Sustained, Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Nowcasting (SCOPE-Nowcasting)

The goal of the WMO Sustained, Co-Ordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Nowcasting (SCOPE-Nowcasting) initiative is to demonstrate continuous and sustained provision of consistent, well-characterized satellite products for nowcasting and severe weather risk reduction.

Objectives of SCOPE-Nowcasting are:

To provide a mechanism through which satellite data can be made available simply and quickly, for nowcasting applications

To primarily serve users in the NMHSs of smaller or developing nations, where expertise and facilities for processing and utilizing satellite data may be limited or non-existent,

To assist advanced nations in data processing and application where there may be efficiencies possible through combining resources, expertise, and efforts.

SCOPE-Nowcasting will be demonstrated through a number of pilot projects, meeting the criteria defined by the WMO Expert Team on Satellite Utilization and Products (ET-SUP):

Project	Theme	Coverage	Users	Providers	Links
Pilot Project 1 (Basic nowcasting)	RGB composites and enhancements, visible and infrared imagery, precipitation potential products and cloud products	Region II (Asia) and V (SW Pacific); SWFDP regions	NMS in Region II and V	CMA, JMA, KMA	Himawari-8 RGBs (Full area, SWFDP SE Asia, SWFDP SW Pacific)
Pilot Project 2 (Advanced nowcasting for aviation)	Globally-consistent volcanic ash products	Global; VAAC regions of responsibility	VAAC centres	CMA, ESA, EUMETSAT, JMA, KMA, NOAA	VA Inter-comparison Activity
Pilot Project 3 (Advanced nowcasting on precipitation and severe rainfall risk reduction)	Blended satellite global and regional precipitation product	Global; SWFDP regions	NMHS, civil authorities, flash flood guidance systems	NOAA, NASA	QPE maps based on HydroEstimator
Pilot Project 4 (Real-time Atmospheric Composition products for sand and dust forecasting)	Dust monitoring and prediction products	Region II (Asia) and V (SW Pacific)	NMSs, SDS-WAS, environment agencies, transport authorities	CMA, JMA, KMA

More details on the Pilot Projects is provided in the Summary of Pilot Projects (January 2017) .

SCOPE-Nowcasting is supported by CGMS satellite operators, and aligned with a number of WMO initiatives, in particular SCOPE-CM and the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP). SWFDP is focused primarily on numerical weather prediction output; the observational focus of SCOPE-Nowcasting has the high potential to complement and enhance SWFDP final output and thus lead to improved warning services. Linkages with other relevant programmes, initiatives and groups will be sought, as appropriate.