariat of the session was provided by the Common­wealth Bureau of Meteorology, under the capable and tireless leadership of Mr. F. T. Hannan, who contributed largely to the successful completion of the session on time. All participants will always remember the final excur­sion organized by their Australian col­leagues which gave them an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding countryside.

G. K. W.

INTERNATIONAl HYDROLOGICAL DECADE

Co-ordinating Council

In FebruaryjMarch rg66 the Exe­cutive Committee Panel of Experts for the International Hydrological Decade (IHD) prepared a document entitled WMO activities in the IHD and pro­posals for the second session of the Co­ordinating Council. This document proposed that WMO should provide the technical secretariat for the Council Working Groups on Floods and on Standardization. It was further pro­posed that WMO should serve as tech­nical secretariat for six more projects of the IHD programme, namely, incidence and spread of continental drought ; depth-duration-frequency relations of precipitation in various geographical regions ; vapour flux evaluation of the hydrological budget ; measurement of snowfall and snow pack ; radar meas­urement of rainfall ; and methods for hydrological forecasting. It was under­stood that the ad hoc Working Group on Network Planning and Design had completed its task and would be dis­continued.

152

These proposals were considered by the UNESCO Co-ordinating Council at its second session, Paris, from rg to 25 April rg66. WMO's offer to serve as technical secretariat for the \Vorking Groups on Floods and on Standardiza­tion was not accepted, but the Organi­zation will serve as technical secretariat for five of the above projects, the exception being methods for hydro­logical forecasting.

The Council is responsible for super­vising, from the organizational and the scientific point of view, the implemen­tation of the Decade programme. An evaluation was made of the progress made in the initiation of the different projects adopted at its first session (rg65).

While there were perhaps still some doubts at the first session of the Coun­cil regarding the future development of the IHD, it has now become obvious that this programme is definitely under way. Almost every member country of UNESCO has established a national

committee for IHD, and some of them even have their own budget.

The designation of Decade stations, particularly precipitation and evapora­tion stations, had caused difficulties for the national committees, and it was decided that, while all existing stations of this type would be used in computing the water balance, this did not justify the designation of all of them as Decade stations. On the contrary, precipitation and evaporation stations should be designated as Decade sta­tions only if they are established or used in connexion with other Decade projects.

The Council accepted the report of the ad hoc Working Group on Network Planning and Design, for which WMO had served as the technical secretariat and in which the most important con­clusions were drawn from the WMO/ lASH Symposium on the Design of Hydrological Networks (Quebec, Can­ada, June rg65). It was decided to set up a small group of experts, which should include a WMO representative, to complete the study of some specific topics in connexion with network design.

The report of the Working Group on World Water Balance (see below) was considered and it was recognized that no nation could furnish accurate quan­titative national data for all parame­ters enumerated and that many nations would be able to furnish only relatively few data. The amount and quality of data, however, could be expected to improve with time and the water balance could be derived and improved by a series of approximations, closing gaps in data by estimates based on general hydrological knowledge.

The Council decided to turn its ad hoc

Working Group on Representative and Experimental Basins into a permanent group and requested it to prepare

appropriate guidance material and make recommendations on Decade pro­jects in which use is made of repre­sentative and experimental basins and on suitable publications of results of research as well as on the system for exchange of processed data. In this task the working group should ensure co-ordination with the corresponding WMO working group.

153

Other matters of interest to WMO included the preparation of hydro­logical maps and the use of nuclear techniques in the unsaturated and saturated zones.

World Water Balance

The UNESCO Working Group on World Water Balance, which is one of the eleven working groups of the Co­ordinating Council for the IHD, held its first session at UNESCO House in Paris, from 13 to 15 April rg66. Experts from six countries and a number of governmental and non-governmental international organizations, including WMO, took part. This group is con­sidered one of the most important of the Council's working groups, and its task is fundamental for the IHD pro­gramme. It will meet twice a year.

The working group recognized that most of the following hydrological ele­ments are not perfectly understood or adequately assessed on a global basis: atmospheric moisture, evaporation, pre­cipitation, soil moisture and vadose water, lakes, reservoirs and swamps, water in rivers, groundwater reservoirs, oceanic and tidal waters, biological water, snow and ice, transported sedi­ments and chemical load. As an accu­rate estimation of regional, continental and global balances of these elements on various time and space scales is the major task of the world water balance study, the group considered that all countries should establish stations and

contribute data within their means and capabilities for whatP-ver parameters can be observed.

Of particular interest to meteoro­logists was the fact that the working group felt that a study of the global atmospheric water-vapour flux must be made as an essential component of studies of the world water balance. The extensive processed aerological data available today made practicable the estimation of the water-vapour flux over large regions of the world, but data have not been fully exploited for hydrological purposes. It was pointed out that studies of atmospheric water­vapour flux would provide an inde­pendent, physically correct means of evaluating terrestrial water budgets by balancing horizontal and vertical trans­fers of water into and out of the air­space above a given region, the net difference between inflow and outflow of the vertically integrated horizontal flux of water vapour of a region being approximately equal to the difference between evaporation and precipitation. Runoff could therefore be inferred by estimating the difference between eva­poration and precipitation through atmospheric moisture computations.

The group felt that hydrological information should be collected and analysed by all countries to determine global and regional water balances of precipitation, streamflow, groundwater, water-vapour transport and other fac­tors. These studies should include identification of sources and sinks for liquid water, boundaries of inflow and outflow of water vapour over conti­nents, and areas of abnormally high rates of transfer of water from the water table to the atmosphere.

The working group stressed the im­portance of evaporation and condensa­tion as components of the hydrological cycle and the need for their evaluation in water balance studies on all scales. Regarding precipitation, the working

154

group was of the opinion that Meteoro­logical Services should be urged to establish and operate precipitation net­works that would furnish the data need­ed for hydrological purposes wherever meteorological and hydrological inter­ests coincide.

The working group reviewed the con­cept of Decade stations with special regard to the need to limit the number of such stations, bearing in mind that the number must be sufficient to ensure adequate representation of water balances throughout the world. It was felt that all stations from which data would be exchanged internationally should be designated Decade stations. World water balance stations should be those Decade stations which would be used to estimate the national, regional and other continental components of the world water balance.

These stations would include: precipi­tation stations that define the gross distribution of precipitation on land areas ; evaporation stations that show gross evaporation of water from land areas ; stream-discharge stations that show discharge of water from land areas to the oceans ; groundwater sta­tions that are indices of subsurface discharge from land areas to the oceans ; stations that show the net water yield of principal basins within land areas.

Executive Committee Panel

The Panel of Experts for the IHD held its third session from rz to 17 May rg66 in the WMO Headquarters in Geneva, under the chairmanship of Mr. Max A. Kohler (president of CHy). The panel examined the results of the second session of the Co-ordinating Council and made recommendations on necessary action on the part of WMO for the implementation of IHD pro­jects.

Regarding the question of the com­putation of the world water balance, the panel recommended that steps should be taken to prepare the follow­ing papers: a report on water-vapour flux evaluation of the world water balance, a note on recommended methods for the computation of eva­poration amounts for world water balance studies, guidance material on the extension of precipitation data and estimation of average values in the absence of adequate observations, and a note on the co-ordinated preparation of maps for precipitation, runoff and evaporation.

The recommendations made by the panel include WMO's joint sponsor­ship with UNESCO of a symposium on the world water balance, in rg6g or 1970; the preparation of a Technical Note on benchmark basins and refer­ence climatological stations ; and the suggestion of Weather and Water as a suitable topic for a future World Meteorological Day.

The panel also recommended that WMO should be represented on seven of the eleven Council working groups. Their subjects are representative and experimental basins; floods and their computation ; exchange of informa­tion; education; world water balance; hydrological maps ; and influence of man on the hydrological cycle.

Before the panel session, Mr. J. P. Bruce (Canada) had spent two days at the Decade secretariat in Paris, in order to review the hydrometeorologi­cal aspects of national programmes for IHD. He found that in most countries the meteorological or hydrometeorolo­gical agency is one of the main con­tributors to the programme, and that many countries emphasize the need for technical assistance for staff and equip­ment in order to carry out their pro­grammes. In a number of cases tribute

155

was paidto WMO and UNESCO tech­nical assistance already given.

Among important hydrometeorologi­cal problems mentioned in many na­tional programmes, Mr. Bruce pointed out the following : designation of Decade stations, water balance compu­tation, the establishment and operation of representative and experimental basins, orographic effects on precipita­tion distribution, rainfall intensity­duration-frequency analyses, quantita­tive precipitation forecasting, rainfall­runoff relationships, river forecasting techniques, weather radar application in hydrology, and evapotranspiration from various forms of vegetation.

The panel prepared a report for sub­mission to the Executive Committee on hydrometeorological aspects of the World Weather Watch. In this report, which considered the objectives and analysis of hydrometeorological and hydrological data within the framework of the World Weather Watch, as well as the operational needs, it was stressed that snow and ice-cover data as observed by weather satellites have substantial potential value in hydro­logical forecasting. It was also pointed out that hydrological requirements should be taken into account in any plan to incorporate weather radar into WWW. Data on precipitation, water levels and streamflow, snow cover, air temperatures, etc., from remote head­waters of major drainage basins are urgently required for river flow fore­casting in some parts of the world, and buoy wind and temperature data are required for water-level forecasting on many major lakes and reservoirs. The report submitted that such hydrological requirements should be considered in discussions on automatic weather sta­tions and buoys, as well as in the establishment of telecommunications systems, primarily for synoptic mete­orology purposes.

A. F.

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM IN TALLINN

From 15 to r8 March rg66, a sympo­sium on research into noctilucent clouds as indicators of processes in the higher atmosphere was convened in Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R., by the Special Com­mittee for the International Years of the Quiet Sun, the International Asso­ciation of Meteorology and Atmo­spheric Physics and WMO. About roo scientists from rz countries took part in the symposium and some 25 reports were presented and dis­cussed.

The symposium was opened by Dr. C. M. Minnis, secretary of the IQSY Committee. The following topics and associated problems were dis­cussed : climatology of noctilucent clouds, composition and structure of the higher layers of the atmosphere, experimental research on noctilucent clouds using rockets and lasers, and dynamics of noctilucent clouds.

Scientific sessions

The aim of the climatological studies of noctilucent clouds (NLC) is the inves­tigation of the character of temporary occurrence of these clouds, and the explanation of their genesis as a result of physical-chemical and dynamical processes in the higher atmosphere. Reports devoted to these problems were made by Ch. I. Willmann (U.S.S.R.), A. D. Christie (Canada), J. Paton (U.K.), B. Fogle (U.S.A.), W. Schroder and F. Volz (Federal Republic of Germany).

At present there are two hypotheses about the formation of noctilucent clouds : the cosmic dust theory and the ice particle theory. Detailed research into the structure and composition of the higher atmosphere is needed to explain the relative importance of these

156

hypotheses. Such research was sum­marized at the symposium, especially that on the distribution of water vapour and aerosols at the mesopause and in the neighbouring layers. The results of the theoretical papers on photochemistry, which made it possible to estimate the concentration of water vapour at the height of noctilucent clouds, were given in the reports by I. A. Khvostikov (U.S.S.R.), I. M. Kravchenko (U.S.S.R.), E. Hesstvedt (Norway), and N. N. Shefov (U.S.S.R.). The aerosol structure of the higher at­mosphere had been studied by V. G. Fessenkov (U.S.S.R.), G. Witt (Sweden) and G. V. Rosenberg, A. B. Sando­mirsky, V. K. P6ldmaa (U.S.S.R.). Based on the optical and condensation measurements of humidity in the stra­tosphere (up to 32 km), K. Ya. Kon­dratiev, I. Ya. Badinov, S. D. An­dreyev, V. B. Lipatov and V. N. Kona­shenok (U.S.S.R.) demonstrated that, at heights of 70 to go km, the expected concentration of water vapour is suffi­cient for the condensation and forma­tion of noctilucent clouds.

Rocket experiments for investigat­ing the nature of the particles forming these clouds, and investigations of noc­tilucent clouds by means of lasers in the optical range, by G. Fiocco (U.S.A.), may be considered one of the most important advances in research into the physical nature of noctilucent clouds during recent years. A. V. Fedynsky (U.S.S.R.) spoke about the results of instrumental measurements of water vapour in the mesopause by means of meteorological rockets at heights of 68 to 95 km.

The techniques and results of chemi­cal analysis of the particles of noctilu­cent clouds were described in the re-

ports by R. A. Skrivanek (U.S.A.) and R. K. Soberman (U.S.A.).

As regards the use of results of NLC studies in investigations of the upper atmospheric layers, the problems of kinematic characteristics and dyna­mics of the NLC field are most pro­mising. The various types of morpho­logical structure of the NLC field and their changes with time allow us to follow complex dynamic processes (wave motions, turbulence, jet streams) taking place at the mesopause.

N. I. Grishin (U.S.S.R.) discussed the morphological structure of noctilucent clouds. M. I. Burov (U.S.S.R.) reported on methods of stereophotogrammetric photography for obtaining the co­ordinates and speed of movement of noctilucent clouds and the results of the use of such methods during the IQSY. Contributions from B. N. Trub­nikov ,__L_S_.__ Skuratova, A. I. I vanov­sky, L. P. Zukova (U.S.S.R.) discussed theoretical dynamical problems in the zone of noctilucent clouds.

The proceedings of the symposium will be published in due course by the Soviet Geophysical Committee.

Working group meetings

After the official close of the sympo­sium, there were meetings of two work­ing groups consisting of the representa­tives of countries which are engaged in research on noctilucent clouds, and of international scientific organizations.

The two subjects discussed were: the compilation and publication of an inter­national noctilucent cloud manual, and the activities of special world geophy­sical centres (SWGC) for noctilucent clouds and the exchange of data be­tween them.

It was decided to publish the preli­minary draft of the manual before the beginning of the observation period in rg66. The SWGC in Tartu will com­plete the editing of the final instruc­tions by October rg66 and these will then be published by WMO. As re­gards the interchange of datq_, the need for mutual collaboration between scientific institutions and centres was recognized and steps will be taken to ensure closer contacts.

An excursion was organized round Tallinn for those present at the sym­posium ; afterwards, I. A. Undusk, Mayor of Tallinn, invited the foreign guests to a reception at the Town Hall.

This was the first international sym­posium in the field of geophysics since the end of the IQSY. Let us hope that the numerous personal contacts be­tween scientists from various countries will strengthen international co-opera­tion and that many interesting problems in the field of the physics and clima­tology of noctilucent clouds will be solved during the forthcoming years.

Ch. I. WILLMANN

0. A. AVASTE

Activities of the regional associations AFRICA

Regional Association I (Africa) has recently adopted by correspondence r8 resolutions dealing mainly with tele­communication matters. A review of these resolutions and of previously adopted decisions will be found on page 139.

157

Mr. Mansour Seck (Senegal) has been elected vice-president of the association by correspondence.

ASIA

Following the comparison of the regional standard working radiometers

at Poona and Tokyo, the chairman of the Working Group on Radiation of Regional Association II (Asia) is now studying the possibility of having the various national standards compared with one or other of the regional standards. The preparation of a list of Region II radiation stations similar to the one just distributed for Europe is also being considered.

As an important step towards the implementation of the regional tele­communication plan, the territorial broadcasts made by the centre at Bangkok have been transformed to a sub-regional broadcast, as requested by the association at its fourth session in Tehran.

SOUTH AMERICA

The fourth session of Regional Asso­ciation III (South America) is to be held in Quito (Ecuador) from 7 to rg November rg66. In preparation fm· this session and at the request of the region­al Working Group on Problems relating to Meteorological Reporting by Ships and to Forecasting for Shipping Pur­poses, an inquiry is being held to find out the position in the Region regarding coastal stations designated for the col­lection of ships' reports, ocean area forecasting coverage, visual storm sig­nals and port liaison officers.

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Regional Association IV (North and Central America) has adopted two resolutions by postal ballot, one making amendments to the basic synoptic net­work in tropical areas of the Region and the other on the designation of per­manent representatives. It also adopted a statement on the need for a tropical analysis centre and a tropical meteoro­logy research centre in the southern part of the Region. These decisions arise from the recommendations of the first session of the Working Group on

158

Tropical Meteorology for the Carib­bean, Central America and MP-xico (Mexico, November rg64). The second session of this working group, held in Mexico, in May rg66, will be reported in the next issue of the Bulletin.

The conclusions of this second ses­sion of the working group concerning meteorological activities in the tropical part of the Region will be very useful to the fourth session of the association which is to be held in Asheville (U.S.A.) from 4 to 13 October rg66. The agenda and the explanatory memo­randum for the session have been sent to all concerned.

SOUTH·WEST PACIFIC

Regional Association V (South-West Pacific) has been mainly engaged in setting up the working groups created by decisions of its fourth session (Wel­lington, February rg66).

EUROPE

The Working Group on Radiation of Regional Association VI (Europe) met in Brussels from 23 to 27 May rg66. The group devoted a considerable pro­portion of its time to scientific discus­sions on the accuracy of radiation measurements, the i,nterpretation of the results of pyrheliometric comparisons, and the definition and maintenance of a pyrheliometric scale. Lists and maps showing the radiation stations of most of the countries of Region VI have been prepared by the chairman of the group and distributed to Members of the Region and to the presidents of the WMO constituent bodies directly con­cerned. This is the first step in the establishment and maintenance of a list of stations in operation and of observa­tional data available.

In accordance with decisions of the fourth session of the association, the facsimile broadcasts from Rome (Italy) have become fully operative.

THE ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD FLOWS

WMO/ECAFE SEMINAR IN BANGKOK

The fourth regional hydrological

seminar was held in Bangkok, Thailand,

from 25 April to 9 May rg66. This

seminar, like the previous ones (see

Bulletin, Vol. XIV, No. r, p. 6), was

organized jointly by WMO and the UN

Economic Commission for Asia and the

Far East. The subject was The assess­

ment of the magnitude and frequency of

flood flows.

The seminar was attended by 41 par­

ticipants from r8 countries representing

Members of WMO Regions II and V,

including three delegates from Nepal,

and members of the ECAFE region.

Mr. A. Forsman, chief of the hydro­

meteorology section in the WMO

Secretariat, was director of the seminar

with Mr. A. S. Manalac of ECAFE

as eo-director.

The lectures were divided into two

parts : the hydrometeorological ap­

proach to assessment of the frequency

and magnitude of floods, and statistical

methods of flood frequency analysis.

They were given by two consultants,

Mr. Vance A. Myers, chief of the hydro­

meteorological branch, U.S. Weather

Bureau, and Mr. G. Remenieras, Chef

de Service, Electricite de France.

In his series of lectures, Mr. Myers

covered the following topics : analysis

of storm rainfall data, meteorological

physics used in hydrometeorology, cau­

ses of heavy rain in various regions,

maximization of storms, transposition

of storms, and orographic rainfall.

Mr. Remenieras treated the following

main topics : the theoretical basis of the

statistical analysis of flood frequency,

frequency distributions, the principal

probability laws used in flood frequency

analysis, flood frequency analysis at one

gauging station, and regional flood fre­

quency analysis. The lectures were

followed by discussions and the solution

of practical problems.

Thirteen papers were submitted by

participants, of which two of particular

interest were Envelope curves for maxi­

mum floods in monsoon areas of the

ECAFE region, by the ECAFE Secreta­

riat ; and Some statistical developments

in estimating the magnitude of rare

floods, by G. N. Alexander (Australia).

It was generally agreed that the

series of joint WMO/ECAFE hydro­

logical seminars should be continued in

view of their extreme usefulness. Most

participants were in favour of Droughts

being selected as the topic for the next

semmar.

The seminar also recommended that,

in view of the urgent need for gener­

alized regional rainfall maps and charts

to guide hydrologists in the hydro­

logical design of water resource develop­

ment projects and the preparation of

appraisals of reports, WMO and ECAFE

should undertake the preparation of a

rainfall frequency atlas for the ECAFE

region and a compendium of rainfall

volumes of major flood-producing

storms in the region.

159

The English version of the proceed­

ings of the seminar will be published in

the form of a joint WMOjECAFE pub­

lication, and arrangements are being

made for the publication of a French

version. A. F.

Activities of the technical commissions AEROLOGY

Dr. W. L. Godson (Canada), chair­man of theCAe Working Group on the Stratospheric Warming Experiment of the Commission for Aerology, sub­mitted the group's first report to the third session of the Advisory Com­mittee. This report gives background information and indicates the various aspects of the experiment which will require detailed study prior to technical and executive decisions. Basically, the proposal involves daily rawinsonde ascents to about 40 km (3mb), during a two-month period, to study rapid or final stratospheric winter-spring warm­ings at high northern latitudes.

The chairman of the Working Group on Tropical Meteorology, Dr. G. 0. P. Obasi (Nigeria), visited the Secretariat to obtain information and prepare a preliminary report on a World Weather Watch study - Special data collection netzvork in the tropics for research pur­poses. His report will consider what is required by scientists to gain know­ledge of the tropical atmosphere, with special emphasis on how it affects the circulation of the extra-tropical atmo­sphere.

AERONAUTICAL METEOROLOGY

After an inquiry among Members and consultation with the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology, the Secreta­riat has prepared a report on Members' studies, completed or planned, of ver­tical wind shear in the lower layers of the atmosphere. This report includes the results of two such studies in the U.S.A. and Japan. The results of those now in progress in various countries will be given in later reports.

In accordance with a recommenda­tion of the latest session of the commis­sion, a report has been prepared- also

after an inquiry among Members- on the accuracies currently attainable in meteorological observations on aero­dromes. Consideration is being given to the inclusion of the resulting revised table, showing observational require­ments on aerodromes and the attainable accuracies, in chapter 12 of the WMO Technical Regulations.

Members have been consulted on the methods they use for the dissemination of advisories for light aircraft (see Bulletin, Vol. XIV, No. r, p. 33). As some Members also supplied informa­tion about assistance for light aircraft before take-off, the president of CAeM considered that the inquiry should be supplemented by a report covering all the aspects of the assistance provided by Meteorological Services for general aviation (before and during flight). Accordingly a second consultation is in progress.

The president of CAeM entirely rewrote the draft Manual on meteoro­logical observing in aircraft and sub­mitted it to the members of his com­mission for comments. In the light of these, he has prepared a final draft and the Executive Committee has been invited to decide whether it should be published.

160

The vice-president of CAeM, for his part, has drafted the abridged version of Technical Note No. 57- Utilization of aircraft meteorological reports, which is intended for pilots.

After an inquiry among Members, the Secretary-General submitted a re­port to the eighteenth session of the Executive Committee on the action taken by Members to increase the number of upper-air observations (be­tween roo and ro mb). This report will be distributed shortly.

CLIMATOLOGY

As a contribution to the basic docu­ments for the UNESCO/WMO Sym­posium on Changes of Climate (Rome, October rg6r), the Secretariat provided participants with copies of reports con­taining lists of stations with observa­tion series covering 8o years or more. These lists were based on information obtained by the national Meteorolo­gical Services. At its fourth session (Stockholm, August rg65), the Com­mission for Climatology was of the opinion that the information collected in rg6r was of lasting value, and it was therefore decided that these lists should be revised and published in the Cata­logue of meteorological data for research. The Secretariat has invited national Services to complete a form designed to ensure uniformity in the information about stations with long series of observations and so to facilitate the preparation of the revised list.

The fourth session of the Commission for Climatology appointed Mr. M. R. Rigby (U.S.A.) as rapporteur to prepare a bibliography for instruction in cli­matology. Mr. Rigby has just com­pleted and handed a bibliography of 164 works to Mr. A. Vandenplas (Bel­gium), chairman of the Working Group on Instruction in Climatology.

AGRICULTURAL METEOROLOGY

The Working Group on Agrotopo­climatology, under the chairmanship of Dr. F. Schnelle (Federal Republic of Germany), held its first session in Geneva from 15 to r8 March rg66 ; all members of the group were present. The working group reviewed the reports of its members on the results of agro­topoclimatological studies carried out in various parts of the world. These reports were based on the results of an inquiry addressed to Members two years previously. The general conclu­sion was that, besides the studies

161

directly concerned with agrotopocli­matology, there are many others of the same kind in papers the titles of which do not reflect the fact clearly. On the other hand, many studies reported by Members as agrotopoclimatological are in fact microclimatological, or even climatological.

Before starting on the discussion of specific problems in agrotopoclimato­logy, members had formulated the fol­lowing definition : "Agrotopoclimato­logy is concerned with the local dif­ferences in climate arising from topo­graphy characteristics (including soil and vegetation) within a nominally uni­form macroclimatic zone in so far as these differences affect agriculture. In scale it is between macroclimate and microclimate.''

A fruitful scientific discussion, based on a provisional report drafted by the chairman, developed between members. The general impression was that the group was laying the foundation of a new meteorological science for the de­velopment of which continuous and increasing efforts will be needed to enable it to be of maximum benefit to agricultural and other interested spe­cialists.

HYDRO METEOROLOGY

Three consultants have been re­cruited to give lectures at the training seminar on hydrometeorological instru­ments, measurements and networks in North, Central and South America, to be held in Campina, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, in September rg66 (seep. 146). Mr. R. W. Carter, of the U.S. Geological Survey, will lecture on instruments and measurement of water levels, stream­flow and sediment transport ; Professor J. Nemec, of Prague Agricultural Col­lege (Czechoslovakia), on instruments and methods of observation for pre­cipitation, evaporation, radiation, air

temperature and humidity, and Dr. V. Figuera Perez, of the Ministerio de Obras Publicas, Caracas, Venezuela, on the design and establishment of hydrometeorological networks. UNESCO will provide a consultant on groundwater.

INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF OBSERVATION

The necessary formalities in con­nexion with the working groups estab­lished and rapporteurs nominated by the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation at its fourth session are now almost completed ; inost of the rapporteurs and some of the groups have been able to start their work.

The report of the fourth session was studied by the Executive Committee at its eighteenth session. The main deci­sions of the Committee will be reported in the next issue of the Bulletin.

The Proceedings of the scientific ses­sion which followed the fourth session of CIMO have been published by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The papers presented deal with instruments and measuring techniques at high alti­tudes and are published in the original language (English or French) followed by a summary of the subsequent dis­cussions. Inquiries regarding this pub­lication should be addressed to Dr. M. Y oshitake at the Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo.

MARITIME METEOROLOGY

Mr. G. Heap (U.K.), rapporteur on abridged ice nomenclature of the Work­ing Group on Sea Ice of the Commis­sion for Maritime Meteorology, has com­pleted an exhaustive study of proposed amendments to the present A bridged Ice Nomenclature made by Argentina,

162

Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and has prepared a draft revised version of the nomenclature. This was sent to the members of the Working Group on Sea Ice and other interested scientists for comments.

Dr. G. Verploegh (Netherlands), con­sultant on historical sea-surface tem­peratures and certain other parameters, has completed his survey (see Bulletin Vol. XV, No. r, p. 36). The main con­clusion is that it is not possible to base the project solely on the data available in the U.S.A. but that it is essential to use the data preserved by four Mem­bers, namely, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Nether lands, the United Kingdom and the U.S.A.; it was pro­posed that these Members should be invited to assist in carrying out the project. At its third session, the WMO Advisory Committee recommended that WMO should approve action broadly on the lines suggested in the report, i.e. the production and publication of his­torical records from r86o onwards of sea-surface temperature, air tempera­ture, mean scalar wind speed and vector wind speed, and of humidity since 1949. The Advisory Committee considered this project to be of great practical importance in connexion with studies of the general circulation of the atmos­phere, long-range forecasting and cli­matic fluctuations, and strongly recom­mended that it be accorded the highest priority.

SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY

An account of the fourth session of the Commission for Synoptic Meteoro­logy (Wiesbaden, March/ April rg66) will be found on page I3I.

Minor amendments to chapters I ~ International codes, and II - Regional Codes, of WMO Publication No. 9, Volume B were distributed in February rg66.

Collaboration with other international organizations FAO

European Commission on Agriculture

The twelfth conference of interna­tional organizations for the joint study of programmes and activities in the field of agriculture in Europe met in Paris from 15 to r8 February rg66 under the auspices of the European Commission on· Agriculture of FAO. This meeting was attended by repre­sentatives of over 70 international associations and nine inter-govern­mental bodies and of various organiza­tions of the United Nations family­FAO, UNESCO, WHO, ILO, IAEA and UNICEF. WMO was represented by Mr. R. Arh~ry.

The main purpose of meetings of this kind is to enable the many associations concerned from their different view­points with the agricultural problems of Europe to compare programmes of meetings planned and, considering the dates proposed, to seek the best ways of having questions of interest to several organizations dealt with as far as possible in joint or consecutive meetings.

The imperative need for these co­ordinating conferences is clear when it is borne in mind that, for rg66 only, the plans and activities reviewed included over 220 meetings of congresses, com­mittees, commissions, working groups and so on. These plans and activities - varied in the extreme -involve subjects in all branches of agriculture. Some of them are likely to have a number of meteorological or climato­logical implications in the near future and so a certain growth can be expected in the demand for the co-operation of agrometeorologists in the work of cer­tain of these international associations.

163

ICAO (EUM RAN)

The fifth European-Mediterranean Regional Air Navigation meeting was attended by some 320 delegates repre­senting 35 contracting States of ICAO, five non-contracting States and nine international or other organizations. It was held in Geneva in February rg66. From the point of view of meteorology, the highlight of the meeting was its recommendation relating to the estab­lishment of an EUM area forecast system. Various conclusions of the meetings of interest to WMO are reported below.

Area forecast system

The number of flights and the com­plexity of the air-route pattern, espe­cially for long-distance flights, have increased and are likely to increase further during the next few years. This development has made it difficult and, in a growing number of cases, prac­tically impossible to prepare locally all the flight forecast material required. The meeting therefore agreed that there was a need for the establishment of an area forecast system through which meteorological offices could, as neces­sary, receive such material from desig­nated centres. This material should meet the requirements for flights departing from EUM aerodromes for destinations in neighbouring regions, as well as for flights within the EUM region. In developing the system, care was taken that it should be compatible with the system already developed for the North Atlantic (NAT) region; and that it should not prejudice in any manner the systems which might sub­sequently be set up other regions and in particular by the Middle East (MID) and Africa-Indian Ocean (AFI) regions.

In formulating its plans for the EUM area forecast system, the meeting was guided by extracts from the report of the CAeM Working Group on the Meteorological Aspects of Area Fore­casting.

On the basis of the above considera­tions the meeting recommended the designation of three area forecast cen­tres with the areas of responsibility indicated: FrankfurtjMain (Europe, and Europe to Near and Middle East), Paris (Europe to western Africa north of the Equator), and Rome (Europe to eastern Africa north of the Equator). The committee also examined the need for an area forecast service for flights from EUM aerodromes to des­tinations in South America. It was recognized that the number of flights along these routes was increasing, especially along a rather narrow belt extending from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. While the requirement for area forecasts to cover the route pattern was not yet regarded as a pres­sing one, it was agreed that the present planning should allow for an extension in this respect in due course.

The functions of the proposed area forecast centres comprise data pro­cessing and telecommunications. With­in the framework of the data-processing function provision is made for the pre­paration of basic forecast charts for the surface and the upper air as well as specialized forecast charts such as those for significant weather or tropo­pausejmaximum wind. All the charts should be fixed-time prognostic charts. They should relate to the four main synoptic hours and be available to the recipient meteorological service, de­pending on the area involved, eight or eleven hours before the hour to which they refer. The transmission of this material should preferably be carried out by low-frequency facsimile broad­casts, but it ~as agreed that the reliabil­ity of such broadcasts required further investigation.

164

Having been advised of the present WMO planning in the field of World Weather Watch, the meeting noted with satisfaction that the World Weather Watch as planned could pro­vide substantial support to the area forecast system in the EUM region.

Supersonic aircraft

As far as action by WMO may be involved, the following conclusions regarding meteorological requirements for supersonic transport operations are of interest.

The meeting requested that basic meteorological reports, surface and upper air, should be made with reliabil­ity and regularity, and distributed on a routine basis with sufficient geo­graphical distribution and frequency of observation to protect operations at levels up to 14,000 metres. Preparatory arrangements should be made to extend this level to r8,ooo metres prior to the introduction of SST aircraft. This level is expected to be extended to 24,000 metres during the 1970s. The meeting also invited WMO to examine the upper-air network require­ments for observations between the 50 mb and 10 mb surfaces and the standard of accuracy and reliability of such observations which should be achieved in order to obtain adequate basic data for analysis and forecasting purposes.

Aircraft reports

Taking into account the require­ments expressed by the last session of the WMO Regional Association VI as regards areas from which routine me­teorological reports by commercial air­craft are necessary to supplement the upper-air network, the meeting recom­mended that aircraft should be exempt from making and recording any routine observations in the EUM region except when flying over the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic (including the Bay of Biscay) and North Africa.

The meeting was informed that on some occasions reports were not dis­seminated properly to all the meteoro­logical offices concerned. Accordingly States were invited to check their arrangements for the handling of these reports and to introduce improved in­structions to ensure that all such re­ports received are transmitted to ap­propriate collecting centres. Renewed stress was laid on the need for States to take appropriate action to ensure the full implementation of the air reporting procedure and the proper dissemina­tion of both in-flight and post-flight air reports.

Observing networks

The meeting pointed to the need for further action towards the implementa­tion of surface observational program­mes in Africa as highlighted by the fourth AFI RAN meeting. It also stressed the need for more ship reports for oooo and.o6oo GMT for the eastern North Atlantic.

With regard to upper-air observa­tions, attention was drawn to residual gaps in the networks of radiosonde and radiowind reports. It was recom­mended that first priority be given to the implementation of radiosondejra­diowind observations at oooo and rzoo GMT and second priority to radiowind observations at o6oo and r8oo GMT. Attention was also drawn to difficul­ties resulting from the irregularity of observations from some upper-air sta­tions in parts of south-eastern Europe.

Data exchange

The same difficulties have been experienced in the exchange of basic meteorological data already specified by the fourth session of RA VI, namely the shortcomings in the receipt of basic data from neighbouring Regions (upper­air data at oooo GMT from Africa and air reports from Africa and the Middle East). The meeting recommended that WMO arrange for the dissemination in

165

Europe of air reports from Africa over the IMTNE.

General aviation

The meeting considered the possi­bility of taking into account the re­quirements of international general

aviation when developing amendments to the EUM regional plan. In the

absence of adequate information on the operations of aircraft in this category, and of the fact that the operational requirements of general aviation have

not yet been clearly determined, the meeting was unable to establish special

provisions for these operations. How­ever, it was agreed that exchanges of

operational meteorological data re­quired for general aviation should be

met by means of bilateral arrange­ments. There is no doubt that the

subject of provision of meteorological service to general aviation will take a

growing importance in the next few years and that the matter will call for

special consideration by WMO.

N. L. V.

I CID

The sixth congress of the Interna­tional Commission on Irrigation and

Drainage was held in New Delhi, from 6 to 14 January rg66. The session was attended by nearly 500 delegates, including representatives of 38 nations and ten international organizations. WMO was represented by Mr. S. Banerji, of the India Meteorological Department.

The congress met at a time when drought conditions prevailed in many of the countries of Asia, including the host country, and attention was natu­rally given to this aspect. In his inau­gural address, the President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, suggested that

the experts present might be able to propose measures for overcoming the present food shortages. Both Dr. K. L. Rao, Minister of Irrigation and Power, and Mr. R. J. Tiptan, acting president

of the congress, emphasized the impor­tance of irrigation for improved food production.

Four questions were considered in technical sessions. The first of these concerned the reclamation of saline lands under irrigation, and the most important fact to emerge from the discussions was that the leaching pro­cess of reclamation is still the most effective and economic ; a manual of reclamation management practices giv­ing the standard methods of this pro­cess may be brought out.

During discussions on sediment in irrigation and drainage channels, the importance of rainfall intensity studies connected with watershed management was stressed by the WMO representa­tive.

Many of the papers submitted under the item on development of deltaic areas had not taken meteorological factors into consideration. The WMO representative pointed out that mete­orological factors, such as tidal waves, rainfall and evaporation, and move­ments of cyclones and tornadoes, deserved equal consideration with the engineering and hydrological aspects. WMO's interests in the International Hydrological Decade programmes were also mentioned. These remarks were noted in the conclusions drawn from this discussion. It was decided, inter alia, that deltas should be included in studies for overall planning of river­basin development, and that these studies should take account of storm surges, tornadoes and other meteoro­logical factors.

Finally, in connexion with the ques­tion on integrated operation of reser­voirs for irrigation, :flood control and other purposes, the WMO representa­tive informed the delegates of the pre­paration by WMO of the Guide to Hydrometeorological Practices and the

166

establishment of a Working Group on Estimation of Maximum Floods.

Two papers presented in the special session for reports of research were of interest to meteorologists. These con­cerned transpiration and protection of crops in relation to climate and irriga­tion, and an empirical formula for determination of peak flood.

IF ALP A

The 21st annual conference of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations was held in Auck­land, New Zealand, from 8 to 15 March 1966. WMO was represented by Mr. C. G. Green of the New Zealand Meteoro­logical Service.

There was little discussion on mete­orological matters and it was apparent that, generally speaking, the pilots had no criticism to make of the meteoro­logical services they receive. The main field in which they would like to see development is in instrumentation for measuring slant range and runway visual range and to give warning of approach to clear air turbulence.

I MCO

The 12th session of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Inter-Govern­mental Maritime Consultative Organi­zation was held at the new IMCO headquarters in London from 31 J anu­ary to 4 February 1g66. Representa­tives of 14 countries, members of the Maritime Safety Committee, were pre­sent and, in addition to the WMO, 12 international organizations were represented; WMO was represented by Commander C. E. N. Frankcom.

During the first day of the session a paper on the World Weather Watch was presented by Mr. W. R. Dyer. After describing briefly the organiza­tion and object of the World Weather Watch and paying tribute to the value

of the surface observations voluntarily supplied by more than 4000 merchant ships, the author described the pro­posed scheme for obtaining radiosonde observations from merchant ships and the possibility of using certain mer­chant ships for upper-wind observa­tions when a suitable radar or other equipment has been devised. He pointed out that this upper-air work would mean special technical staff being carried and that WMO appre­ciated the difficulties about carriage of hydrogen and also the communications problem in merchant ships. He re­ferred to the special studies to find out the density of shipping on the various trade routes so as to see where more observations from merchant ships might usefully be obtained. After referring to the possibility of establishing addi­tional fixed ocean weather stations and the use of automatic buoys (moored and drifting), constant-level balloons, and satellite observations, he pointed out that the most economical way of getting observations from the ocean was, with the co-operation of the shipowners, to make more use of merchant ships. The advantages that the shipping industry might derive from the results of an effective World Weather Watch were enumerated. The subsequent discus­sions showed that members of the Maritime Safety Committee were very willing to continue co-operating with WMO and that they do appreciate the value of accurate meteorological infor­mation from the viewpoint of safety. Much interest was shown in the pro­posed WMO survey of shipping density. Mention was made of the difficulties experienced because radio officers on merchant ships keep watch only for a limited period each day.

Another item of interest to WMO was the report of the Working Group on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Sea. The volume on compressed gases has now been prepared and this in­cludes instructions for the carriage of hydrogen. The regulation states that

167

hydrogen in high-pressure cylinders may be carried on deck or under deck in a well-ventilated space aboard cargo ships but is prohibited aboard ships carrying more than 25 passengers. Helium, on the other hand, is permitted in cargo or passenger ships on deck or under deck.

Automation in ships is of indirect interest to WMO, because the more automation is introduced, the fewer staff are likely to be carried and the busier individual officers are likely to be. As a result, it may be difficult for the officers in such ships to do more than make very simple meteorological observations at somewhat infrequent intervals. On the other hand, a measure of automation in the commu­nications field may be beneficial and some automation of meteorological in­struments aboard ships, in order to ease the task of the voluntary observer, may prove desirable. It seems, however, that automation aboard ship has not yet reached the stage when any specific action by IMCO would be required.

The report of the Sub-Committee on Sub-Division and Stability Problems was discussed ; this item was of interest to WMO because of the possible effect of bad weather on the stability of a ship, particularly if it is in a damaged condition. During the discussion about the stability of fishing vessels, mention was made of the simple code that the WMO is endeavouring to provide to describe the degree of icing being experienced aboard such ships when fishing in very, cold conditions.

ITU

The second session of the ITU Ex­traordinary Administrative Radio Con­ference for the Preparation of a Revised Allotment Plan for the Aeronautical Mobile (R) Service was held in Geneva from 14 March to 29 April 1966. It was attended by delegations from 55 Mem­ber countries and observers from

UNESCO, ICAO, WMO and other inter­national organizations.

The session concentrated chiefly on the preparation of a revised allotment plan based on up-to-date statistics of aircraft operations in each of the various areas of international, regional and domestic air route operations. Other related questions considered were the possibilities for space com­munication, programmes for monitor­ing the bands allocated exclusively to the aeronautical mobile (R) service, and a frequency allotment plan for mete­orological broadcasts to aircraft in flight (VOLMET).

Plan Committee for Europe and the Mediterranean Basin

The ITU Plan Committee for Europe and the Mediterranean Basin met in Paris from 21 March to r April 1966. About one hundred delegates took part ; WMO was represented by Mr. G. Nicod of the French Meteorological Service.

The meeting was convened for the purpose of drawing up the telecom­munications network plan for Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, so far as telephone, telegraph and telex services are concerned, for 1970-1975 and to introduce an automatic telephone num­bering plan with long-term validity (up to about the year 2000). The com­mittee also studied a review of the technical characteristics of land stations for telecommunications satellite recep­tion.

The WMO representative pointed out that the telephone and telegraph development plan for 1970 and 1975 covers a period which will be sub­stantially that of World Weather Watch implementation and that the success of WWW will depend a great deal upon the telecommunications facilities made available to the Mete-

168

orological Services, especially for high­speed (r2oo or 2400 baud) transmis­sions.

When the ITU plans telecommunica­tions circuits and trunk lines, it gener­ally reserves some ro per cent for users' requirements in leased circuits (ICAO, WMO, lATA and others). But the chairman of the Plan Committee stressed the fact that this might prove inadequate in Europe when high-speed data transmissions became the general rule. He therefore asked administra­tions to allow for this trend in drawing up their plans for 1970 and 1975.

The WMO representative also tabled a draft recommendation, which was adopted by the committee in plenary session, whereby in their plans, admi­nistrations should provide, for the use of Meteorological Services, telephone cir­cuits on the main axes suitable for the high-speed transmission of alpha­numerical data, graphic data and com­puter exchanges. They should also place at the disposal of the Meteoro­logical Services in each country tele­communications facilities ensuring re­liable, regular and rapid routing of meteorological observation data to the national collecting centre.

Although the Plan Committee's pow­ers extend only to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, it was accepted that the broad requirements expressed by WMO in this recommendation could be regarded as having general scope and that they would encourage administra­tions in other regions to give attention to the special problem of telecommu­nications for the World Weather Watch.

UNESCO (IOC)

The second session of the Working Group on Ocean Data Stations of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission was held at UNESCO

headquarters in Paris from 28 February to 3 March rg66.

The working group discussed IOC representation at the WMO Technical Conference on Automatic Weather Sta­tions to be held in Geneva in Septem­ber rg66 and the fourth session of the Commission for Synoptic Meteorology, held at Wiesbaden, in March rg66. It was suggested that IOC should be strongly represented at these two meetings, in order that the case for the oceanographers' requirements should not go by default. Of particular con­cern are the co-ordination of oceano­graphic requirements with existing and proposed meteorological networks, the use of merchant ships for routine

oceanographic observations and further radio frequencies for oceanographic communications.

Concern was expressed about the possibility of the North Atlantic Ocean Stations being discontinued and alter­native arrangements were discussed. These included the placing of automatic buoys at as many of these stations as feasible, initially for comparison pur­poses and subsequently to provide con­tinuing data in the event of withdrawal of the ships.

The group formulated a number of questions to be considered when the preparation of a single legal code for ocean data stations is discussed.

News and notes WORLD METEOROLOGICAL DAY 1966

Since the formal acceptance in 1963 by the Fourth WMO Congress of the responsibility placed upon the Organi­zation by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 1721 (XVI), the formulation of plans for the compre­hensive new weather system known as World Weather Watch has been a major activity of WMO. It was thus fitting that this activity should be chosen by the Executive Committee as the theme for the celebration of the sixth World Meteorological Day on 23 March rg66. This was a theme well suited to draw public attention to the importance of meteorology in national economic planning and to the part national Meteorological Services and WMO are playing and will continue to play in promoting the application of meteorology to man's activities.

To assist Members of the Organiza­tion in celebrating World Meteorologi­cal Day rg66, the Secretariat published and distributed English, French, Rus­sian and Spanish versions of an illus­trated 32-page booklet entitled World

169

Weather Watch. In addition, a new series of six photographic posters which were available with captions in English, French and Spanish, or without cap­tions to enable countries to insert their own, was distributed to supplement the earlier series of eight posters reprinted for the occasion. A number of training and information films, including the television film No frontiers in the sky

and the r6 mm film The World M eteoro­logical Organization were supplied to several countries on request.

About 30 countries have so far re­ported to the Secretariat on their cele­brations, which included exhibitions and open-days in meteorological offices, receptions, film shows and lectures to students of universities and secondary schools and the general public, radio and television feature programmes and the publication of special articles in the press. The information material issued by the Secretariat achieved a wide cir­culation and the two films mentioned above attracted good audiences. Three countries (Algeria, Democratic Republic

of Congo and Upper Volta) have reported the issue of special commemo­rative stamps and several countries

our understanding and prediction of the weather, the President continued: "We know now that our environment

A modern meteorological telecommunications centre:

Millions of weather observations are ex ..

changed between countries in a continuous

joint international effort agreed through WMO{

One of the new series of posters distributed in connexion with Wo'tld Meteorologi­cal Day

used special postal cancellations. Greet­ings cards or special envelopes were also issued by many countries.

On the day itself the President of the United States of America, in a state­ment from the White House, reaffirmed his pledge given in June rg64 that his country "would move ahead with plans for a world-wide weather system, in collaboration with other nations, to­ward a goal beneficial to all mankind''. After referring to the efforts of scientists and technicians everywhere to improve

170

is global and indivisible. Knowing this, it follows that the only way to achieve significant improvement of weather ser­vices and prediction is by vigorous international co-operation and by world-wide dissemination of weather data. The instrument of this pro­gramme is the World Meteorological Organization - a specialized agency of the United Nations with a membership of 127 countries. Through the World Meteorological Organization, the con­cept of a World Weather Watch is now taking shape. On this occasion, I am

proud to say that the United States strongly supports international co­operation in this vital field."

The success of the rg66 celebrations of World Meteorological Day can fairly be claimed and it is clear that this annual occasion is assuming an impor­tant place in the calendar of events of Meteorological Services in all parts of

Rome: Speakers at a special ceremony arranged to cele­brate World Meteorological Day included (left to right) General Giovannozzi, In­spector of Telecommnuica­tions and Flight Support, General G. Fea, director of the Air Force Meteorological Service and Col. U. Luc­cardi, chief of the Organiza­tion Division of the Service

the world. Tt should be specially men­tioned that this success was due in no small measure to the willing and energetic collaboration given by the various United Nations Information Centres which undertook the issue of press releases and the distribution of material and thus promoted general public awareness of meteorology and of the work of tlie Organization.

IQSY STRATOSPHERIC MAP SERIES

Through the co-operation of the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Environmental Science Services Admi­nistration, a special series of strata­spheric constant-pressure charts for the IQSY period (January I964- Decem­ber Ig65) has been produced with the aid of electronic computers. This series includes daily and monthly mean ana­lyses of height and temperature for the Ioo, 50, 30 and IO mb surfaces. The analyses have been performed for the

northern hemisphere within a rgn­point grid, bounded by an octagon near the r5°N latitude circle.

This series is presented in the follow­ing four sets : Set I : Microfilm of daily data and I200 GMT analyses, and monthly mean analyses ; Set 2 : Micro­film of daily I200 GMT analyses only; Set 3 : Magnetic tapes of daily and

monthly mean grid-point values ; Set 4: IBM punch-cards of daily and monthly mean grid-point values.

Set I is expected to facilitate research on stratospheric analysis, climatology, data problems, etc. Set 2 is intended for those primarily interested in viewing synoptic patterns. Set 3 and Set 4 are expected to facilitate statistical and dynamic studies, particularly those requiring the aid of digital computers.

171

Requests for information about prices and orders should be addressed to : Director, National Weather Records Center, Federal Building, Asheville, North Carolina 288oi, U.S.A.

The technique of data processing and map analysis employed to produce the IQSY stratospheric map series is de­scribed in A method for obfective analy­sis of stratospheric constant-pressure charts, by F. G. Finger, H. M. Wool£ and C. E. Anderson in the Monthly Weather Review, October Ig65, Vol. 93, No. IO, pages 6Ig-638.

News from the WMO Secretariat

VISIT/ OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Federal Republic of Germany and Sweden

The Secretary-General paid a brief visit to Wiesbaden during 7 and 8 March 1966 to attend the opening of the fourth session of the Commission for

· Synoptic Meteorology. Immediately after the opening ceremony on 8 March he went on to Stockholm to attend a session of the Bureau of the Organiza­tion. He also took this opportunity to have some discussions with the Presi­dent of WMO on a number of other questions.

United States of America

The SP-cretary-General visited N P.W

York and Washington during the period 24 to 29 March 1966. In New York he attended the first meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Board together with the heads of the other organizations participating in the United Nations Development Pro­gramme (UNDP). He also made a statement at a meeting of the ad hoc Committee of Experts set up by reso­lution 2049 (XX) of the United Nations General Assembly to examine the finances of the United Nations and the specialized agencies.

In Washington the Secretary-Gen­eral's engagements included discussions with Dr. R. M. White and the staff of the Environmental Science Services Administration as well as with officers in the Bureau of International Organi­zations Affairs of the State Depart­ment. The Secretary-General also vis­ited the National Environmental Satel­lite Center in Suitland.

172

United Kingdom

The Secretary-General visited Lon­don from 26 April to 2 May 1966 to attend the 41st session of the Admi­nistrative Committee on Co-ordination. The session was held in the new head­quarters of the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization.

The Secretary-General received gen­erous hospitality at all the places visited for which he takes this oppor­tunity to express his sincere apprecia­tion.

WORLD WEATHER WATCH PLANNING

During March 1966, two planning groups met in the WMO Secretariat. Mr. H. Ash ton, Professor V. Bugaev and Mr. F. Burnett represented the Mel­bourne, Moscow and Washington Cen­tres respectively at a meeting held to discuss the relationships of the three world meteorological centres. At the second meeting, representatives of France, United Kingdom, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. studied the role of meteoro­logical satellites in the World Weather Watch. This meeting discussed the sat­ellite systems which will be operational during the 1968-1971 period. In addi­tion, detailed explanations were given of certain satellite and satellite balloon systems which would be tested experi­mentally during the period. Good prog­ress was noted in the development of advanced satellite sensing techniques and particular interest was expressed in the infrared spectrometer which prom­ises to provide vertical profiles of tem­perature and humidity down to cloud­top height.

At the recent session of the Com­mission for Synoptic Meteorology in Wiesbaden the subject of the World Weather Watch received considerable attention. The three working com­mittees of the session met together to consider its broad aspects and during their discussions it became clear that the World Weather Watch plans which had been presented were favourably received by the commission. Subse­quently, each of the three committees considered those aspects of the World Weather Watch which were of imme­diate concern to them. The term regional in the expressions regional meteorological centre and regional telecommunication hub caused some confusion ; the commission expressed a desire to see a new term which would be more descriptive of the function to be performed, and less confusing geo­graphically.

The impact of the World Weather Watch upon services to international aviation and maritime interests has been the subject of preliminary studies by Mr. P. Duverge (France) and Mr. K. T. McLeod (Canada). It is clear that the existing systems and procedures of providing support to these services will be enhanced considerably by the World Weather Watch. Further study will be given to these two important subjects in the near future.

No less important than the interna­tional operational aspects is the World Weather Watch research programme, on which Professor S. Petterssen has continued to work. In April rg66, the research programme was the subject of considerable discussion at meetings of the WMO Advisory Committee and the IUGG Committee on Atmospheric Sciences. An outcome of these discus­sions was the specification of a prelimi­nary research programme which should ultimately lead to the development of long-range prediction techniques and to the determination of the feasibility of large-scale climate modification. The

research programme will involve sev­eral special research data-gathering pro­grammes which will be conducted during the coming period.

STAFF CHANGES

After filling the post of Assistant Secretary-General for r8 months, Pro­fessor P. D. Astapenko resigned on 30 April rg66 to return to the Polar Research Institute in Leningrad.

Mr. Paul R. Drouilhet left the Secretariat on 30 April rg66 after nearly eight years' service with WMO. He was formerly director of the Mete­orological Service of the U.S. Navy and joined the Technical Assistance Unit of WMO as deputy chief in August rg58. In the following years Mr. Drouilhet participated in the rapidly growing technical assistance programme of WMO ; he became chief of the Ex­panded Programme (EPTA) section and later, chief of the Africa section. During his years of service with WMO Mr. Drouilhet visited many developing countries ; members of the Meteorologi­cal Services in these countries as well as his colleagues in the Secretariat will miss his cheerful personality.

173

Early in rg66 Mr. Drouilhet reached retirement age, but a sister specialized agency, the Inter-Governmental Mali­time Consultative Organization, about to start technical assistance activities, is profiting from Mr. Dronilhet's ex­perience in this field and he was trans­ferred to IMCO headquarters in London as head of the technical assistance pro­gramme.

Mr. Miguel Ballester left the Tech­nical Co-operation Division on 9 April rg66 after serving first as technical officer and later on as acting chief of the Latin America section. He was engaged in the development and execu­tion of EPTA and Special Fund pro­jects in Latin America and visited a number of countries in that area.

Mr. Ballester is now serving in Rio de Janeiro as meteorological instructor of university graduates - a new post based on recommendations made by Professor Van Mieghem in his training plan for South America.

Their colleagues in the Secretariat and elsewhere wish Professor Asta­penko, Mr. Drouilhet and Mr. Ballester much success in the future.

A number of new appointments in the Secretariat are reported below in chronological order.

Mr. I. Font Tullot joined the Tech­nical Co-operation Division on 29 No­vember 1965 as chief of the Latin American section. After graduating in physics from the University of Barcelona in 1935, Mr. Font was chief of meteor­ology in a unit of the Spanish Air Force and subsequently served his national Meteorological Service in Tenerife and Madrid and was for two years a fore­caster at Shannon Airport, Ireland. During this time he carried out a short technical assistance mission for WMO in the Dominican Republic. At the time of his appointment in the Secretariat he was chief of mission on the Special Fund hydrometeorological project in Chile.

The vacancy created by Mr. Drouil­het's retirement was filled by Mr. Leo­nardo Mella, who joined the Secretariat on 24 February 1966. Mr. Mella is a graduate of the University of Chile and of the University of California at Los Angeles. He held posts in meteorology with Mexican airlines before becoming instructor in charge of the meteorologi­cal section, and then a director of the Mexican International Civil Aviation Centre, which was created under EPTA with the co-operation of ICAO. From I963 UIJ.til his transfer to WMO he was training officer in the Technical Assist­ance Bureau of ICAO in Montreal.

Dr. Ian E. M. Watts became chief of the section for Asia, the South-West Pacific and Europe of the Technical

174

Co-operation Division on 31 March I966. Dr. Watts is well known in the inter­national meteorological world as direc­tor of the Royal Observatory at Hong Kong since I956 and previously as director of the Malayan Meteorological Service. He is a graduate of the Uni­versity of New Zealand and obtained his doctorate in climatology from the University of Malaya. Dr. Watts has written a number of books and articles on the weather and climate of New Zealand, Malaya and Hong Kong.

Mr. Frederic E. Haldimann took up his duties as technical officer in the Technical Co-operation Division on I April I966. Mr. Haldimann had been chief meteorologist with Swissair in Zurich since I958 and had previous experience as a forecaster in the Swiss Meteorological Institute. He is already well acquainted with WMO activities, having participated in sessions of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteoro­logy and of the International Air Transport Association and ICAO.

Mr. Thorburn C. Snape joined the WMO Secretariat as chief of the publi­cations section on I May I966 on secondment from the European Office of the United Nations in Geneva. Before joining the United Nations staff in 1955 he had held posts in publishing and printing firms in Australia, U.S.A. and England.

RECENT WMO PUBLICATIONS

Regional Association II (Asia) A bridged final report of the fourth ses­sion. WMO- No. I8r. RP. 66. ix + 13I pages. Price : Sw. fr. I6.-

Commission for Instruments and Meth­ods of Observation - A bridged final report of the fourth session. WMO -No. I85. RP. 68. x + 75 pages. Price : Sw. fr. Io.so.

These reports are available in English and the latter is available also in

French. Each contains the summary of the work of the session, with the final agenda, lists of participants and of working documents and the texts of resolutions and recommendations adopted.

The sessions were held in Tehran (RA II) and in Tokyo (CIMO) in Octo­ber rg65. Brief accounts of each ses­sion were given in an earlier issue of the WMO Bulletin (Vol. XV, No. r, p. 13 and p. 26).

Reviews Physique de l'atmosphere (Physics of the

atmosphere). Tome Ill- Phinomenes d' absorption et de diffusion dans l' atmos­phere. By Etienne VAssv. Paris (Gauthier­Villars) rg66. 287 pages ; tables ; figure. Price : 45 fr. fr.

This volume follows on the first two -Phifnomenes d' emission dans l' atmosphere and Phenomenes de refraction- to which it refers although it is complete in itself and can be read independently.

The author's aim, which he has fully achieved, is to give the student as complete an account as possible of the subject. To that end the text has been stripped so far as possible of mathematical arguments to con­centrate on understanding of the phenomena and of the spirit behind the methods of research. Very complex questions are dealt with simply but rigorously in order to be accessible tu the t·eader with no more than a modest knowledge of general physics.

The numerous experimental data given range from the results obtained by early research workers to recent measurements by satellites in particular. This historical ap­proach makes for an appreciation of the development of ideas and better under­standing of the logic of the methods. Meteoro­logists not specializing in radiation will find here a source of precise and easily accessible information.

The author begins with a very clear statement of the general problems of atmo­spheric absorption of radiation ranging from the ultra-violet to the infra-red. The various research methods are reviewed and many measurements given, in particular those made by the author. The following chapters deal with solar radiation with special attention to its diffusion and to the polarization of diffused light from the sun. After a statement of the problem of visibility and of methods of measurement, the author studies briefly the special optical phenomena due to diffusion and then radio waves in the atmosphere and, especially, in the ionosphere. Turbulent diffusion is dealt with in a separate chapter.

Finally the author takes up the various absorption and diffusion phenomena to show

175

how they are used in indirect methods of exploring the atmosphere. From this very comprehensive account bringing in many related fields the reader will obtain a general view of the whole subject.

s. L.

Felder, Strome und Aerosole in der unteren Troposphare (Electric fields, currents and aerosols in the lower troposphere). By R. REITER. Darmstadt (Dr. Dietrich Steinkopff Verlag) 1964. xxiv + 6o3 pages ; 2 r 7 illustrations ; so tables. Price : DM I78.-.

This book contains the results of long-term atmospheric electricity measurements and gives an impressive idea of the various pro­perties of the atmospheric electricity para­meters, field strength, current, and con­ductivity, near the ground and in different weather situations. The special position of Reiter's stations on the slopes of the Zug­spitze between soo and 3,ooo m above sea­level permit conclusions to be drawn about the local vertical structure. This never­theless is not identical with the vertical structure in the free atmosphere. The author gives a detailed description of his network of atmospheric electricity stations and of his techniques of measuring atmos­pheric electricity and meteorological para­meters, the radioactivity of the air, and air pollution. Earlier results are discussed in many respects and their relationship with other phenomena shown.

Reiter also measured the radioactivity of the air, of precipitation and of the grass on the ground and made chemical analyses of the soil itself. He was able to explain the fluctuations in the data received by means of his atmospheric electricity and meteoro­logical observations.

Because of the great quantity of material presented, Reiter's book is not very suitable as an introduction to the problems of atmos­pheric electricity and aerosol physics. To the expert, however, it presents a great number of interesting questions and results.

· R. MUHLEISEN

Atmospheric Ozone Studies -An Outline for an International Observation Program. Washington (National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council) rg66. zr pages.

This zr-page report presents, in an admir­ably condensed form, the views of a special Panel on Ozone established by the Com­mittee on Atmospheric Sciences. The report reviews the main research problems in atmospheric ozone and makes suggestions for an international observational pro­gramme. The conclusions of the report deal with the types of observations needed in sup­port of various research problems involving atmospheric ozone and finally some pre­liminary suggestions are made for time and space networks of ozone observations.

The report deserves full attention by the scientific community interested in these pro­blems and also the special attention of governmental and non-governmental agen­cies concerned with the planning of inter­national research programmes in atmospheric sciences.

K. L.

Scientific Problems of the Humid Tropical Zone Deltas and their Implications. Pro­ceedings of the Dacca Symposium, 24 Feb­ruary to z March 1964. Paris (UNESCO) rg66. 422 pages; 13 plates. Price : US $rz.oo; 6o shillings; 41 Fr. fr.

In many respects the delta areas are the most important regions of the humid tropics since they are those of greatest human con­centration. The scientific problems of the deltas result from their geological, hydro­logical and biological characteristics and from the delicate interrelations between these. An integrated approach to the study of these problems would therefore be very beneficial.

A symposium along these lines was organized by UNESCO in Dacca (East Pakistan) in rg64. A more suitable location could hardly have been found since the Brahmaputra-Ganges delta- one of the most densely populated regions of the world -is one in which serious problems arise as a result of the rapidly increasing needs of developing towns, industries, and roads for an ever-growing population.

The papers, published in English or French, were presented by more than fifty specialists from various countries, as well as a number of Pakistani experts, and covered the following aspects of deltas in the humid tropics : geology and geomorphology, pedo­logy, hydrology, vegetation, biology and human influence. Among these was one by

S. N. Naqvi on The meteorological problems of the deltaic flood-plains of East Pakistan and another on Surface hydrology of deltaic areas by A. Volker.

A. F.

Climates of the U.S.S.R. By A. A. BoRrsov. Translated from Russian. Edinburgh and London (Oliver & Boyd) 1965. xxii + 255 pages ; 45 figures ; 42 tables ; z folding plates. Price : 75 shillings.

A survey such as that undertaken in this textbook is by no means an easy task, espe­cially when the area involved is as vast as that of the U.S.S.R. which, extending east­wards from zoo E to r7oo W and from 36o to Szo N, covers a seventh of the land surface of the globe.

As an introduction to the three main chapters - Climate-forming factors, Climatic elements in the U.S.S.R. and Regional cli­mates - there is an historical account of the progress of climatology in the U.S.S.R. This information is interesting from many points of view. It enables the reader to follow the observation of climate and its changes throughout historical times and to under­stand the development of the scientific concepts regarding the manifestations of meteorological laws and the application of this body of knowledge for man's prosperity.

The order observed in the historical account is reflected in the composition of the individual sections of the book.

The first chapter deals with the climate­forming factors, i.e. the physical processes (radiation regime, general circulation, the moisture cycle) and geographical factors (the underlying surface, latitude, relief). These are general considerations on the subject leading to conclusions which are illustrated by numerical data for the U.S.S.R. The following chapter gives prominence to the way in which the climatic elements are related to the climate-forming factors of the U .S.S.R. and the last chapter, on regional climatology, gives a picture of the living climate of the lowlands and mountainous regions of the u,·s.s.R.

176

The numerical data quoted in the text and the many tables and climatic charts strength­en the comprehension of the size and climatic variety of the country. For instance the table giving the extreme values of certain climatic elements in the U.S.S.R. and in the whole world shows values of the same order of magnitude on the two planes. The volume also gives many interesting and curious pieces of climatic information such as that 75 per cent of the Asian and 45 per cent of

the European territories of the U.S.S.R. are

in the grip of permafrost. interested in climatology and its relations

with the other sciences, and in the climates

of the U.S.S.R. In addition to the bibliography of Russian

works, the editor has compiled subject, name,

and place indexes. OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED

s. J.

The author with his great competence

offers a very comprehensive work - a

methodical synthesis of the ideas of Russian

specialists and a judicious selection of clima­

tological information. It is particularly

gratifying to find here the names of scientists

of today who are collaborating with WMO

in its scientific activities. It is a pity, however,

that, as the Russian edition dates from I959,

research carried out in the U.S.S.R. since

then on the energy budget could not be

included.

Meteorological Satellites. By W. K. WmGER,

Jr. New York (Holt, Rinehart and Win­

ston, Inc.) I966. Price: US $I.96.

Solar Radiation. Edited by Nathan RoBIN­

soN. Amsterdam, London, New York

(Elsevier Publishing ·company) I966.

Price: Dfi. 67.50.

Contributo alla climatologia della Somalia.

Edited by Amilcare FANTOLI. Rome

(Ministero degli Affari Esteri).

The publishers have earned the gratitude

of English-language readers for making this

excellent work available to them ; it can be

recommended to students and specialists

Significant Achievements in Satellite Meteoro­

logy, I958-I964. NASA Special Publica­

tions No. 96. Washington, D.C. (U.S.

Government Printing Office) I966. Price :

US $o.6o.

CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS

World Meteorological Organization

5- 9 September I966

12- 30 September I966

20 September- I October I966

3-21 October I966

4- I3 October I966

5- 2I October 1966

24-28 October 1966

7- I9 November I966

28 November- 15 December I966

Other International Organizations

22 August- ro September I966 26 August- 2 September I966

7- zo September I966

I4- I7 September I966

I9- 26 September I966

9- IS October I966

WMOjiAMAPjSCAR Symposium on Polar Mete­

orology, Geneva, Switzerland Seminar on Hydrometeorological Instruments

and Methods of Observation and on the Estab­

lishment of Hydrometeorological Networks in

Regions Ill and IV, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Technical Conference on Automatic Weather

Stations, Geneva, Switzerland Regional Seminar on Training of National In­

structors (RA I), Cairo, U.A.R. Regional Association IV (North and Central

America), 4th session, Asheville, U.S.A.

Training Seminar on the Interpretation and Use

of Meteorological Satellite Data (RA VI), Mos­

cow, U.S.S.R. Working Group on Qualifications and Training

of Aeronautical Meteorological Personnel (CAeM)

Ist session, Geneva, Switzerland Regional Association Ill (South America),

4th session, Quito, Ecuador Seminar on Agrometeorology (Regions II and V),

Melbourne, Australia

uth Pacific Science Congress, Tokyo, Japan

4th International Biometeorological Congress,

New Brunswick (N.J.), U.S.A. Regional Plan Committee for Asia and Oceania

(ITU), Melbourne, Australia International Congress on Alpine Meteorology,

Brigue-Zermatt, Switzerland 7th Regional Conference on Water Resources

Development (ECAFE), Canberra, Australia

XVIIth Session on Meteorological Satellites

(IAF), Madrid, Spain

177

SELECTED LIST OF WMO PUBLICATIONS (July rg66)

Note: Except for publications indicated as being bilingual, the different versions are published separately and the price stated refers to the version in one language only.

Technical Notes A series of publications on subjects of special interest to meteorologists and workers

in aeronautical, maritime, agricultural and hydrological fields

WMO- No. Sw. fr. 77· TP. 31 - Turbulent diffusion in the atmosphere. Technical Note No. 24.

English. 82. TP. 32 - Design of hydrological networks. Technical Note No. 25. English.

Techniques for surveying surface-water resources. Technical Note No. 26. English.

84. TP. 35 - Use of ground-based radar in meteorology (excluding upper-wind measurements). Technical Note No. 27. English.

94· TP. 38 - Upper air network requirements for numerical weather prediction. Technical Note No. 29. English. Rapport preliminaire du Groupe de travail des reseaux de la Com­mission de meteorologie synoptique. Technical Note No. 30. French.

95· TP. 39- Les representations graphiques en meteorologie. Technical Note No. 3r. French.

g6. TP. 40 - Meteorological service for aircraft employed in agriculture and forestry. Technical Note No. 32. English.

ro6. TP. 45 - Techniques d'analyse et de prevision des champs de vent et de temperature a haute altitude. Technical Note No. 35· French.

wg. TP. 47- Aviation hail problem. Technical Note No. 37· English. - Turbulence in clear air and in cloud. Technical Note No. 38. English. - Ice formation on aircraft. Technical Note No. 39· English. - Occurrence and forecasting of Cirrostratus clouds. Technical Note

No. 40. English. III. TP. 49- Meteorological factors influencing the transport and removal of

radioactive debris. Technical Note No. 43· English. II8. TP. 53 - Numerical methods of weather analysis and forecasting. Technical

Note No. 44· English. ug. TP. 54 - Performance requirements of aerological instruments. Technical

Note No. 45· English. r24. TP. 55 - Methods of forecasting the state of sea on the basis of meteorological

data. Technical Note No. 46. English. - Precipitation measurements at sea. Technical Note No. 47· English.

126. TP. 56 - The present status of long-range forecasting in the world. Technical Note No. 48. English.

131. TP. 58 - Reduction and use of data obtained by TIRos meteorological satel­lites. Technical Note No. 49· English.

132. TP. 59 - The problem of the professional training of meteorological personnel of all grades in the less-developed countries. Technical Note No. so. English - French.

133. TP. 6o - Protection against frost damage. Technical Note No. sr. English. 136. TP. 62 - Automatic weather stations. Technical Note No. 52. English­

French. I37· 'rP. 63 - The effect of weather and climate upon the keeping quality of fruit.

Technical Note No. 53· English. r38. TP. 64 - Meteorology and the migration of Desert Locusts. Technical Note

No. 54· English. 140. TP. 65 - The influence of weather conditions on the occurrence of apple

scab. Technical Note No. 55· English. I4I. TP. 66- A study of agroclimatology in semi-arid and arid zones of the Near

East. Technical Note No. 56. English- French.

178

7·-

} 4·-

9·-

l I4,-

J.-

J.-

8.-

l 8.-

8.-

4·-

4·-

} 6.-

4·-

6.-

4·-6.-

J.-

8.-

zs.-

s.-6-

WMO- No.

I44· TP. 6S- Utilization of aircraft meteorological reports. Technical Note No. 57·

English.

146. TP. 69- Tidal phenomena in the upper atmosphere. Technical Note No. sS.

English.

I47· TP. 70- Windbreaks and shelterbelts. Technical Note No. 59· English.

I53· TP. 73 -Meteorological soundings in the upper atmosphere. Technical Note

No. 6o. English.

I54· TP. 74 - Note on the standardization of pressure reduction methods in the

international network of synoptic stations. Technical Note No. 6r.

English.

I 55· TP. 75 - Problems of tropical meteorology. Technical Note No. 62. English.

156. TP. 76 - Sites for wind-power installations. Technical Note No. 63. English.

I59· TP. 77 - High-level forecasting for turbine-engined aircraft operations over

Africa and the Middle East. Technical Note No. 64. English.

r6o. TP. 7S- A survey of human biometeorology. Technical Note No. 65.

English.

r62. TP. 79- WMO-IUGG symposium on research and development aspects of

long-range forecasting. Technical Note No. 66. English.

r65. TP. So - The present situation with regard to the application of numerical

methods for routine weather prediction and prospects for the

future. Technical Note No. 67. English.

r6g. TP. S3 - Meteorologica:I aspects of atmospheric radioactivity. Technical

Note No. 6S. English.

IJI. TP. Ss - Meteorology and the Desert Locust. Technical Note No. 6g. English.

176. TP. S7 - Circulation in the stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

Technical Note No. 70. English.

Technical Regulations and Guides

49· BD. 2 - Technical Regulations. Volume I - General. 2nd edition, 1959.

English- French - Russian- Spanish.

49· BD. 3- Technical Regulations. Volume Il - Meteorological Service for

International Air Navigation. 2nd edition, rg6r. English- French

- Russian - Spanish. Cover for the two volumes.

S. TP. 3 - Guide to Meteorological Instrument and Observing Practices.

2nd edition, rg6o. English - French.

roo. TP. 44- Guide to Climatological Practices. English- French.

I34· TP. 6r - Guide to Agricultural Meteorological Practices. English- French.

rsr. TP. 71 - Guide to the Preparation of Synoptic Weather Charts and Diagrams.

English - French.

r6S. TP. S2 - Guide to Hydrometeorological Practices. English.

Other technical publications

2. TP. r - Meteorological Services of the World. 1959 edition. Bilingual

(English and French).

5· TP. 2 - Composition of the WMO. rg62 edition. Bilingual (English and

French). II3. TP. 50 - Weather and Food. English- French- Spanish.

127. TP. 57 - Catalogue of Ozone Stations. Bilingual (English and French).

143. TP. 67 - Weather and Man. English- French- Spanish.

152. TP. 72 - Report on meteorological training facilities. English - French.

r66. TP. Sr - Meteorology in the Indian Ocean. English.

170. TP. 84 - Short-period averages for rgsr-rg6o and provisional average values

for CLIMAT TEMP and CLIMAT TEMP SHIP stations. Bilingual

(English and French).

I74· TP.·S6- Catalogue of meteorological data for research. (Part I) English.

rSz. TP. gr -International Meteorological Vocabulary. Quadrilingual (English,

French, Russian and Spanish).

r83. TP. 92- World Weather Watch. English-French-Russian-Spanish.

179

Sw. fr.

4·-

J.­ro.-

8.-

J.­s.­s.-

24.-

I4.-

40.-

6.-

I8.­

JO.-

I8.-

IO.-

I2.­

J.-

I8.-·

I5.­I2.-

6.­JO.-

24.-

IZ.-

2.-

5-2.-

6.-2.-

36.-30.-

40.­r.-

International Cloud Atlas The complete reference work on clouds and meteors: Volume I contains the

descriptive text; Volume II illustrates this with plates in black and white (r23), and in colour (IOI); the Abridged Atlas contains the essentials of these two

volumes in abridged form

International Cloud Atlas - Volume I. English - French : Volume II. Abridged Atlas.

English - French : English - French :

International Cloud Album for Observers in Marine Cloud Album (4o bare plates) :

Aircraft. English - French :

Cloud Sheet :

Volume A :

Volume B: Volume C: VolumeD:

Weather Reporting : Stations, Codes and Transmissions

(Publication No. 9· TP. 4) The basic reference publication for operational activities

of meteorological services

Observing Stations. 1964 edition. Bilingual (English and French). Codes. English- French. Price (including cover) : Transmissions. Bilingual (English and French). Information for Shipping. English- French. New edition planned for 1966.

NoTE: Amendments are made from time to time to Publication No. g. TP. 4- - WEATHER REPORTING - Volumes A, B, C and D and a supplement service is maintained for this purpose and charged separately. Subscriptions for this service are entered at the time of the original order and are renewable annually. The rates for 1966 are as follows : Volume A - Sw. fr. I7.­Volume B - Sw. fr. 4·-

WMO Bulletin

Volume C - Sw. fr. 26.­Volume D- Sw. fr. 22.-

A quarterly information bulletin on the work of WMO and on recent developments in international meteorology

Annual subscription.

Sw. fr. rs.­Sw. fr. 35-­Sw. fr. rs.­Sw. fr. g.­US$ I.­

Sw. fr. I.-

Sw. fr. so.­Sw. fr. 40.­Sw. fr. IOO.-

Sw. fr.

Previous issues, where available. Per copy: 4·­I.-

International Geophysical Year and International Geophysical Co-operation Microcards of IGY meteorological data. Parts I,

Microcards of IGC (1959) aerological data. IGY radiation data. IGC (1959) radiation data. IGY ozone data. IGC (1959) ozone data. Microfilm of IGY atmospheric chemistry data. Microfilm of IGY evaporation and evapotrans-

II, Ill, IV. Price : US$ 5,990 per set Price : US$ r,soo per set Price of complete set : US$ Price of complete set : US$ Price of complete set : US$ Price of complete set : US$ Price of complete set : Sw. fr.

200.­

r8s.-39·-26.-32.-

piration data. Price of complete set : Microfilm of IGY atmospheric electricity data. Price of complete set :

Sw. fr. rzo.­Sw. fr. 6o.-

Prices of partial sets of IGY and IGC data on request. International Geophysical Year 1957-1958. Meteorological Programme: 55· IGY. I - General Survey. English- French. 58. IGY. z- Lists of Stations. Bilingual (English and French).

123,. IGY. 3 ·- MiGI'OJJilru:ds .. of IGY Meteorological Data -Classification for Information Storage and Retrieval. English.

I35· IGY. 4 - Catalogue of IGY/IGC meteorological data. Bilingual (English and French).

180

Sw. fr. ro.-Sw. fr. 8.-

Sw. fr. 7·-

Sw. fr. 25.-

Basic Documents WMO- No. Sw. fr.

15. BD. r - Basic Documents (excluding the Technical Regulations), 3rd edi-

tion, 1963. English- French- Russian- Spanish. 8.-

6o. BD. 4 - Agreements and Working Arrangements with Other International Organizations, 2nd edition, 1961. English- French- Russian-

Spanish. 3.-

Records and Reports

r84. RP. 67 - Annual Report of the WMO, 1965. English - French.

Executive Committee

Abridged reports with resolutions. English - French - Russian - Spanish.

rsS. RC. 25 - Sixteenth session, 1964. 173. RC. 26 - Seventeenth session, 1965.

Fourth Congress of the WMO (I963)

142. RC. 23 - Abridged report with resolutions. English- French. - Resolutions. Spanish- Russian.

145· RC. 24 - Proceedings. English- French.

Regional associations

IO.-

30.-30.-

2S.-2S.­IS.-

Reports of the most recent sessions of the following regional associations are available :

167. RP. 62 - Region I. English- French: 181. RP. 66 - Region II. English : 150. RP. 57 - Region III. Spanish- English: I49· RP. 56 - Region IV. Spanish- English: 187. RP. 6g - Region V. English: 172. RP. 63- Region VI. English- French:

Technical commissions

3·-*** I6.-*** 3·-** 4·-**

Io.so*** IS.-***

Reports of the most recent sessions of the following technical commissions are available in

English and French : 175. RP. 64 - CAe: 157. RP. 58 - CAeM : Volume I

125. RP. 51 - CAgM: I77· RP. 65 - CC!: r6r. RP. 59 - CRy: 185. RP. 68 - CIMO : r64. RP. 61- CMM: 122. RP. 50 - CSM : * second session

Volume II

* • third session *** fourth session

All prices include the cost of packing and dispatch by surface mail.

The above publications may be obtained from the

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

GENEVA, Switzerland

9·So*** 6.-**

I2.-** Io.so***

9·So*** 3·-*

Io.so*** 20.-*** 6.-**

Payment may be made direct to the Organization, or by credit to the accounts of WMO

with Lloyds Bank Europe Ltd., Geneva, London, Paris Compte de cheques postaux rz- 12694, Geneva Chase Manhattan Bank, New York

181

l

MEMBERS OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION*

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Burma Burundi Byelorussian S.S.R. Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Ceylon Chad Chile China Colombia Congo (Brazzaville) Congo, Democratic

Republic of Costa Rica Cuba Cyprus Czechoslovakia Dahomey Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Ethiopia Finland France Gabon

British Caribbean Territories and British Guiana

French Polynesia French Somaliland Hong Kong Mauritius

* On I July 1966

STATES

Germany, Federal Norway Pakistan Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Singapore Somalia South Africa Spain

Republic of Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya

Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Tanzania, United

Republic of Thailand

Korea, Republic of Kuwait

To go Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Laos

Lebanon Libya Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Mauritania Mexico Mongolia Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria

Turkey Uganda Ukrainian S.S.R. Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics United Arab Republic United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America Upper Volta Uruguay Venezuela Viet-Nam Yugoslavia Zambia

TERRITORIES

182

Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia Portuguese East Africa Portuguese West Africa Southern Rhodesia Spanish Territories of Guinea Surinam

30 YEARS OF ELECTRONICS FOR METEOROLOGY

1931 :

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1959. Now used in 30 coun­

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RADIOTHEODOLITE RECORDING RECEIVER RT 17

for

• upper-air wind finding with the Vaisala Radiosonde RS 12, or Vaisala Radiowindsonde ws 12

VAI~ALA DY HELSINKI 44 FINLAND

WEATHER WISE

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Equipments are operating in the the United Kingdom and Australia and eight will shortly be installed in New Zealand, Fiji, Funafuti, Raratonga ..

In addition ten more equipments are ordered for use in the United Kingdom, Malta, Cyprus, North Africa and other locations. The CR 353 can, by the use of various optional units, be employed as a windfinder or for weather surveillance and the use of advanced tracking and display facilities reduces the personnel requirement to a minimum.

Full details gladly sent on request to:

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Skua-the most reliable system for measurements at 70 km altitude

,4.RADAR-REFLECTIVE, sonde-carry-1-\..ing parachute ejected from a Skua meteorological rocket is open and res­ponding to the wind 70 kilometres up.

The 15-ft flying diameter para­chute and 28 m/cs son de are part of the standard instrumentation avail­able for the Skua meteorological system. This very reliable, exception­ally economic system for gathering data from heights up to 80 km has already been in service with the British Meteorological Office for over 12 months.

5 in diameter, 90 in long and weighing 81 lb, the rocket will carry payloads up to 13 lb in weight or 500 cu in in volume. Its British plastic propellant is very stable, con­sistent in performance and very economical.

Easily tracked by a moderately priced radar, the rocket is given a high launch velocity by means of a simple boost system.

The booster itself descends by parachute close to the launcher, and can easily be recovered, refilled and re-used.

Launching is effected from a simple, hydraulically operated tube mounted on a vehicle, enabling it to be transported to prac­tically any launch area.

Impact point dispersion problems have received particular attention with the Skua system. As a result, dispersion areas are ex­ceptionally small, even in high winds. This permits the system to be used even in places where the area available for the descent of the empty rocket case is severely limited.

For further information on the Skua system, please write to: Bristol Aerojet Limited, Banwell, Somerset, England.

RADIO SON DE

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The WE Radio Sonde can be supplied either complete with battery, aerial parachute, radar reflector and battery, or the transmitter with met. elements can be supplied as a single unit.

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PHYSIQUE DE L'ATMOSPHERE

Tome Ill: PHENOMENES D' ABSORPTION ET DE DIFFUSION

DANS L' ATMOSPHERE by Etienne V ASSY

This work containing the subject matter of a series of lectures given at the Faculty of Sciences, Paris, provides a body of well­established knowledge suitable as a point of departure for research in this field. 287 pages, 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 frs.

Already out :

Tome I: Phenomenes d'emission dans !'atmosphere. 344 pages, 43 figures, 1956. . . . . . 35 frs.

Tome 11: Phenomenes de refraction. 288 pages, 160 figures, 1959 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 frs.

* MONOGRAPHIES DE METEOROLOGIE

General Editor : A. VrAUT

RAYONNEMENT SOLAIRE

ET ECHANGES RADIATIFS NATURELS

by Ch. PERRIN DE BRICHAMBAUT

304 pages, 1963 . .

CLIMATOLOGIE Methodes et Pratiques

by H. GrusoLLET, B. GUILMET and R. ARLERY

416 pages, 1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MESURES EN METEOROLOGIE

by A. PERLAT and M. PETIT

394 pages, 1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

METEOROLOGIE GENERALE

by J. RouLLEAU and R. TROCHON

Tome I: Structure verticale de !'atmosphere. L'atmo­sphere et les phenomenes de rayonnement.

46 frs.

50 frs.

55 frs.

149 pages, 46 figures, 1952 . . . . . . . 10 frs.

Tome 11 : Stabilite verticale de I' atmosphere. 178 pages, 89 figures, 1958 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 frs.

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HERE'S WHY FORECASTERS PREFER AND DEPEND ON ALFAX •••

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Calor is Easiest to Read Under All Lighting Conditions.

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Alfax can be stored indefinitely under all en­vironmental extremes and maps do not change in density or sharpness with age.

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International radio facsimile charts

A special radio receiver designed for Alden by Helac Electronics is an integral module in the recorder for receiving international HF radio facsimile transmissions as well as the UHF for satellite reception.

Network pictures of weather satellite photos

Running at 240 rpm on the U.S. Weather Bureau High Altitude Network the U.S. Weather Bureau satellite picture transmissions, normally requiring a special Polaroid film pack recorder, can be monitored as instantly, continuously­visible direct graphic photo recordings enlarged to the lOX" width.

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The Alden #9225 Facsimile Recorder is designed to offer a broad spectrum of weather display selection never before available. Providing radio facsimile, satellite photo and standard land line weather map reception, the recorder further incorporates the exciting capability of receiving APT transmissions direct from the APT mode weather satellites.

The enlarged ALFAX pictures have extra steps in the light end of the tone scale to capture the subtle but in1portant differences in cloud cover shadings and permanently records differences in the darkest shades that do not sublime together with aging.

The Alden #9225 Facsimile Recorder has three in­dices of cooperation and three sweep rates that, combined with the tone shade capability of ALFAX recording papers makes it ideal for reception of video or camera/photo/scanner transmissions from high altitude aircraft to ground stations. The re­corder can thus be used for a variety of possible systems such as aerial survey photos of forest fires, hurricanes or severe storms.

Write for APT SPEC SHEET #9225

ALDEN INTERNATIONAL, S. A. 117 North Main St., Brockton, Mass.

New weather radar atop Mt. Fuji scans nearly all of Japan

Site on Mt. Fuji does job of 10 stations

Another Mitsubishi milestone!

A recently installed weather radar sta­

tion atop Japan's famous Mt. Fuji,

3776 meters above sea level, vastly

increases Japan's weather tracking

potential. With a radial sweep of 800 km, the

station now partly or completely

blankets a string of ten lesser stations

-and, in addition, extends the weath­

erman's vision hundreds of kilometers

farther out to sea. In typhoon-wracked

Japan the savings in lives and property

will be incalculable. The radar pattern is received simul-

taneously both at the station and, via

microwave relay, at the Japan Mete­

orological Agency in Tokyo 100 km

away. The entire system: Radar, micro­

wave relay, and a specially built digital

telemeter-all remote controlled in

Tokyo-was built by Japan's most

experienced electrical company­

Mitsubishi Electric.

SPECS Transmitting Frequency ........ 2880 MC/S Transmitter Power ...... 2MW NOMINAL Max. Detectable Range ............ 800 km Frequency Band ...... 6570 TO 6870 MC/S

J... MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION Head Office: Mitsublshi Denki Bldg., Marunouchi, Tokyo. Cable Address: MELCO TOKYO

New Rain and Snow Gauges

UM 9500 in shelter provided with gas heating system

model UM 9500

180-day rainfall recorder completely self-powered

model UM 8150

monthly rainfall recorder with continuous chart

SOCIEIA IIAliANA APPARECCHI PRECISIONE

Instruments for meteorology and hydrology

Via G. Massarenti 412- Bologna- ITALIA

MIDDLETON & CO. PTY. LTD. PRECISION INSTRUMENT MAKERS

8-12 Eastern Road, SouTH MELBOURNE, Australia

INVITE

Meteorological Stations and Research Organizations, Uni­versities, Agricultural and Water Authorities to direct their enquiries for instruments measuring Solar Radiation, directly to our firm.

We offer

SOLARIMETERS ALBEDO METERS SOLARI-ALBEDOMETERS NET RADIOMETERS SOIL HEAT FLUX PLATES

All instruments can be supplied with certificates of calibration carried out by the Division of Meteorological Physics, CSIRO, Aspendale, Victoria.

AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION

Fully automatic conversion of 11 meteorological data into Pulse quanta ; suited for Radio or wire transmission. Printed digital read-out.

a V

100% transistorized Low power consumption Voltage stabilized Climate resistant Minimum maintenance Line or battery operation

IMPULSPHYSIK GmbH, Hamburg 56, Western Germany Visibilitymeter . Ceilometer . Automatic Weather Stations

For Your Upper Air Sounding AT VERY HIGH ALTITUDES

USE

THE NEW POWERFUL HYDROGEN GENERATOR

(2200 generators are in use throughout the world)

Much more economical than aluminium or calcium hydride (hydrolith). Large gas production [up to 45 cu. ft (12 cu. m) per charge]. Available in different models, producing pure hydrogen under pressure, by patented ready-for-use refills (excess pro· duction impossible), Used by the French in Adelie Land, by the British in Greenland, and by most of the special expeditions for the International Geo· physical Year which are equipped with the G.I.P. hydrogen generator.

LA G.l. P. SOCIETE DES GAZ INDUSTRIELS DE PROVINCE

USINE A SAINT-ETIENNE (LOIRE), RUE SCHEURER-KESTNER (FRANCE)

8£ SU:IV'd- LJ+8JEZEN ap aweo-aJlON anJ 'L

3~SO:>V130

for

Atmospheric

pressure Temperature Humidity

Wind Precipitation Evaporation Radiation

Air Flow

Precision Measuring Instruments

West Germany

Precision is our Strongest Asset

error-proofed by Autospec

THIS MESSAt;E IS BE!l':(j S t\'f OVE'R TIAO. •,cJCE fREt;:UU'iCY

CHANN£LS ON THE SAM5: RAD!C L ll\l<. ON ONE CHANI':EL. TFE !'v'DRMAL

f'.l \lE UNIT STAR STOP TELEPRINTER CODE l S USED. Tl-:E OTHER

[.CHANNEL IS EQUIPPED WiTH I'.ARCONI AUTOSPEC \!IH!CH USES A .. 1 ~TEN U IT SYNCHRONOUS SELF CHECKING CODE TO.PROV l DE

f;~;<UTCMA1JC ERROR CORRECTION AND DETECT 10!-1 ki~:~"'~...:...:;.;;.:_..~:!,:_.,.,.:;. : -·~ . ..: ..... ~- '~.. ·~ ~ '"'«~.;_,~~-~., .~-""-;..,; "'·"· -··· .............. ......__.~

WITH AUTOSPEC

An AUTOSPEC terminal at each end

of an h.!. radio link detects and corrects

errors introduced by noise and

interference. As AUTOSPEC requires no

return path, it is ideal for providing

error proof telegraph broadcast services

Marconi telecommunications systems The Marconi Company Limited, Line Communications Division, Chelmsford, Essex, England LTD/H64

At sea or on land ... from Australia to Greenland, weather observers are at work every minute of the day and night recording the changes in the atmosphere. Wherever weather obser­vations are made, DAREX Meteoro­logical Balloons may be found giving consistently dependable performance. Since 1935, we have been engaged in developing dozens of different bal-

W. R. GRACE & CO.

OVERSEAS CHEMICAL DIVISION

7 Hanover Square New York, U.S.A.

loons for carrying observation instru­ments to as high as 40 kilometers ; for determining cloud altitudes, wind speed and direction ; and even for lifting instruments to float at certain predetermined constant levels. Take advantage of our many years of world-wide experience by calling on us when you require balloons to do any job.

DAREX better balloons ... since 1935, world's lead­ing makers of sounding balloons, pilot balloons, ceiling balloons, kite bal­loons, captive balloons, inflation kits, radar re­flective balloons, con­stant level balloons.

Frequency range

Peak power output

Aerial

Beam width

Aerial rotation speed

Displays

Display ranges

9415-9475 Mc/s

70 kW nominal (60 kW minimum)

6' parabolic dish

1.40

18 r.p.m.

12" PP\ high brightness (incorporating electronic bearing indicators which preclude parallax errors)

12V2. 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 n. miles

Marconi Rainbow Radar

This low-priced meteorological radar is

completely self-contained. The transmit­

ter/receiver is housed in a specially

designed aluminium tower. Installation,

on any site, is simple and ·inexpensive.

Marconi meteorological radar The Marconi Company Limited, Radar Division, Chelmsford, Essex, England LTD/551

Self~compensattng amplifier for recording the electric field strength of the atmosphere. High input resistance (1014 ohms) and linear indication covering any range desired.

Atmospheric electricity instrumentation

Complete equipment for registration of potential gradient, polar conductivity and air-earth current. The models have proved highly satis­factory during the Swiss expedition on Svalbard (Spitzbergen) in the course of the International Geophysical Year.

Dr. L. SAXER, Dr. W. SIGRIST AARAU, SWITZERLAND

~ ~~fo\l<"'!r;.~'

'" • ~

RECENT AND FORTHCOMING WMO PUBLICATIONS

Technical Notes

No. 73 Data Processing in Meteorology (English) .

No. 74 Data Processing by Machine Methods (English) .

Price

Sw. fr. 11.­

Sw. fr. 4.50

Annual Report of the WMO, 1965 (English, French) . . . . . . . . Sw. fr. 10.-

International Meteorological Voc<'\bulary (Quadrilingual - English, French, Russian, Spanish) Sw. fr. 40.-

Guide to Hydro meteorological Practices (English) . . . Sw. fr. 30.-

Catalogue of Meteorological Data for Research (Part 1) (English) Sw. fr. 30.-

ON SALE FROM WMO, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND