WMO and the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ran a joint Training Workshop on Weather Radar Data Quality and Standardization in Bangkok, Thailand, from 5 to 13 February. The workshop addressed the common challenges for severe weather monitoring and forecasting in Southeast Asia, where capacity-building in weather radar techniques is a crucial concern for a lot of NMHSs.
Participants learned about weather radars through theoretical and practical sessions. They attended a series of lectures which treated basics, maintenance, dual-polarization technologies, data quality control and Quantitative Precipitation Estimation methods. Hands-on training sessions covered quality control and studied a disaster event using meteorological data, including weather radars. At the end of the workshop, the participants considered concrete plans to enhance weather radar observation in their NMHSs and discussed ways to expand the regional radar network in Southeast Asia. They agreed that the network was beneficial to every NMHS and that its expansion should be achieved through regional cooperation.
Radar experts from 10 SEA NMHSs participated in the workshop, hosted by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) with support from Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
