Research project
WISER Early Warnings for Southern Africa (WISER-EWSA)
- Start date: 1 March 2023
- End date: 30 June 2025
- Funder: FCDO; managed by Met Office WISER programme.
- Value: £2 million
- Partners and collaborators: NCAS Met Office UKCEH WMO Kulima Consultancy Tyrsky Consultancy Finnish Meteorological Agency South African Weather Service Zambia Meteorological Dept University of Zambia INAM, Mozambique
- Primary investigator: Professor Douglas Parker
- Co-investigators: Prof John Marsham
- External co-investigators: Sarah Jenkins (LUBS)
- Postgraduate students: Associated with the project (not funded): Mendrika Rakotomanga, James Bassford, Kilian Hermes, Gregory Dritschel, Kasia Nowakowska, Alex Lewis. PD Research fellows: Itzel San Roman, Abhilash Singh, Tom Ilett.
This project aims to transform access to early weather warning systems for urban communities in South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique and other countries across Southern Africa.
An international team of meteorologists, academics, economists, and user engagement specialists, led by the UK’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science and University of Leeds, are delivering a £2 million project under the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) Africa programme to transform access to early weather warning systems for urban communities.
From 2023-2025, the Early Warnings for Southern Africa (EWSA) project focusses on providing weather information to socially disadvantaged urban populations to reduce the damage caused by storms through increased capacity for “nowcasting” – a process whereby real-time satellite images over Africa are used to predict weather conditions over the next six hours – and improved short-term weather forecasts that are tailored for people who need them most.
The project exploits the latest research from the University of Leeds and our international partners, to improve the accuracy of satellite-based storm predictions. Information on storms is conveyed to users through a range of media, including the FASTA system pioneered at the university in partnership with NCAS. We also make use of social media and local radio broadcasts to transmit warnings in ways which can be understood by diverse users.
WISER EWSA works with disaster risk management agencies and non-governmental organisations, to co-produce outputs with people living in cities, including disadvantaged groups, such as women and people with disabilities. The WISER EWSA project aims to help ensure that everyone receives these warnings and knows what action to take to reduce the risk of negative impacts.
Impact
Improved predictions of severe weather for vulnerable urban populations in Africa.
Publications and outputs
Linked to some data resources including:
https://www.wiser-ewsa.org/testbed/
and links therein. Also
https://fastaweather.com/
Also see some project outcomes here:
https://ml-env-for.leeds.ac.uk/
Downloads
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46742-6
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/203397/
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/213732/
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/195798/