2021-03-11 Meeting notes

Owned by Enrico Fucile, created
Last updated: Jul 20, 2021
3 min read

Date

10:00-11:30UTC, Mar 11, 2021

Participants

  • @Enrico Fucile

Department of Climate Change & Meteorological Services, Malawi

  • Rodrick WALUSA, Deputy Director

  • Amos MTONYA, Head of Communications

  • Hussein Milanzi

GISC/RTH

  • Christa Ferreira, South African Weather Service

  • Samantha Linnerts, South African Weather Service

Private Company

  • Isak Lombard, Netsys

  • Mauritz de Beer, Campbell

Secretariat

  • Lars Peter RIISHOJGAARD

  • Peiliang SHI

  • Enrico FUCILE

  • Luis Filipe NUNES

  • Ran ZHANG

  • Xiaoxia CHEN

  • Zulkarnain

Goals

  • Describe dataflow of AWS data

  • Assess the status of BUFR format implementation and data transmission

  • Discuss issues with manned stations data transmission

Background information

From Campbell

Mauritz (Campbell) is working with Malawi Met Services on sending SYNOP messages via the NETSYS AMSS.

We have supplied 47 AWS to Malawi Met Services under two different UNDP tenders.

Data downloads are automated to a Windows server in Blantyre and data is stored in an SQL database.  We have created an application that creates SYNOP messages from the SQL data and FTP the messages to the NETSYS AMSS. (We work with Isak Lombard).

One of the issues plaguing the Malawi network is that cellular contracts for the stations are not always renewed which disrupts the data flow.

From Amos

Depending on the transmission office (National Met Centre or Kamuzu International Airport), SYNOPs contain the ICAO location indicator FWCL (for NMC) and FWKI (for KIA). We may require a confirmation from SAWS if this also affects messages' credibility and transmission into GTS. I remember in the past (just over 10 years back, before the use of Netsys MHS) this was an issue.

Discussion topics

Item

Presenter

Notes

Item

Presenter

Notes

review of open actions

@Enrico Fucile

 

AWS stations location

Rodrick

47 stations (Samantha reported only 4 Stations are registered in OSCAR/Surface with WSI)

Rodrick to provide an excel file providing station name, location and oscar registration information.

AWS data flow

Mauritz, Isak

  • GSM modem, internet connection, server in Stellenbosch acting as a router to the windows server in Malawi. Data is received regularly in Malawi and stored in an SQL database.

  • web interface to extract messages from db and make synop

  • synop is setup for one station with the aim to rollout for all other stations.

  • from windows server via ftp the message is sent to Netsys linux server. Internet connection with Pretoria.

  • simplify data flow as suggested by Isak sending data straight to Pretoria

BUFR data format

Mauritz, Amos

  • Rodrick says that Malawi has capacity to convert to BUFR however the preferred way is that Campbell does the conversion

SMMW51 issue

Christa

  • SMMW51 bulletins are not considered for international exchange by GISC Pretoria

CCCC issue

Christa

  • CCCC can be FWCL (for NMC) and FWKI (for KIA). Is this a problem?

  • Isak said that they will take all CCCC and change to FWCL before sending to Pretoria

  • When the system is down cannot transmit through the local channel and the CCCC is not working.

    • Christa suggesting to send via email when the system is done and create the SMMW01 from SMMW51.

Summary

All SMMW 51 stations (SMMW 40 will be changed to SMMW51) will be collected into one collective SMMW01, and then it will be sent to RTH Pretoria and then RTH Pretoria will send to GTS.

Action items

Rodrick to provide info on location and oscar registration excel file.
Mauritz to investigate how Campbell can produce BUFR
@Enrico Fucile organise a meeting with Campbell on showing the windows software live
Isak to change SMMW40 to SMMW01. Send confirmation to Christa. Communicate to @Enrico Fucile when it’s done.

Decisions