Personnel from Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) were trained by RIMES experts on Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) system installation, operation, and maintenance from 9-13 September 2013. These 17 DMH technical staff learned and practiced on: WRF system set-up, basics of Linux Operating System, WRF libraries and library installation, and WRF modeling (pre-processing, model run, and post-processing) and troubleshooting.
Practical exercises to evaluate participants’ knowledge and skills gained during the training produced the following outputs: 24-hourly accumulated rainfall for three days forecast period for the whole Southeast Asian region, estimation of rainfall for the next 24 hours in Nay Pyi Taw and surrounding area, and hourly rainfall forecast for Yangon and surrounding area.
“Capacity building on WRF model installation, operation and maintenance is extremely important to DMH for operationalizing the model and building self-confidence of every DMH staff to handle daily operation individually. They could now install, troubleshoot and run the model on their own, without much assistance. This shall contribute to improved performance of DMH”, explains Itesh Dash, RIMES System Analyst for Hydro-meteorological Systems and one of the trainers.
Itesh explaining about the WRF model during the training
Participants and facilitator at DMH office
Feedback from participants confirmed their improved understanding of the processes behind WRF modeling, from the model environment to model installation and model runs. According to Dr. Tin Mar Htay from DMH, the trained staff are now able to install and run the model at any other resolution and domain by themselves. RIMES will continue providing remote assistance.
This activity is part of RIMES ongoing efforts in building DMH capacity in numerical weather prediction. Efforts started through a training of a DMH senior scientist, Mr. Sein Maw Oo, seconded until 2010. Subsequently, DMH acquired a computing system for the WRF model, but transfer of learning to DMH was interrupted when Mr. Oo passed away in 2011. In August 2012, RIMES agreed to provide assistance in establishing the WRF system at DMH, and build capacity of DMH personnel. From February to August 2013, two DMH senior scientists, Mr. Kyaw Lwin Oo and Dr. Tin Mar Htay, were trained through secondment at RIMES on climate and WRF modeling. Both assisted in the training on WRF model installation, operation, and maintenance at DMH, and are facilitating knowledge transfer to colleagues.
RIMES Director, Mr. A.R. Subbiah, awards certificates to Dr. Tin Mar Htay (left) and Mr. Kyaw Lwin Oo (right) for completing their secondment at RIMES Program Unit in Thailand
Download the full training report: http://www.rimes.int/em/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Report-WRF-Training-Myanmar.pdf