NASA/NOAA/USAID implementation of the South Pacific severe storm detection and warning system project

The U.S. Agency for International Development has sponsored this project for implementation by NASA for the Fiji Meteorological Service at the International Airport in Nadi, Fiji. The project will allow precise tracking of all South Pacific tropical cyclones with frequent, high-resolution reception of both the Japanese GMS and the U.S. GOES-West visible and IR cloud images.An interactive computer system will allow color display, data set integration, and cyclone motion/tracking through image-registered time-sequences of images. In addition, the computer will be used for running storm surge numerical models to warn of flood tides in advance of approaching cyclones. The computer will compile storm image sequence climatologies for the development of future storm track prediction algorithms.The full system implementation, checkout and training is scheduled for completion within the next 12 months. This paper will describe the need and use of the system by the Fiji Meteorological Service, data reception, interactive computer techniques, training, and the actual benefits to be derived from the implementation of this system in Fiji for tracking and warning of storm threats throughout the South Pacific Ocean.