Extreme Weather and Climate Events CONTACT INFORMATION
Country:
Name of the focal point:
E-mail:
Telephone:
Questions
Does your country have a specific definition of a heatwave or extended cold spell? If so, what is it? (If your country uses multiple definitions – for example, different definitions in different places or regions – please state this).
Does your country have any standard indices which you use for the monitoring of heatwaves or extended cold spells? If yes, what are they?
Does your country routinely report o the occurrence of heatwaves or extended cold spells?
Does your country have any warning service for heatwaves or extended cold spells?
Does your country routinely monitor drought? If yes, what index or indices do you use for monitoring drought?
Does your country have any standard indices for reporting on extreme heavy rainfall? If so, what are those indices, and what time period do they cover?
Are these any scientific papers or other reports documenting your country’s monitoring or forecasting of extreme weather/climate events, such as heatwaves, cold spells, heavy rainfall or drought? (If so, please give references or a link if possible).
Does your country have a website for reporting information on extreme climate events? (If yes, please give the address).
Does your country produce routine monthly, seasonal or annual climate summaries? (If yes, please give the web address, if available).
Does your country have any unmet needs for information on extreme climate and weather events for which you think support form WMO would be useful (if yes, please give details)
Table. Recap of countries responses
Country name
Specific definitions on heat wave and cold spell
Report on occurrence of heat waves or extended cold spells
Have warning services for heat waves and extended cold spells
Have standard indices to report extreme heavy rainfall? What are they and what period do they cover?
Website on extreme events, and availability of regular monthly, seasonal or annual climate records
Argentina
Yes, heat wave: excessively warm period in which maximum and minimum temperatures exceed the 90th percentile for at least 3 consecutive days. Temperatures in the central north-eastern region of Argentina are analyzed since minimum temperatures are not sufficiently high in the rest of the country. (www.smn.gov.ar/serviciosclimaticos/?mod=elclima&id=13).
Cold spell: excessively cool period in which maximum and minimum temperatures are below the 10th percentile for at least 3 consecutive days. Temperatures throughout the country are analyzed, except extreme temperatures in the extreme north-east.
Yes. Special reports are produced which provide information on the features of an event.
Yes. Drought is monitored by measuring rainfall anomalies, the SPI (standardized precipitation index), the SPEI (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index) and deciles. Some of these information are processed by the Regional Climate Centre for Southern South America.
The Palmer index, soil-water balance and satellite monitoring (NDVI, EVI, TDVI) are also used to assess agricultural drought.
Contact: María de los Milagros Skansi. Email: mms@smn.gov.ar. Phone: (+ 54) 11516767
Australia
(Bureau of Meteorology)
The index used for operational warning products is the Excess Heat Index (EHI) – see details at www.bom.gov.au/australia/heatwave/.
No specific definition for cold spells. Different indices are sometimes used for post-event analyses.
Yes, through Special Climate Statements for significant events, as well as in regular monthly/seasonal summaries.
Yes, drought is normally assessed as rainfall below the 10th percentile for a given period. See www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/.
The heat wave service and indices are documented in various papers. The basic definition of drought used for monitoring has not changed since the 1960s – there is a 1960s report defining these.
EHI (see above) is the most standardized index used.
Yes for heat waves (see above), not generally for cold spells (although severe weather warnings may be issued for low-elevation snow, or frost warnings for frost).
Not usually in operational reports, but annual values of standard ETCCDI indices are reported on the Bureau’s climate web pages.
Special Climate Statements are published at www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/.
Yes. Heat wave: at least three days with Tmax≥30oC, mean of Tmax>30oC for the whole period, and Tmax must not drop below 25oC.
Details provided in: Kyselý J. et al (2000): Heat Waves in the South Moravian Region during the Period 1961 – 1995.
In: Studia geoph. Et geod. 44 (2000), 57-72. StudiaGeo s.r.o., Prague.
Yes, monthly reviews and press releases.
Routine monitoring not yet established. Implementation based on SPEI will be implemented in the near future.
Yes.
Auer I, et al (2005): The Variability of Heat Waves and Dry Spells in the flat and mountainous Regions of Austria, Proceedings ICAM/MAP 2005, Croatian Meteorological Journal 40: 604-607.
Nemec J. et al (2012): Trends in extreme temperature indices in Austria based on a new homogenised dataset. International Journal of Climatology, doi:10.1002/joc.3532.
Heat waves: Summer days (Tmax>25oC), hot days (Tmax>30oC), extreme hot day (Tmax>35oC). Cold spell: number of icy days (Tmax<0oC), and frost days (Tmin<0oC).
Yes. warnungen.zamg.at/html/de/heute/alle/at/
No specific indices. Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution is used to describe extreme heavy rainfall.
Contact: Alexander Orlik. Email: alexander.orlik@zamg.ac.at.
China
China Meteorological Organization (CMA)
Currently there is no specific definition for heatwave, but has specific definition for cold spell. Single station cold spell is based on temperature dropping extent and daily minimum temperature for a single station, and five ranks for a cold spell: weak cold spell, medium cold spell, medium-to-strong cold spell, strong cold spell, and cold wave.
weak cold spell: the temperature drops lower than 6℃ within 48 hours
medium cold spell: the temperature drops between 6~8℃ within 48 hours
medium-to-strong cold spell: the temperature drops higher than 8℃ within 48 hours, but the daily lowest temperature is still higher than 8℃
strong cold spell: the temperature drops higher than 8℃ within 48 hours, and the daily lowest temperature is lower than 8℃
cold wave: the temperature drops higher than 8℃ within 24 hours, or the temperature drops higher than 10℃ within 48 hours, or the temperature drops higher than 12℃ within 72 hours, and the daily lowest temperature is lower than 4℃.
Cold air process: When the number of stations with the temperature drop exceeding 6℃ within 2 consecutive days reaches 20% of total observational stations or 170, cold air process begins. After a cold air process begins and when the number of stations with the temperature drop exceeding 6℃ within 2 consecutive days is less than 20% of total observational stations or 170, the cold air process ends.
Extreme high temperature: The third maximum value is taken as the threshold of the high temperature extreme based on the time series in the ascending order, consisting of the maximum and the second maximum daily maximum temperature of each year during 1981 to 2010. High temperature extreme is above the threshold.
Extreme low temperature: The third minimum value is taken as the threshold of the low temperature extreme based on the time series in the ascending order, consisting of the minimum and the second minimum daily minimum temperature of each year during 1981 to 2010. Low temperature extreme is below the threshold.
Yes.
Yes. Currently CMA has daily Meteorological Drought Monitoring and Agricultural Drought Monitoring products, which are daily released. The Meteorological Drought Monitoring is based on Meteorological Drought Comprehensive Monitoring Index (MCI), which integrates both the latest one-month precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, and three-month and five-month precipitation, and seasonal considerations as well. While the Agricultural Drought Monitoring is mainly based on 10-50 cm relatively soil moisture monitoring and satellite remote sensing monitoring for vegetation growth.
Yes, once there is large-scale extreme weather/climate events, such as heatwaves, cold spells, heavy rainfall and drought, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) will produce monitoring report, assessment report or forecast report, which are mainly for different government departments. Part of these reports can be accessed at: www.nmc.cn/index.html.
Sample of literatures are given in the appendix.
Yes, major standard indices used in China including Grade of the heat wave, Classification of meteorological drought, Grade of cold wave, Monitoring indices of high temperature extremes, Monitoring indices of minimum temperature extremes, Monitoring indices of precipitation extremes and so on.
Yes. CMA normally issues three levels (Yellow, Orange and Red) warnings for the heat waves and four levels (Blue, Yellow, Orange and Red) warnings for the extended cold spells. The thresholds of these warnings are based on the peak of daily Tmax or the drop in Tmin on the specific warned area. And also several levels nation-wide warnings will be issued based on both above threshold and how big the affected area is as well.
Yes, daily precipitation extremes, daily precipitation extremum, extreme consecutive rainy days, extremum of consecutive rainy days, extreme consecutive rainfall amounts and extremum of consecutive rainfall amounts were used as standard indices for reporting on extreme heavy rainfall in China. All indices covered the period from the year when an observational station was established up to now.
Extreme events:
cmdp.ncc-cma.net/cn/monitoring.htm#basic.
Climate summaries:
cmdp.ncc-cma.net/influ/moni_china.php.
Contact: -
Central African Republic
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
Stopped producing climate summaries due to difficulties in political and military situation.
Heat wave : 3 consecutive days with Tmax > 90th percentile.
Yes, this information is issued using a procedure established by the Chilean Meteorological Directorate’s forecasting department when these situations are predicted. The climatology department then issues a report on the meteorological and climatological conditions recorded on those days.
Yes, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The SPI is calculated at 42 weather stations located between 28°S and 44°S, most of which began observing these situations in 1971. These stations provide updated information each month.
Most research conducted in Chile is led by universities, including:
Yes, the Chilean Meteorological Directorate’s forecasting department follows a procedure which uses warnings, alerts and alarms to announce any events that could affect the country. These announcements are published on our department’s website at www.meteochile.gob.cl and efficiently reported to the authorities with the power to influence national decisionmaking.
A climatological report is then also published on our department’s website.
No standard index, but we do use a method for producing a decision table to help formulate a special “alarm” report that includes the occurrence of intense events or events categorized as intense, such as rainfall, wind or extreme temperatures.
The time frame or period covered is issued at least 12 hours in advance (and not before).
Weather info, monthly weather bulletins, monthly agroclimatological bulletins, twice-yearly solar radiation report and a climate yearbook are issued in Chile, as well as other articles, in: www.meteochile.gob.cl.
Yes, definitions exist for muggy and cold periods.
Yes, but in terms of very hot or very cold periods.
Yes, percentage deviation and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI).
Available in www.imn.ac.cr
No.
Yes, high or low temperature warnings are issued.
No methodology in place to determine what amount should be considered as extremely heavy rainfall, but there are records for maximum rainfall amount for 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes.
www.imn.ac.cr
Contact: Werner Stolz E. Email: wstolz@imn.ac.cr. Phone: (+506) 2222-5616 ext. 309
Cyprus
Heat wave: temperature equal or above than 40oC, cold spell: temperature equal or less than -2.0oC.
Yes.
Yes, the SPI for n-months.
Yes, various meteorological notes.
Only for heat wave: the discomfort index.
Yes.
No.
www.moa.gov.cy/ms
Contact: P. Michael. Email: m.panayiotis@dom.moa.gov.cy. Phone: (+357) 22802915
Czech Republic
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute [CMHI]
Yes, as defined by national meteorological vocabulary (http://slovnik.cmes.cz/).
Heat wave: a multi-day period of summer heat in a wider area over which max daily temperatures are significantly above normal values. Determination of the lower limit temperature is relative and depends on location. Usually indicates by deviation of the average maximum above the respective percentile distribution of the maximum temperature. Practical limit of 30 °C for daily maximum temperature is used.
Cold wave is a significant drop in air temperature over a wide area, which is subject to invasion of cold air masses, usually from higher geographical location into warmer areas. It may take from several days to several weeks to occur in the area below normal temperatures.
Yes. In cases of heat waves or extended cold spells CHMI issues extraordinary reports.
Indices to evaluate drought:
1. Basic water balance of grassland.
2. Six grade scale is used to evaluate the drought threat in soil (for different depths)
3. Water storage in soil relative to RWC.
4. Discharge evaluation in every stream gauge is done with respect to historical data
5. Groundwater evaluation using boreholes with respect to historical data.
6. Fire Danger Index.
Yes. Descriptions of extreme events are published in the journal Meteorological Bulletin (ISSN 0026-1173, casmz.chmi.cz/). Other related publications on these since are given in Appendix A below.
Yes. The Climate Change Indices from the ETCCDI is used: (etccdi.pacificclimate.org/list_27_indices.shtml)
Yes. Warning issued for high or extreme temperatures and severe frosts. It is part of the national early warning system (SIVS) operated by CHMI and Czech Army (http://www.chmi.cz/files/portal/docs/meteo/om/zpravy/index.html).
Yes. Three categories of heavy rain (RR):
1. Heavy rain (RR > 30 mm/6h or RR > 35 mm/12h or RR > 40 mm/24h)
2. Very heavy rain (RR > 50 mm/12h or RR > 60 mm/24h)
3. Extreme rainfall (RR > 50 mm/6h or RR > 70 mm/12h or RR > 90 mm/24h or RR > 120 mm/48h).
Yes. For media and for general public www.infomet.cz. Routine report: portal.chmi.cz/portal/dt?action=content&provider=JSPTabContainer&menu=JSPTabContainer/P3_0_Informace_pro_Vas/P3_9_Historicka_data/P3_9_1_Pocasi/P3_9_1_9_Mesicni_data&nc=1&portal_lang=en#PP_Mesicni_data
