Marine Forecasting training needs survey 2022

Which Forecasting Office do you work at?

Cape Town
Durban
Pretoria
Port Elizabeth

Are you aware of the SOLAS convention and its content?

Yes I am aware of it but not its content
Yes I am aware of it and its content
No

Are you aware of the area of responsibility that has been designated to SAWS by the WMO regarding marine weather forecasting?

Yes
No

Are you aware of the WMO publications WMO no. 471 (Guide to marine meteorological services) and WMO no. 558 (maunual on marine meteorological services) and their content?

Not selected
Yes I am aware of them but not their content
Yes I am aware of them and familiar with their content
No

Are you aware of the limits and sub-areas of the METAREA SAWS is responsible for, including neighbouring METAREAS and countries responsible for them?

Yes I am aware of it but not the neighbouring METAREAS
Yes I am aware of it and I am familiar with the neighbouring METAREAS
No

Below, the WMO Recommended Practices (competencies) for Marine Weather Forecasting, will be presented to you by competency criteria. Please also read the competency document on the Moodle page you accessed to complete this survey for more clarity.

1. ANALYSE AND MONITOR CONTINUALLY THE MARINE WEATHER SITUATION

Are you aware of all marine related products and services issued by SAWS and the contents thereof?

Yes I am aware of them but not their content
Yes I am aware of them and their content
No

3 day forecasts are issued to Marion and Gough Island on a daily basis, as well as to the SA Agulhas while on its voyages (research, islands and Antarctica). Do you require training on forecasting for these areas and the products issued?

Yes
No

Which of the following aspects in marine theory do you require refresher training on?

Is there any other training topic in marine theory, not mentioned above, that you would like refresher training on?

Which of the following observational data, used in the marine environment, do you need refresher training on?

Please list any weather systems or weather phenomena, that affect the marine environment, that you would like to have a refresher training on, with regards to their interpretation using satellite imagery or radar imagery.

In which of the following aspects of analysing and diagnosing the weather do you feel you need refresher training on?

Identifying dominant weather systems and their impacts in tropical environments
Identifying dominant weather systems and their impacts in extra-tropical environments
Identifying dominant weather systems and their impacts in polar environments
Comparing forecasts/warnings with observational data
None of the above

Is there any other observational data used in the marine environment, not mentioned above, that you would like refresher training on?

2. FORECAST MARINE WEATHER PHENOMENA, VARIABLES AND PARAMETERS

Do you require refresher training on the use of NWP models in marine (including wave models)?

Yes
No

Are you confident in performing an NWP evaluation against real time data sets relating to marine?

Yes
No

Which of the following aspects of a marine forecast do you need a refresher training on?

Forecasting wind (direction and speed)
Forecasting precipitation associated horizontal visibility
Forecasting fog associated horizontal visibility
Forecasting dust/sand storms associated horizontal visibility
Forecasting tropical cyclones (note: we are not responsible for foresting these systems but it is important to understand the background and procedure relating to them)
Forecasting sea ice, freezing spray and ice accretion (please note this is currently not yet done operationally)
Forecasting in the high seas environment (including the high seas forecast structure, wording etc.)
Forecasting in the coastal environment (including the coastal forecast structure, wording etc.)
None of the above

Do you require training on any of the following aspects of NWP?

Basic NWP evaluation
Basic interpretation of NWP output fields for a marine forecast
Using the NWP to find Marine related Alerts
None

Is there any other forecast element, not mentioned above, that you would like refresher training on?

3. WARN OF HAZARDOUS PHENOMENA

Are you fully aware of the threshold values and requirements for issuing all categories of Marine alerts as per the severe weather work instructions (SWWI) for Weather Alerts?

Yes
No

Which of the following hazardous phenomena and alert criteria do your require refresher training on?

Are there any other areas relating to hazardous phenomena in the marine environment , not mentioned above, that you require refresher training on?

4. ENSURE THE QUALITY OF METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION AND SERVICES

In which of the following areas do you need refresher training on relating to the quality of marine meteorological services?

Being able to apply the organizations QMS and procedures
Assess the impact of known observational error characteristics on forecasts and warnings
Verify and validate marine meteorological data, products, forecasts and warnings, using real-time verification tools
Monitor the functioning of the operational systems and take action where necessary
None of the above

5. COMMUNICATE METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL USERS

In which of the following areas do you need refresher training on?

Knowledge of how forecasts and warnings are disseminated through the authorized channels
Explain Meteorological data and information to meet user needs - requires knowledge of primary users, operations and weather sensitivities
Make use of forecasts and warnings of meteorological parameters, variables and phenomena to describe the impact on marine operations, safety of life and property
None of the above

Do you require training in any of the following communication methods:

Telephone etiquette
Inference writing
Written communication
None

If there are any other areas of training that you require, which have not been addressed in this survey, please list them below. Please be as specific as possible.

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