International Workshopon Flash Flood Forecasting 13-17 March 2006, Costa Rica

Integrated Hydro-Meteorological Observation Solutions

Irma Ylikangas

Business Development Manager

Vaisala Oyj

15.3.2006

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Vaisala in brief

We develop, manufacture and market products and services for environmental and industrial measurement.

The Vaisala Group founded 1936• Employs over 1,000 professionals• Has 22 own offices in 11 countries • Achieved net sales of EUR 197.9 million in 2005• Investments to R& D about 20 M€ in 2005• Exports outside Finland accounted for 96 % of net sales

in 2005• A-series shares are quoted on the Helsinki Exchanges• Offices and business operations in Finland, the USA,

Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia, China, Japan and Australia.

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Vaisala locations (11 countries, 22 offices)

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NEWS - Vaisala Sigmet Product line

Vaisala weather radar Offering• Vaisala offers complete weather radars in the near future

Vasiala Sigment offers Weather radar upgrades of signal processors

• Sigmet track record covers over 25 years of weather radar upgrades of signal processors, controllers and software called IRIS

• Since beginning of January 2006 Sigmet is Vaisala company called Vaisala Sigmet Product line

• Almost any weather radar operating on any band (S, C or X) can be modernized by Vaisala Sigmet Product line products

• Upgrades being done to weather radars originally delivered by EEC, Gematronik, Mitsubishi, Baron, Radtec, JRC, Telvent ..

• Any upgrade is different. Please consult Vaisala Sigmet Product line• For references and product details please visit web:

– http:\\www.sigmet.com

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Position in value chain

From phenomena to data

Variety-based position

Two different strategic positions in our business models

From customer need e.g. flooding application to solutions

Needs-based position

System Integration System Integration

System Solutions System Solutions

Measurement SystemsMeasurement Systems

Customer and his ApplicationCustomer and his Application

Phenomena Phenomena

Approach

ApproachEquipment Service

Information ServicesInformation Services

Instruments Instruments

Forecast products Forecast products

Data Data

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The challenges with weather and flooding

7 out of 20 worst catastrophes in terms of victims in 2004 were caused by floods by Swiss Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurer.

Weather impacts• How to predict severe weather and

floods?• How to improve severe weather and

flood control decision making?• Observation and weather products

infrastructure: How to manage and integrate weather observations and create efficient meteorological and hydrological infrastructure?

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3 Operations and Lifetime productivity

- Training of the operators- Operation support- Solution maintenance and upgrades- Lifetime reliability and productivity

2 Implementation

- Instrument and system deliveries - Solution installations- Solution set-up and start-up- Site testing

1 Planning of Hydro/Met observation solution- Feasibility Study- Solution planning and specifications- Pilot installations

Hydro/Met observation - Solution Steps

Customer need from the meteorological, hydrological

and emergency (e.g. flooding,multihazard) operations

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1 Planning of observation system - Feasibility study

Evaluation of needs for meteorological and hydrological infrastructure and processes• Facts finding & assessment (Analysis of the

current status of the infrastructure) • Identification of critical points and gap analysis• Capacity building needs

Initial project planning• Project formulation• Budgeting• Scheduling

Initial infrastructure planning based on gap analysis• Required observations• Database, SW tools, models etc..• Prepared and completed together with

customer

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1 Planning - System planning & specifications

Hydrology • Model planning• Data collection & conversion• Preliminary conceptual models

Meteorology• Evaluation and determination of NWP

models• Evaluation and determination of

meteorological workstations

Determination of needed hydrological and meteorological products • Public products for warning purposes• Data distribution

Data & end-products dissemination to users

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Planning phase - System planning & specifications

Technical planning• Measurements required• Observation system requirements• Site surveys• Data transmission and communication• Data collection and management

Maintenance & calibration planning• Database & observation sites

maintenance • Calibration procedures

Project planning• Detailed project formulation• Project phases• Budgeting• Scheduling

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Planning - Pilot System

The purpose of the pilot system delivery is:• Pilot system in the prototype delivery of

the requested solution for certain specific area or region, such as one basin

• To ensure the correct system specifications have been made during the project planning and spesification generation phase

• To test the equipment and observation systems in local and real operational environment and conditions

• To test the performance and the operative usage of the forecast models (e.g. hydrologic model) in the pilot area

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2 Implementation - Instrument & system deliveries

Manufacturing of observation stations according to customer requirements• Specified sensors, calculations & reports• Specified data format & data transmission

equipment• Factory acceptance tests

Delivery of required HW and SW• Observation stations • Database HW and SW• Application tools for hydrology and

meteorology

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Implementation - Installations

Installation of observation stations• Civil works (foundations, powering,

communication etc...)• Installation of stations with

communication equipment• This is done together with local partner

Installation of meteorological and hydrological information platforms• Communication• Databases HW• Data analysis and forecasting models

systems • Meteorologist/hydrologist workstations

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Implementation - System set-up and start-up

Hydrological and meteorological informations systems• Tools and systems to produce:

– Hydrological information– Meteorological information

• Data visualization & editing tools• Meteorological NWP models • Hydrological models with calibrations

Setting up central data collection center• Meteorological & hydrological databases• Communication systems

Observation system integration with databases• Meteorological messages and data

formats

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Implementation - Testing

Testing of individual elements• Site acceptance tests for observation

stations

Testing of the whole chain from observations to products• Data transmission to database• Data quality• Calibration of the hydrological model and

further development• NWP models • End-user products e.g. warnings

Time used to the operational test phase varies according to solution complexity.

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3 Operations - Training

Operation of complete solution• Operation, calibration & maintenance

of observation stations • Managing and maintaining database• Data editing & visualization tools• Hydrological model training• Using meteorological and hydrological

end products

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Operational support – Lifetime management

The lifetime management is the key issue to ensure the reliability and productivity of the hydro/met observation solution.

Collaboration between End user and Vaisala is essential.

Examples of Vaisala service• Technical support

– HelpDesk– Support for observation systems and application tools

• Preventive & corrective maintenance of systems– Functionality checks, fault tracing, replacement of fault and worn

components– Remote diagnostics & maintenance

• Calibration service• Operations of the networks and systems• Service contracts

– From fast spare part delivery to comprehensive operation of network

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Solution - Observation Network

Automated Hydro and Met

stations Network

Satellite dataSoundings

Weather radars

Lightning network

Air quality

Individual sensors e.g. rain & otherobservations (i.e. seismological)

Wind profiling

Data warehouse

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Data transmission

Observation Network

GSM / GPRS

Satellite

PSTN modems

TCP-IP

Data warehouse

Goes

Meteosat

Orbcomm

VSAT

Radio

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Meteorological and Hydrological Data Management, Analysis & Processing

Data assimilation &analysis

Data editing & VisualizationData warehouse•data verification

and quality controlNWP models

Data input

Forecast guidance

Hydrologic models

Flooding maps

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Hydrological data visualization and editing

Hydrological products and services

• Visualization of discharge and water level forecasts

• Real time monitoring and calculation of discharge in point of interest

• Flood warnings• Flood impact scenario maps• Water level and flood discharge data

distribution for regulation, flood damage prevention and general information

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Evacuation alarm in a case of Flooding

Example: Evacuation analysis based on flood arrival times, population data, industrial plants data etc.

• Which towns and villages will be affected within e.g.2 to 24 hours?”

• “Are there any industrial sites where hazardous material are being processes in the area which will be affected?”

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Meteorological Data Visualization & Editing

Meteorological workbench• Tool for meteorologist to visualize, edit

and adjust forecast data from models• Time series editing• Combination of data from different

sources• Integrated visualization and product

generation • Forecast text generation tool

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Hydro/meteorological observation solution

Observation

network

AWS (meteo + hydro)

Radar

Lightning

Soundings

Wind profiling

Air quality

Data

transmission

GSM/GPRS

Satellite

Fixed/leased line

TCP-IP

Data

management

Database management

Metadata management

Data quality control

Data verification

Data Analysis &

Processing

Data assimilation

NWP models

Hydrological models

Data visualization

& Editing

Data editing tools

Met. and hyd. data Visualization

Met. and hyd. workbench

End products

Warnings

Flood prediction

Severe weatherinfo

Data dissemination

Met messages/message switching

Meteorological &hydrological

research

From observations to products

Model grid - 3d view

View from Vortsjarvi river watershed (in Estonia)

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Bureau of Reclamation - reservoir, CA, USA

Water level

System showing:

• wind sensor

• solar radiation

• relative humidity/air temp

• net radiation

• precipitation

• barometric pressure

• water level (shaft encoder)

• satellite communication

result:

evapotransporation

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Tide Station for Tsunami Monitoring - Example Layout

QHR102 sea-level

radar

MAWS Automatic

Weather Station with PMT16A

barometer

QMH102 combined

temp.-humidity sensor

WS425 ultrasonic wind sensorlightning rod

UHF-antenna

heavy-duty mast with

extension arm

sat. comm (antenna+ transmitter)

SOLAR50 solar panel

mast

PAA-36WT/H abs. pressure & sea-

temp sensor

(option: pillar for GPS antenna)

Wave breaker

Tide staff (scale)

Bench marks

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EMHI HYDROLOGICAL NETWORK - ESTONIA

LaptopLaptop

LaptopLaptop

WorkstationWorkstation

Workstation

Workstation

Workstation

Terminal ServerTerminal Server

GSM ModemGSM Modem

Database cluster

Data CollectionServer

Data CollectionServer

InternetLAN

Secureconnection

DB servers+ storage

Regionaloffices

EMHITallinn office

ApplicationServer

23 x MAWS110 System with hydrological andwater quality sensors

GSM Network

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AUTOMATION OF SMHI HYDROLOGICAL NETWORK IN SWEDEN

• 90 MAWS301 STATIONS• Water level

• absolute shaft encoder• Optional sensors:

• All weather precipitation• Air temperature• Relative humidity• Climatological sensors

• Telemetry• PSTN modem• GSM modem• Voice messages (PSTN)

• •Turn-key solution with installation and training

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Some examples of HYDRO/MET SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE

Mississippi-river, USA

Samuel, Brazil

Rio Bravo -river, Mexico

National Data Buoy Center – Nova Orleans - Mississippi

Lapusel, Romania

Viken, Sweden

Swedish Met. & Hydr. Institute

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Benefits of flood forecasting

Benefits

Sufficient flood warning time allows actions to be taken to prevent flood damage• Minimization of human suffering and

economic losses

Conservative estimate for flood forecasting benefit: 10% savings in flood damage

UN ISDR estimate up to 35 % reduction in damage as a result of improved hydrological forecast (global)

Vaisala can offer

Total Solution: from sensors, single instrument, telemetry, radar upgrades, data collection to fully integrated hydro-meteorological observations solutions.

Global reach: support, training, service and maintenance - lifetime sustainability

70 Years at Customer interface

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Vaisala Integrated Hydro-Met Observation Solutions

Vaisala is a comprehensive turn-key solution hydrological and meteorological solution provider ( e.g. flood forecasting).

Vaisala is fully committed to serve and support Your Organization in all meteorological and hydrological observation needs.

Vaisala takes full responsibility to ensure the highest operational efficiency and low operation and maintenance costs in all systems provided.

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Muchas Gracias - Thank you