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Web Page for

SCAR Expert Group on Operational Meteorology in the Antarctic

& WMO GCOS Antarctic monitoring


The SCAR Expert Group on Operational Meteorology in the Antarctic is a sub group of the SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences (SSG/PS).  The chair of the Expert Group is Steve Colwell (src@bas.ac.uk).  If you would like to join the Group please contact him. 

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) monitoring of Antarctica is carried out by BAS for the WMO.

Jon Shanklin (J.Shanklin@bas.ac.uk), currently maintains these pages. 


Latest news:

  1. 2024 April 8 - most tourist ships have now left Antarctic waters. Approximately 51 ships have made reports and 150 have not. There are many fishing vessels present.
  2. 2024 March 4 - Approximately 48 ships have made reports and 147 have not. There are many fishing vessels present.
  3. 2024 February 5 - Approximately 44 ships have made reports and 138 have not. Over a dozen tourist ships have made reports.
  4. 2024 January 3 - The Antarctic season is in full swing. 35 ships have made reports and 108 have not. There are many tourist and fishing vessels present. 2023 December 1 - November saw a big influx of tourist ships, with a total of around 80 ships now having visited Antarctic waters, of which 24 made meteorological reports.
  5. 2023 October 22 - The first tourist ship of the season has arrived in Antarctic waters
  6. 2023 October 10 - The Laurence M Gould returned to Antarctic waters.  Two fishing vessels are also present.
  7. 2023 June 23 - Most vessels have now left Antarctic waters. Between 52 and 43 ships have sent observations (there may be some double counting due to call sign masking), with a further 124 vessels present.

General

Old News Members of SCAR EG-OMA and WMO ATT (Updated 2017 July 6)
Details of how to register for the .aq (Antarctic) domain. Antarctic Station details (Updated 2017 February 3 - changes are highlighted)
WMO AntON listing (Updated 2017 February 3)  

Monitoring

UK Met Office global monitoring
ECMWF global monitoring NCDC data list
AMPS usage stats (Pressure; site also gives temperature, humidity & wind)
Operational GSN stations with missing CLIMAT messages in the last 12 months (2023 March to 2024 February, updated 2024 April) are:  89004 (2023 June, July, 2024 January), 89009 (2023 November), 89262 (2023 June, July, August, November), 89266 (2023 November), 89272 (2023 November), 89512 (2023 March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October), 89573 (2023 March, April, August, December, 2024 January, February), 89577 (2023 March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, 2024 January, February), 89662 (2023 April, June, August), 89828 (2023 December) and 89879 (2023 June, July, August).  Non operational GSN stations are: 68992 and 89327.  Please check our GCOS AntON CLIMAT and SYNOP monitoring if your station is listed here and resend the data for the missing month(s).  See the latest CLIMATs  to check if your report has been received at BAS. See CLIMAT data for Antarctic AWS for all the University of Wisconsin AWS. The first five stations to submit CLIMAT reports for 2024 March were Neumayer, Bellingshausen, Progress, Mirnyj and Vostok.

WMO no longer require distribution of the CLIMAT TEMP message and monitoring of these has ceased.  See the TEMP monitoring below for performance.

BAS GTS monitoring
BAS GCOS AntON monitoring:  Where we see problems with receipt of SYNOP, TEMP or CLIMAT messages stations or operators will be notified by email.  Several AWS experience problems with low battery voltages restricting real-time transmissions during the winter.   All GUAN stations are now carrying out at least some radiosonde flights each month.  Several stations experience problems with balloons bursting early during the winter due to low stratospheric temperatures.  
Climate monitoring
  • Antarctic CLIMAT monitoring in 2024 (automated)
  • Antarctic CLIMAT monitoring in 2023 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2022 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2021 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2020 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2019 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2018 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2017 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2016 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2015 (manual) / 2015 (automated)
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2014
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2013
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2012
  • AntON CLIMAT monitoring in 2011
  • ABCN CLIMAT monitoring in 2010
  • ABCN CLIMAT monitoring in 2009
  • ABCN CLIMAT monitoring in 2008
  • ABCN CLIMAT monitoring in 2007
  • ABCN CLIMAT monitoring in 2006
If the SYNOP or TEMP message percentage given here is lower than you think it should be, please check your GTS routing.  Prior to 2015, TEMP monitoring is included with the SYNOP reports.
  • Antarctic SYNOP monitoring in 2024 (automated),
  • Antarctic SYNOP monitoring in 2023 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2022 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2021 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2020 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2019 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2018 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2017 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2016 (automated),
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2015 (manual) / 2015 (automated)
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2014
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2013
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2012
  • AntON SYNOP monitoring in 2011
  • ABCN SYNOP monitoring in 2010
  • Antarctic TEMP monitoring 2024 (automated)
  • Antarctic TEMP monitoring 2023 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2022 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2021 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2020 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2019 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2018 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2017 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2016 (automated)
  • AntON TEMP monitoring 2015 (automated)

Ships  The graph shows the number of ships reporting and not reporting each year since 2005 [Last updated 2020 March].  There has been a slight increase in the number reporting and a large increase in the number not making reports.

Ships reporting in 2004/05 Ships reporting in 2005/06
Ships reporting in 2006/07 Ships reporting in 2007/08
Ships reporting in 2008/09 Ships reporting in 2009/10
Ships reporting in 2010/11 Ships reporting in 2011/12
Ships reporting in 2012/13 Ships reporting in 2013/14
Ships reporting in 2014/15 Ships reporting in 2015/16
Ships reporting in 2016/17 Ships reporting in 2017/18
Ships reporting in 2018/19   Ships reporting in 2019/20
Ships reporting in 2020/21   Ships reporting in 2021/22
Ships reporting in 2022/23 [Final 2023 June 23] Ships reporting in 2023/24 [Updated 2024 March 4]
Sign up to send met reports through Yotreps Latest list of ships with significant errors/biases in their reports
Download electronic met logbook software from the VOS website Download Turbowin for sending messages
Oceanographic ship locations (Sailwx) Ship locations (Sailwx)
Live ships map (Marine Traffic) Palmer AIS (APRS.fi)

Planes

Coding aircraft observations (Draft)

Overland traverses 

Reporting traverse observations (Draft)

Forecasting and Forecasts

BAS Antarctic Weather Forecasting Manual International Antarctic Weather Forecasting Manual [updated 2009 June]
Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System Forecast products from Byrd Polar Research Center of Ohio State University UV forecasts from SCIAMACHY
Antarctic ensemble plots  from the Australian BoM & CSIRO Forecasts for Norwegian Antarctic sites
TAFs and Forecast charts generated at Rothera for BAS operations Forecasts for Dronning Maud Land Air Network (DROMLAN)

Information

University of Wisconsin Real time weather data and displays WMO Polar Observations, Research and Services
Argentinian Antarctic weather information Australian Antarctic weather information
Brazilian Antarctic weather information Chilean weather information
Italian Antarctic weather information
Russian Antarctic weather information Russian weather server for Antarctica and sub Antarctic islands
Polar View Antarctic portal UK Antarctic weather information
SCAR READER database

Other Programmes

International Polar Year International Programme for Antarctic Buoys
Automatic Observations on Glaciers WMO/JCOMM Expert Team on Sea Ice

The SCAR Standing Scientific Group on Physical Sciences The SCAR Home Page

NERC / BAS / MET

Page revised 2024 April 8

© Copyright Natural Environment Research Council - British Antarctic Survey 2024