1. World Meteorological OrganizationIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO Ship Observations Team ~ integrating and coordinating international ship-based observing programmes for JCOMM ~ SOT-IV 16-21 April 2007, Geneva, Switzerland Sarah North Regional Specialised Monitoring Centre (RSMC) Report

2. Page 2© Crown copyright 2007 RSMC Exeter, as WMO designated lead centre for monitoring the quality of surface marine data, produces...  Monthly statistics for ships, buoys, and other marine platforms comparing observations with Met Office’s global model background forecast fields for each variable  These monitoring lists are exchanged with other centres, for comparison (which generally shows good agreement)  Since SOT III these monitoring statistics have been made available on the Met Office website at... http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/nwp/observations/monitoring/index.html SOT IV - RSMC Report

3. Page 3© Crown copyright 2007 Observation Monitoring Web site SOT IV - RSMC Report

4. Page 4© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report

5. Page 5© Crown copyright 2007 Examples of QC Plots – for Pressure (top) and Humidity (below) SOT IV - RSMC Report

6. Page 6© Crown copyright 2007 GROSS ERROR LIMIT :15 hPa (pressure) :25 ms-1 (vector wind) :15 o C (air temperature) :50% (relative humidity) :10 o C (sea surface temperature) SELECTION CRITERIA :NOBS >= 20, and one or more of the following: Bias >= 4 hPa (pressure) >= 5 ms-1 (wind speed) >= 30 degrees (direction) >= 4 o C (air temperature) >= 15% (relative humidity) >= 3 o C (SST) SD >= 6 hPa (pressure) >= 80 degrees (direction) >= 6 o C (air temperature) >= 25% (relative humidity) >= 5 o C (SST) PGE >= 25 SOT IV - RSMC Report Monthly Monitoring Criteria – set at correct levels ?

7. Page 7© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report Monthly Monitoring Statistics – ctd  Met Office also produces monthly monitoring statistics for a number of national VOS fleets -To do this we use quarterly WMO Pub 47 lists supplemented by updated fleet lists received by some VOS operators -Such updates would not be needed if WMO Pub 47 listing was updated on a monthly basis SOT is invited to consider possibility/advantages of merit of making monthly submissions e.g. observational problems could be dealt with more promptly

8. Page 8© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report Monthly Monitoring Statistics – ctd  An email is sent to relevant JCOMMOPS mailing lists (SOT, VOS, PMO) when new monthly suspect lists are posted on the Met Office website  Monthly suspect lists also emailed directly to major VOS operating countries and any other focal points who wish to receive them -It is important therefore to keep the Focal Point and JCOMMOPS mailing lists up to date

9. Page 9© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report Six Monthly Monitoring Statistics – ctd  As required, detailed monitoring lists are also sent to WMO on a 6 monthly basis. - Statistics related to suspect VOS are extracted by WMO and sent to national VOS focal points, requesting corrective action to be taken - Paper copies are also sent by the Met Office (but without the detailed time series plots to reduce size)

10. Page 10© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report Timeliness of VOS observations received at the Met Office (UK), Dec 2006 Observation Monitoring Web site - Timeliness

11. Page 11© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report

12. Page 12© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report

13. Page 13© Crown copyright 2007 SOT IV - RSMC Report Observation Monitoring – Call Sign Masking Issue ‘SHIP’ Masked Call Signs (Japanese Proposals) - requires changes to monitoring centre infrastructure to accept FTP data - data needs to be de-crypted - risk that other countries (US ?) may adopt similar SHIP schemes using different FTP systems or encryption Unique Masked call signs (European/Australian Proposals) - requires secure look-up table held on a - common FTP server ( on JCOMMOPS ?) - uniform Unique system would be preferable ( to avoid duplicates) RSMC Therefore supports the Unique Masked call sign system

14. JCOMMOPS FTP ? Secure look up list for masked call signs FTP SERVER Met Office VOS FROST Message Switch OBS HANDLER METDB Meteorological Database NWP Monitoring MONITORING Centre MET OFFICE MIDAS Climatological Database Rejection & Correction Lists Reports for WMO & NMS NWP MODELS OPS & VAR Metadata Database GTS Collectives VOSCLIM BUFR DATA for DAC GTS & FTP Server LES UK Marine Networks (Fleet Database) Other NMS VOSClim DAC FORECASTS ~ 20 Minute Timeliness Delays ! JMA INTERNET FTP SERVER FTP SERVER Met Office Yamaguchi LES Flow Diagram to show effects of masking call signs on Met Office data handling procedures