Western Australia severe weather prediction: optimising forecasts using new data sources and improved high-resolution models. WA suffers unusually high exposure to severe tropical and extra-tropical weather, from its size and geographical location. This project will develop enhanced data assimilation and modelling techniques, using emerging high-resolution satellite and other data to improve the timeliness, accuracy and reliability of weather forecasts for WA. Outcomes include: improved forecas ....Western Australia severe weather prediction: optimising forecasts using new data sources and improved high-resolution models. WA suffers unusually high exposure to severe tropical and extra-tropical weather, from its size and geographical location. This project will develop enhanced data assimilation and modelling techniques, using emerging high-resolution satellite and other data to improve the timeliness, accuracy and reliability of weather forecasts for WA. Outcomes include: improved forecast systems for predicting severe weather affecting WA (and consequently Australia), and ensemble forecast systems that provide valuable probabilistic information, such as confidence limits in the forecasts. Better forecasts issued earlier for severe weather events will allow appropriate planning and management measures, thereby reducing their present high social and economic cost.Read moreRead less
AN INTEGRATED STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC WAVE GENERATION AND COUPLING. Small-scale atmospheric gravity waves play an important, but not well understood, role in determining the state of the atmosphere. Observations to be made in northern Australia in 2005-2006 will bring together different kinds of radars and other instruments to study rain production processes in thunderstorms. Results will be used in a high-resolution numerical model to test wave generation by storms and to study their impact on the ....AN INTEGRATED STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC WAVE GENERATION AND COUPLING. Small-scale atmospheric gravity waves play an important, but not well understood, role in determining the state of the atmosphere. Observations to be made in northern Australia in 2005-2006 will bring together different kinds of radars and other instruments to study rain production processes in thunderstorms. Results will be used in a high-resolution numerical model to test wave generation by storms and to study their impact on the atmosphere. The project will contribute to the improvement of weather radar measurements of rainfall and to improvement in numerical weather forecasting and climate prediction. It will provide high-quality training for postgraduate students in the use of state-of-the-art instrumentation and models.Read moreRead less