Single-Station Forecasting with Interactive Computer Systems

摘要

The rapid advance of interactive computer systems provides many opportunities to assist the synoptic meteorologist in giving improved environmental support. These systems permit computer managed data sets, the presentation of integrated displays of surface, upper-air, satellite and/or radar data and the computation of derived parameters and simple models to assist forecast decisions. All major national meteorological services are developing prototype interactive systems. The Tactical Environmental Support System (TESS), developed for the U.S. Navy, is already in use in the fleet in preliminary form. A more sophisticated version, TESS (3), will be introduced by the end of the decade. These interactive systems can dramatically enhance the effectiveness of the meteorological watch section on a major ship, airfield or regional forecast facility. Major components of these improvements include both software and hardware tools to facilitate the enhanced productivity of the forecaster.