Testbed 3

Intensive training equips forecasters to better predict Africa’s severe storms

By Dr Jennifer Fletcher for GCRF African SWIFT High-impact weather leads to devastating losses in tropical Africa each year. Precipitation forecasts from weather-prediction models remain very poor, and existing tools for very near-term prediction remain under-utilised. In September, African SWIFT is undertaking Testbed 3, an intensive two-week trialling of new approaches and tools to short-term, … Continue Reading

European satellite data key to African nowcasting

Throughout Africa, lives and livelihoods are directly impacted by weather- and climate-related risks. Strengthening national meteorological and climate science capacities holds transformational potential for building climate-resilience across the continent in the coming decade. Nowcasting capability and capacity is an essential part of this goal, delivering warnings and alerts of highly unstable African storms minutes to … Continue Reading

How a satellite dish can save lives: Ghana advances nowcasting to improve early weather warnings

By Dr. Jeffrey Nii Armah Aryee, Lecturer and Researcher at KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana Accurate weather forecasting is an essential tool of modern society, which brings benefit to human safety and livelihoods, along with economic development and prosperity. The Nowcasting Satellite Facility (NWC-SAF) provides various products that are useful for improving nowcasting potential in Africa. Ghana … Continue Reading

Satellite observations hold key to Africa’s short-range weather forecasts

By Dr Peter Hill, University of Reading New research demonstrates that satellite observations across Africa can be used to provide valuable forecasts of storm evolution in subsequent hours. Large populations in tropical Africa are vulnerable to severe weather, often caused by intense storms that can generate heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding. Forecasts can be … Continue Reading

New research will improve early warning of devastating megastorms

With files from Simon Williams, UK CEH Ground-breaking scientific research will make it easier to predict the path of some of the world’s most powerful storms, enabling communities to better protect themselves from severe flooding. Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are ‘megastorms’ that affect large parts of the world, including Africa, Australia, Asia and the Americas, … Continue Reading