Outputs are delivered via dashboards, customized reports, and real-time advisory systems.
Introduction
The growing unpredictability of weather patterns, shifting climate baselines, and intensifying hydrological cycles present severe risks to sustainable development across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Today, anticipating the future is no longer a scientific luxury; it is a fundamental requirement for national security and economic survival.
A department of Weather, Climate, and Hydrological Services mandate is to support National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and line ministries in strengthening their forecasting capabilities. We facilitate the transition from passive observation to proactive, impact-based forecasting. By bridging the gap between global meteorological science and localized decision-making, we ensure that member states possess the actionable climate services required to protect their citizens and secure their resources.
Our Objectives
- Strengthen National Forecasting: To empower NMHSs with the technical capacity, models, and systems required to generate highly accurate, localized forecasts across all timescales (from days to seasons).
- Advance Impact-Based Forecasting: To translate standard weather parameters into actionable intelligence that directly informs disaster management, agriculture, and infrastructure planning.
- Enhance Hydrological Resilience: To develop and operationalize robust flood forecasting and water resource management tools that mitigate the impacts of extreme hydrological events.
Core Systems & Services
1. Weather and Short-to-Medium Range Forecasting We equip national centers with the tools needed to predict severe weather events with high precision before they strike.
- High-Resolution Modeling: We utilize advanced Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, running on regional supercomputers to downscale global data into precise, high-resolution local forecasts.
- Severe Weather Tracking: Providing real-time advisory support during extreme events such as tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, and severe thunderstorms.
2. Climate Services and Seasonal Prediction Understanding the broader climate context helps nations plan months in advance, particularly for vital sectors like agriculture and water management.
- FOCUS (Forecast Customization System): A proprietary, user-friendly tool developed by RIMES that allows meteorologists to generate their own tailored seasonal climate outlooks by downscaling multi-model ensembles.
- Climate Outlook Forums: We facilitate national and regional platforms (such as the Monsoon Forums) where scientists and sectoral stakeholders co-produce seasonal preparedness plans based on the latest climate predictions.
3. Hydrological Services and Flood Forecasting
Water-related hazards, particularly floods and droughts, represent the most frequent threats in the RIMES region.
- FloCAST: Our basin-based flood forecasting and warning system. FloCAST integrates real-time hydrological data with meteorological forecasts to provide operational alerts on river water levels, potential overflow, and inundation risks.
- Hydrometeorological Data Management: Utilizing systems like CDAAS (Hydrometeorological Data Access and Analysis System) to ensure seamless integration, quality control, and analysis of water and weather data.
4. Sector-Specific Decision Support We ensure that meteorological and hydrological data is directly translated into actionable advice for critical economic sectors.
- SESAME (Specialized Expert System for Agro-Meteorology): Translating weather forecasts into practical, daily advisories for farmers (e.g., optimal planting times, pest risk warnings).
- RDAS (Regional Resilience Data and Analytics Service): A cloud-based open-access platform for acquiring, processing, and analyzing climate data to inform resilient infrastructure and investment planning.