Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
METEOROLOGICAL CO-OPERATION ACROSS OCEANS AND CONTINENTS - INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS MEET IN PRETORIA, 16-25 OCTOBER 1995
After 19 years of isolation, South Africa is again very openly being welcomed into the sphere of the international meteorological community. In June 1994, the country regained full membership of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and as such is enjoying all the accompanying rights and privileges previously withheld. As a result Mr Gerhard Schulze, Chief Director of the South African Weatreau (SAWB), is now serving on thutive. As a token of this renewegoodwill and cooperation, the wo community accepted an invitation of the SAWB to attend a series of meetings on weather buoy programmes in Pretoria from 16 to 25 October 1995. It is the first time ever that South Africa is hosting a meeting of this nature.
During these meetings countries from around the globe acknowledged South Africa's contribution to various fields of meteorology over the years. Special mention was made of the country's contribution with regard to weather buoy activities. South Africa is surrounded by vast oceans and these buoy programmes are outstandingly important to the country for weather forecasting. It was also foreseen that co-operation between South Africa and international meteorological organisations will expand considerably in the near future. Three meetings are being held, namely:
The aim of this meeting is to establish and maintain a network of drifting weather buoysities.
Established in 1985, the main task of this panel is to coordinate and promote weather b affairs at an international levtinuously striving towards the imnt of technology, the processing of data and the distribution of technology. The panel is also in the process of setting up regional action groups.
CLS ARGOS, the body which is responsible for collecting and processing buoy data, meets once a year with the users of this data to conclude agreements on the costs involved.
Meteorology reaches across oceans and continents, necessitating effective communication and the exchange of knowledge among members of the international meteorological community. Keeping in mind the growing data base on the oceans of the world, these parties are doing an excellent job - a census in September 1994 indicated that approximately 584 reports on buoy data were available on the WMO's telecommunications network at any given time. In his opening address Dr Francois Hanekom, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, also touched on this issue: "The changing world in which we live - with changes in nature and changes in socio-economic conditions - makes it absolutely necessary that scientists and technological experts give their best to the world."
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, PRETORIA, 18 OCTOBER 1995.
Enquiries: Anna-Marie Roux, Tel (012) 310-3434 Wanda Langenhoven, Tel (012) 310-3828