(Web based) tools for the forecaster

Kees LemckeEGOWS 2008

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web based Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

Portal to existing meteo

• Based on links to existing URL’s

• Version 1 showed last EGOWS:

– Offline creation of site from database– Main menu with 9 items– Each main menu item divided in 3 sub levels– Pull down menus for sub levels

Portal to existing meteo

• Version 1 showed last EGOWS:

Portal to existing meteo

• September 2007: start introduction

• First: not much response,users stuck with old portal (plain compact html)

• Later on:complaints about too many mouse clicks

Version 2

Portal to existing meteo

• Version 2:

– More main menu items and menu icons– Not more than 2 sub levels– Vertical menu moved to the left side

Portal to existing meteo

Portal to existing meteo

• However, no acceptance of version 2:

– Still too many mouse clicks

– Pull down menu : get rid of it!

– Forecasters asked for ‘Expand & Collapse menu’

Portal to existing meteo

• Version 3:

– Re-use of database– Direct database access in stead of Off-line-generation– Expand/Collapse vertical menu

• Extra:– Several layout options (style sheets)– Search function– 2 options for animation-control– Option for ‘Geographical menu’– Cookies for

• Last used menu• State of expand/collapse• Last used style• Last used animation-control

ACCEPTED !!

Portal to existing meteo

• Short D-tour:

– 3 styles– 2 animation controls– Geographical menu

Horizontal main menu

Default main menu

Vertical main menu

Animation :move mouse over forecast items or Play

Method ‘borrowed’ from FMI

Animation :use buttons

Text in blue: OPERational productText in gray: EXPERimental productAlso visible in main menu

Text in blue: OPERational productText in gray: EXPERimental product

Also visible in main menu

Graphical sub menuNetherlands

Graphical sub menuNorth sea

Graphical sub menuEurope

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

Web based Product Editor

• Commercial Web based Toolkit: IBM Lotus Forms

• 3-week pilot project in June 2007

• Pilot successful

project started work in progress to be finnished early 2009

Web based Product Editor

• Currently 3 old systems in use:– Aeronautical– Marine– General

• To be replaced by 1 new system

Web based Product Editor

• Forecaster has to – log on– Select a shift dependent ‘TO DO’ list.

• For most tasks (products) a pre-defined form has to be used– Pre-filled fields from model output, editable– Empty fields, must be edit

• Each task has properties:– Type : default, CORrection etc.– State: to do, sent, concept, in use etc.– Possible action: amend, cancel, send etc.

Web based Product Editor

• Example TAF form

Web based Product Editor

• Each form has to be created with theIBM Lotus Form toolkit, API to data sources

– Standard:• spell checker (multiple languages)• drag & drop

– Dedicated:• data within meteorological range check• hyperlink to relevant productgroup in Meteo Portal

List of all weather warnings visible on each page

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server• Goal:

– What can be done at KNMI within a few weeks with• existing meteo data• Magics++• Web Mapping server

• New for KNMI, but similar things are done before by e.g. by Norway with data from DIANA

• Developer: Ernst de Vreede, KNMI

Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server• First results very encouraging !• Performance reasonable

• Cinesat Satelite Data as layer

Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server• Further plans:

– More meteo while zooming in– Filled contouring– Radar– More background maps– Data from XML/BUFR files– Open layers draw facilities– Animation?– Performance test, e.g. quad core system– Magics++ as service permanent active?

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

3D-visualization

• Part of severe weather program• Tool to explore output new meso scale models

(2010)

• Pilot with tool VGEO not successful: – Difficult to arrange input data– Interface not user friendly

3D-visualization

• Next:– Working together with ‘Visualisation and Virtual

Reality’ department of the Technical University of Delft– As soon as both parties agree on the financial chapter

we will start (summer 2008)

Content

• Web based tools– Web portal to existing meteo data– Web Product Editor– Experiment Magics++ and Web Mapping Server

• 3D-visualization

• State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

State of project ‘Replacement MWS’• Sep 2006

– KNMI and Department of Defense both like to go for a new MWS

• Feb 2007– specification document finished

• Mar 2007– General steering group KNMI/Defense proposes to research the

possibilities for a web based MWS, to be performed by a partner of the Department of Defense.

•Jun 2008…

State of project ‘Replacement MWS’

• Jun 2008 – Restart of project with :

• Brainstorm about future way of working:– Use of 3D by forecaster– Automated first guess– More use of GIS – Etc

• Update specifications

Thank you