WISER-EWSA Testbed 1 – Engagement Day

This day will play a crucial role in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange and meaningful interactions among stakeholders, experts and participants involved in the live severe weather forecast.

The Weather and Climate Information Services Early Warnings for Southern Africa (WISER-EWSA) Testbed 1 (T-1) is a simulation of a real-time nowcasting and very short-range forecasting process over 2 weeks in Lusaka, Zambia.

Meteorologists, scientists, economists and user-engagement specialists will collaborate to create real-time warnings of severe weather, deliver these to partnering user groups and co-evaluate the effectiveness of those warnings.

On Wednesday 7th February, an engagement day will take place in person and online.

Besides the main activities in Lusaka, where most scientific participants will convene, smaller scale activities will happen at the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and National Meteorology Institute, Mozambique (INAM), where smaller teams of forecasters and user-engagement specialists will concentrate on information transfer to and from the Lusaka hub.

Objectives of the engagement day

1. Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate the exchange of insights and experiences among experts and stakeholders involved in the WISER-EWSA Testbed initiative.
2. Interactive Sessions: Provide a platform for interactive sessions, discussions, and networking opportunities to strengthen collaboration within the community.
3. Learning Opportunities: Offer participants the chance to learn about the latest advances in severe weather forecasting and the real-time warning creation process.

Event format

The Engagement Day will follow a hybrid approach, allowing participants to engage either in person at the hub in Lusaka or online through a dedicated webinar platform.

This inclusive format accommodates diverse participation preferences, ensuring a global and accessible reach.

Agenda

1. Registration – as the guests arrive
2. Tours - different workstations at the ZMD hub; anytime between 9:00 and 11:00 am (07:000 and 09:00 UTC)
3. Webinar I – 10: 00 - 11:00  am (08:00 - 09:00 UTC)
4. Media engagement – 11:00 – 11:30 am (09:00 - 09:00 UTC)
5. Webinar II – 11:30 – 12:30 pm (09:30 - 10:30 UTC)

How to attend

The engagement day is a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate and contribute to advance nowcasting and forecasting of severe weather at a shorter time scale, including verification methodology.

We encourage active participation from experts, stakeholders and enthusiasts alike to make this day a valuable and enriching experience for all.

For further inquiries, please contact:

1. Mariane Diop (mdiopkane@wmo.int) – WMO RA1- Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
2. Doug Parker (d.j.partker@leeds.ac.uk) – University of Leeds
3. Simon Agreet (s.ageet@leeds.ac.uk) – University of Leeds 
4. Hellen Msemo (hmsemo@wmo.int) – WMO/WWRP - Geneva.

Register for the day on this Google Form.