18 (Photo by Cecil Shillingford) By Franklyn Michael, Supplementary Associate, CARICAD T he provision of early and ideally, accurate information about tropical weather systems (Depressions, Storms and Hurricanes) is vital. It is an integral part of effective Preparedness. Weather information can save lives and help to dramatically reduce damage, destruction, disruption, delay, disorder and despair. That is of course assuming that the appropriate Preparedness and Response actions are taken at the Regional, National, Organisational, Community, Family and Individual levels. In the CARICAD member state context, whenever there is a significant weather system developing in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) issues a range of advisory information (products). The information is produced both as texts and graphics. The products are made public at specified times. The main products issued as text are: • Public Advisory • Forecast Advisory • Tropical Cyclone Discussion • Wind Speed Probability We may be less familiar with the graphics. They are: • Track Forecast Cone • Watch and Warning Graphic • Wind Speed Probability • Wind Field Graphic • Storm Surge – Watch/Warning (USA, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) The NHC makes the products public at standard times. In the case of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean area the times are 5:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). EDT coincides with Eastern Caribbean Time in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The NHC issues Intermediate Public Advisories at specific three-hour intervals in between the hours of the regular advisories. The NHC also issues Special Advisories if there is an unanticipated but significant change regarding a weather system. Whenever a weather system dissipates the NHC no longer issues advisories on it. However the NHC continues to issue advisories on a tropical system that moves away from the Tropics and becomes a Sub Tropical System. People who may have a deep interest or specialist weather information needs are encouraged to visit the NHC website for details of the purpose and nature of all the Advisories, both texts and graphics. However, for our general readership we provide a synopsis of the Public Advisory Text product on the next page. • Continues on next page
19 Publizr Home