Weather and weather radio related items.
The VA3DBJ Weather station is now back online. The software has been updated to latest version of Cumulus. You can access directly by typing weather.va3dbj.ca in your browser.
This weather updates every 2 minutes but the gauges are updated every minute or two. You can also receive hourly reports via Twitter at my VA3DBJWeather Twitter account.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is discontinuing its high seas and storm warnings transmitted via National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) WWV/WWVH time and frequency-standard HF transmissions, starting January 31 at 1800 UTC. The NWS warnings are aimed at the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific.
“This service is being terminated because weather information in the current broadcast format does not support frequent-enough updates for changes in marine weather and cannot provide enough detail in the allotted window required by mariners to avoid hazardous weather,” NWS said in announcing the discontinuation. “Additionally, alternative technologies and numerous media outlets that provide weather information in various formats have overtaken the need for providing weather information through the NIST frequency signals.”
The NWS said other sources of marine weather information, high seas alerts, and detailed forecasts are available over satellite, telephone, the internet, marine fax, radio fax, and VHF radio. The NWS, US Coast Guard, and US Navy provide multiple dissemination methods for storm positioning, high sea areas, observations, forecasts, outlooks, and warnings for both coastal and oceanic marine zones near the US, all through a variety of technologies, including NAVTEX and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
Source ARRL
Hurricane Watch New (HWN) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, says the Atlantic Hurricane Basin seems to want people’s attention. Tropical Depression 3, off the southeastern coast of North Carolina could become a named storm, Chris. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has initiated advisories on TD 3. The system is expected to remain offshore. The HWN remains at alert level 2 — “monitoring mode.”
“A few computer models show this system growing and moving up along the US east coast into Nova Scotia, Canada,” Graves said today. “How strong it will be, if development occurs, is unknown.”
Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Beryl intensified overnight to become the first hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season, which began on June 1. A compact storm, Beryl is predicted to remain east of the Lesser Antilles through early Sunday. Satellite data indicate maximum sustained winds of around 80 MPH with higher gusts, and some strengthening is forecast.
While Beryl is forecast to quickly weaken or dissipate before reaching the Lesser Antilles, some rain and wind are expected to impact those islands early next week.
“Be advised, should the Hurricane Watch Net be called into action, 20-meter propagation has been very lousy of late and we may have to operate on both 20 and 40 meters (14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz, respectively),” Graves said.
“Should either storm become a threat, the Hurricane Watch Net will be ready for action. The tropics are getting very interesting!”
The federal government is moving to improve Canada’s ability to warn people about severe weather, including tornadoes.
The government announced on May 28, 2017 that it has signed an $83-million contract for 20 state-of-the-art weather radars that are to be built across the country over seven years starting this fall.
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said the radars, along with a recently acquired supercomputer, will give people more time to protect themselves and their property from severe weather.
“This important investment will help us modernize Canada’s weather service infrastructure and make sure our meteorologists can provide the fastest and most accurate weather forecasts,” McKenna said in Dorval, Que.
The government said the new system will cover more of Canada and double the detection range for tornadoes and other severe weather such as hurricanes, thunderstorms and snow storms.
Environment Canada said more accurate forecasts will help municipalities better plan snow clearing, give outdoor festivals more information about whether to cancel an event and improve air-traffic safety by providing information on when to route planes around storms.
Better data from radar images of precipitation in drainage basins is expected to help provinces forecast flooding. It should also help meteorologists better distinguish between rain, snow, hail and freezing rain.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada said severe weather due to climate change is costing Canadians billions of dollars each year, including a record $4.9 billion in insured damage in 2016. The bureau warned severe weather damage is on an upward trend that shows no signs of stopping.
The new radars will replace Canada’s aging network of 31 Doppler radars, some of which have had outages due to wear and tear.
Decisions on exactly when the new radars will be built are pending. In most cases, radars are to be built at or near existing sites, said Veronique Bouchet, an Environment Canada spokeswoman.
The network is to include one new radar site near Fort McMurray, Alta. Bouchet said there is lots of severe weather and economic activity in the oilsands region, as well as a busy airport.
“There are a lot more individuals that need to function in that area and we need to make sure they are safe in doing so,” she said.
The modernized network to be built by the German firm Selex ES will also provide weather information that can be used in almost every sector of the economy, McKenna said.
The radar system is to work in tandem with a new high-performance computer being built by IBM in the Montreal area that will use radar and other data to make weather and climate models. The $430-million supercomputer contract was awarded in May.
Bouchet said the radar network, along with satellite and other data, will provide meteorologists with better information to analyze what’s coming.
“That helps us to have much better forecasts looking in the next couple of hours, the next 24 hours and the next two or three days.”
The first heat event of the season is setting up for Monday and Monday night for portions of Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe Area.
A warm and humid airmass is expected to move into Southern Ontario on Monday May 28th. The daytime maximum temperatures are likely to reach the low thirties with overnight lows near 20 degrees Celsius.
These conditions pose a health risk when you are not used to the heat.
Everyone is at risk from heat, especially older adults; infants and young children; and people with chronic illnesses.
You are advised to 1) drink plenty of cool liquids before feeling thirsty; and 2) keep cool by dressing for the weather and spending a few hours each day in a cool place.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to [email protected] or tweet reports using #ONStorm.
A clear summer day in southern Ontario. Halfway through my one week vacation, just enjoying the clear and summer day, while monitoring the radios. For once, I actually scheduled vacation and had great weather.