Global Guide
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Global Guide to Tropical Cyclone Forecasting:
CHAPTER 1: GLOBAL OVERVIEW
1.1 Introduction
Chapter 1 provides background information relevant to
the more specific topics addressed in subsequent chapters. In keeping with
the overall theme of the guide, emphasis is placed on the presentation
of material in tabular or graphical format for ready reference. We begin
with a discussion of the WMO global tropical cyclone forecasting concept,
including the structure and goals of the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme
(TCP), areas of forecast responsibility, tropical cyclone naming conventions,
and descriptive terminology. A key issue here is to note the many procedural
differences between forecast offices and oceanic basins.
Although the United States Joint Typhoon Warning
Center (JTWC) in Guam is not directly associated with WMO, its near-global
mission is tacitly associated with the WMO forecasting system. Accordingly,
JTWC's role in the global tropical cyclone forecasting system is included
also. A complete guide to JTWC operations and systems may be found in Guard
et al. (1992)
The chapter continues in Section 1.13 with a new
global tropical cyclone climatology presented in a manner to enable direct
comparisons from one basin to another. For this purpose, a new global tropical
cyclone data set was developed. Various global and ocean basin charts are
presented and used to illustrate forecasting problems in the various basins.
Section 1.4 next addresses the philosophy of "forecast difficulty" and
its usefulness in comparing global verification statistics and model performance.
This section also contains a discussion of some of the major forecast problems.
The chapter is concluded with a blank section for inclusion of regional
climatologies by local forecast offices.
Contents Chapter
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