by Lynette Alice

Created on: February 09, 2009

The way that meteorologists track and forecast typhoons is a rather unique and sometimes very intense process which relies on many people contributing rather than just one. In this article we won't be discussing forecasting or tracking in the manner television meteorologists do it, it will be a a first hand account of the way an actual warning center works through handling this phenomena.

Until the late 1990's the forecasting and tracking of typhoons fell under the eye of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) located on Nimitz Hill in Guam. While they still do this, operations are now located in Hawaii. JTWC is made up of U.S. Navy and Air Force personnel who fill a variety roles all aimed at putting out the best forecast possible to safeguard some 53 million square miles of the Earth. Depending on operational needs, this is sometimes expanded. For those who aren't quite sure what a typhoon is, it is simply the name assigned to a hurricane that forms west of the International Date line in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

While two sections carry out the bulk of the work surrounding the actual forecast, there are many players that make it all possible. NEDS (Navy Environmental Data System) operators download charts, and satellite photos which are provided by Air Force personnel attached to the DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) who task the "birds" to take photos. Air Force Satellite Analysts (SA) perform computer fixes of a system (Eye fixes are possible when necessary) which help define the size and organization of a system. Typhoon Duty Assistants (TDA) gather and plot a combination of synoptic and upper air data to charts for the 850mb and 200mb (Surface and upper air) levels on which a streamline analysis is performed. The Typhoon Duty Officer (TDO) generally performs the analysis of these charts although SA's and some TDA's are also qualified for the task. The TDO is also responsible for studying a number of computer generated models like the PAC's BAM's, CSUM, CLPR, RCV (Recurve), and Blend/Weighted amongst others. As if that weren't enough they also study NED's charts and previous synoptic data and satellite photos to help gain a perspective on a systems movement and growth.

Every twelve hours either an ABIO (Abbreviated Indian Ocean Update) or ABPW (Abbreviate Pacific West Update) is sent out to all product users, (Military Installations, U.S, Navy Ships, and Merchant Vessels) which basically describes what activity if any is in that area.

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