# Presentation: 754127

## International Workshopon Flash Flood Forecasting           13-17 March 2006, Costa RicaIntegrated Hydro-Meteorological Observation Solutions

*Irma Ylikangas*
*Business Development Manager*
*Vaisala Oyj*
*15.3.2006*
* *

## Vaisala in brief

- We develop, manufacture and market products and services for environmental and industrial measurement.
- The Vaisala Group founded 1936
- Employs over 1,000 professionals
- Has 22 own offices in 11 countries
- Achieved net sales of EUR 197.9 million in 2005
- Investments to R& D about 20 M€ in 2005
- Exports outside Finland accounted for 96 % of net sales in 2005
- A-series shares are quoted on the Helsinki Exchanges
- Offices and business operations in Finland, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia, China, Japan and Australia.

## Vaisala locations  (11 countries, 22 offices)

## NEWS   - Vaisala Sigmet Product line

- Vaisala weather radar Offering
- Vaisala offers complete weather radars in the near future
- Vasiala Sigment offers Weather radar upgrades of signal processors
- Sigmet track record covers over 25 years of weather radar upgrades of signal processors, controllers and software called IRIS
- Since beginning of January 2006 Sigmet is Vaisala company called Vaisala Sigmet Product line
- Almost any weather radar operating on any band (S, C or X) can be modernized by Vaisala Sigmet Product line products
- Upgrades being done to weather radars originally delivered by EEC, Gematronik, Mitsubishi, Baron, Radtec, JRC, Telvent ..
- Any upgrade is different. Please consult Vaisala Sigmet Product line
- For references and product details please visit web:
- http:\\www.sigmet.com

## Position in value chain

- From phenomena to data
*Variety-based position*

**Two different strategic positions ****in our business models**

- From customer need e.g. flooding application to solutions
*Needs-based position*

## The challenges with weather and flooding

- 7 out of 20 worst catastrophes in terms of victims in 2004 were caused by floods by Swiss Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurer.
- Weather impacts
- How to predict severe weather and floods?
- How to improve severe weather and flood control decision making?
- Observation and weather products infrastructure: **How to manage and integrate weather observations and create efficient meteorological and hydrological infrastructure?**

## Hydro/Met  observation   -  Solution Steps

**- **Training of the operators- Operation support- Solution maintenance and upgrades- Lifetime reliability and productivity

**2  Implementation**
**        ****- **Instrument and system deliveries - Solution installations- Solution set-up and start-up- Site testing

**1 Planning of Hydro/Met observation solution****- **Feasibility Study- Solution planning and specifications- Pilot installations

**Hydro/Met  observation   -  Solution Steps**

**Customer need from the meteorological, hydrological****	**
** ****and emergency ****(e.g. flooding,multihazard)**** operations**

## 1  Planning of observation system - Feasibility study

**Evaluation of needs for meteorological and hydrological infrastructure and processes**
- Facts finding & assessment  (Analysis of the current status of the infrastructure)
- Identification of critical points and gap analysis
- Capacity building needs
**Initial project planning**
- Project formulation
- Budgeting
- Scheduling
**Initial infrastructure planning based on gap analysis**
- Required observations
- Database, SW tools, models etc..
- Prepared and completed together with customer

## 1  Planning - System planning & specifications

**Hydrology**
- Model planning
- Data collection & conversion
- Preliminary conceptual models
**Meteorology**
- Evaluation and determination of NWP models
- Evaluation and determination of meteorological workstations
**Determination of needed hydrological and meteorological products**
- Public products for warning purposes
- Data distribution
**Data & end-products dissemination to users**

## Planning phase - System planning & specifications 

**Technical**** ****planning**
- Measurements required
- Observation system requirements
- Site surveys
- Data transmission and communication
- Data collection and management
**Maintenance & calibration planning**
- Database & observation sites maintenance
- Calibration procedures
**Project planning**
- Detailed project formulation
- Project phases
- Budgeting
- Scheduling

## Planning -  Pilot System 

**The purpose of the pilot system delivery is:**
- Pilot system in the prototype delivery of the requested solution for certain specific area or region, such as one basin
- To ensure the correct system specifications have been made during the project planning and spesification generation phase
- To test the equipment and observation systems in local and real operational environment and conditions
- To test the performance and the operative usage of the forecast models  (e.g. hydrologic model) in the pilot area

## 2  Implementation - Instrument & system deliveries

**Manufacturing of observation stations according to customer requirements**
- Specified sensors, calculations & reports
- Specified data format & data transmission equipment
- Factory acceptance tests
**Delivery of required HW and SW**
-  Observation stations
-  Database HW and SW
-  Application tools for hydrology and meteorology

## Implementation - Installations

**Installation of observation stations**
- Civil works (foundations, powering, communication etc...)
- Installation of stations with communication equipment
- This is done together with local partner
**Installation of meteorological and hydrological information platforms**
- Communication
- Databases HW
- Data analysis and forecasting models systems
- Meteorologist/hydrologist workstations

## Implementation  - System set-up and start-up

**Hydrological and meteorological informations systems**
- Tools and systems to produce:
- Hydrological information
- Meteorological information
- Data visualization & editing tools
- Meteorological NWP models
- Hydrological models with calibrations
**Setting up central data collection center**
- Meteorological & hydrological databases
- Communication systems
**Observation system integration with  databases**
- Meteorological messages and data formats

## Implementation  - Testing

**Testing of individual elements**
- Site acceptance tests for observation stations
**Testing of the whole chain from observations to products**
- Data transmission to database
- Data quality
- Calibration of the hydrological model and further development
- NWP models
- End-user products e.g. warnings
**Time used to  the operational test phase varies according to solution complexity.**

## 3  Operations - Training

**Operation of complete solution**
- Operation, calibration & maintenance of observation stations
- Managing and maintaining database
- Data editing & visualization tools
- Hydrological model training
- Using meteorological and hydrological end products

## Operational support – Lifetime management 

**Operational support – Lifetime management **

**The lifetime management is the key issue to ensure the reliability and productivity of the hydro/met observation solution. **
**Collaboration between End user and Vaisala is essential.**
-  Examples of Vaisala service
- Technical support
- HelpDesk
- Support for observation systems and application tools
- Preventive & corrective maintenance of systems
- Functionality checks, fault tracing, replacement of fault and worn components
- Remote diagnostics & maintenance
- Calibration service
- Operations of the networks and systems
- Service contracts
- From fast spare part delivery to comprehensive operation of network

## Solution  - Observation Network

**Automated Hydro and Met **
** ****stations Network**

**Satellite data**

**Soundings**

**Weather radars**

**Lightning network**

**Air quality**

**Individual sensors e.g. rain & other****observations (i.e. seismological)**

**Wind profiling**

**Data warehouse**

## Data transmission

**Data transmission**

- Observation Network

**GSM / GPRS**

**Satellite**

**PSTN modems**

**TCP-IP**

- Data warehouse

**Goes**
**Meteosat**
**Orbcomm**
**VSAT**

**Radio**

## Meteorological and Hydrological 				  Data Management, Analysis & Processing

**Meteorological and Hydrological ****	****	****	****	****  Data Management, Analysis & Processing**

**Data editing & Visualization**

- Data** **warehouse
- data verification
- and quality control

## Hydrological data visualization and editing

-      Hydrological products                                     and services
- Visualization of discharge and    water level forecasts
- Real time monitoring and          calculation of discharge in                point of interest
- Flood warnings
- Flood impact scenario maps
- Water level and flood discharge data distribution for regulation, flood damage prevention and general information

## Evacuation alarm in a case of Flooding

- Example: Evacuation analysis based on flood arrival times, population data, industrial plants data etc.
- Which towns and villages will be affected within e.g.2 to 24 hours?”
-  “Are there any industrial sites where hazardous material are being processes in the area which will be affected?”

## Meteorological Data Visualization & Editing

- Meteorological workbench
- Tool for meteorologist to visualize, edit and adjust forecast data from models
- Time series editing
- Combination of data from different sources
- Integrated visualization and product generation
- Forecast text generation tool

## Hydro/meteorological observation solution

**Hydro/meteorological observation solution**

**Observation **
**network**

- AWS (meteo + hydro)
- Radar
- Lightning
- Soundings
- Wind profiling
- Air quality

**Data **
**transmission**

- GSM/GPRS
- Satellite
- Fixed/leased line
- TCP-IP

**Data **
**management**

- Database management
- Metadata management
- Data quality control
- Data verification

**Data Analysis & **
**Processing**

- Data assimilation
- NWP models
- Hydrological models

**Data visualization **
**& Editing**

- Data editing tools
- Met. and hyd. data Visualization
- Met. and hyd.  workbench

**End products **

- Warnings
- Flood prediction
- Severe weatherinfo
- Data dissemination

**Met messages/****message switching**

**Meteorological &****hydrological****research**

**From observations to products**

## Bureau of Reclamation -   reservoir, CA, USA

**Water level**

** ****System showing:**
** ****wind sensor**
** ****solar radiation**
** ****relative humidity/air temp**
** ****net radiation**
** ****precipitation**
** ****barometric pressure**
** ****water level (shaft encoder)**
** ****satellite communication **
** ****result:**
** ****evapotransporation**

## Tide Station for Tsunami Monitoring - Example Layout

**Tide Station for Tsunami Monitoring - Example Layout**

- QHR102     sea-level radar

- MAWS Automatic Weather Station with PMT16A barometer

- QMH102 combined temp.-humidity sensor

- WS425 ultrasonic wind sensor

- lightning rod

- UHF-antenna

- heavy-duty mast with extension arm

- sat. comm (antenna+ transmitter)

- SOLAR50 solar panel

- mast

- PAA-36WT/H abs. pressure & sea-temp sensor

- (option: pillar for GPS antenna)

- Wave breaker
- Tide staff (scale)

**Bench marks**

## EMHI HYDROLOGICAL NETWORK - ESTONIA

**23 x MAWS110 System with hydrological and**
**water quality  sensors**

- GSM Network

## AUTOMATION OF SMHI HYDROLOGICAL NETWORK IN SWEDEN

** **90 MAWS301 STATIONS
-  Water level
-  absolute shaft encoder
-  Optional sensors:
-  All weather precipitation
-  Air temperature
-  Relative humidity
-  Climatological sensors
-  Telemetry
-  PSTN modem
-  GSM modem
-  Voice messages (PSTN)
**Turn-key solution with ****	****	****installation and training**

## Some examples of  HYDRO/MET  SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE

**Mississippi-river, USA**

**Samuel, Brazil**

**Rio Bravo -river, Mexico**

**National Data Buoy Center – Nova Orleans - Mississippi**

**Lapusel, Romania**

**Viken, Sweden**
**Swedish Met. & Hydr. Institute**

## Benefits of flood forecasting

**Benefits**
- Sufficient flood warning time allows actions to be taken to prevent flood damage
- Minimization of human suffering and economic losses
- Conservative estimate for flood forecasting benefit: 10% savings in flood damage
- UN ISDR estimate up to 35 % reduction in damage as a result of improved hydrological forecast (global)

**Vaisala can offer **
**Total Solution:** from sensors, single instrument, telemetry, radar upgrades,  data collection to fully  integrated hydro-meteorological observations solutions.
-  **Global reach**: support, training, service and maintenance  - lifetime sustainability
** ****70 Years at****                              ****Customer****                                  ****interface**

## Vaisala Integrated Hydro-Met Observation Solutions

**Vaisala Integrated Hydro-Met Observation Solutions**

- Vaisala is a comprehensive turn-key solution hydrological and meteorological solution provider ( e.g. flood forecasting).
- Vaisala is fully committed to serve and support Your Organization in all meteorological and hydrological observation needs.
- Vaisala  takes full responsibility to ensure the highest operational efficiency and low operation and maintenance costs in all systems provided.

## Muchas Gracias - Thank you

**Muchas Gracias - Thank you**