WDT reveals weather-decision system launch in Dubai
Ben Vogel JAR Editor

United States-based Weather Decision Technologies (WDT) has announced the installation at Dubai International Airport of its first Aviation Weather Decision Support System (AWDSS).

The AWDSS provides "automated and intensely detailed" real-time meteorological information on conditions such as fog, thunderstorms, low-level wind shear, microbursts, inversions, gust and sea-breeze fronts, the company stated.

Regional and runway weather data - combining radar, surface observations and numerical forecasts - is supplied directly to air traffic control (ATC) staff and meteorologists up to 72 hours in advance.

WDT installed the system at Dubai International in December 2007. The AWDSS is undergoing a series of tests to ensure that it meets customer requirements that are due to be completed in mid-2008. The system has been integrated with the airport's existing radar, surface sensor or satellite imagery analysis equipment, according to David Thomas, senior manager for meteorological services at Dubai International.

"The AWDSS installation marks the first time an integrated airport weather system is being utilised to predict both wide area weather conditions and local area weather phenomena in a single turnkey solution," WDT claimed.

The company added that the AWDSS includes a number of features installed for the first time at an airport, such as the first continuous wind and thermodynamic profiling system, designed to predict and display dynamic changes in hazardous weather.
Also installed is the first built-in automatic data interpretation system to provide easy-to-retrieve data, colour coding, audio alerts and watch warnings with an optional manual override mode for airport meteorologists to customise data and to communicate directly with ATC operations staff.

Speaking to Jane's on 12 March during the ATC Global conference and exhibition in Amsterdam, Michael Eilts, president and chief executive officer of WDT, said that the AWDSS for the first time enables 'nowcasting' for the aviation weather forecasting community. This in effect provides very precise forecasts of conditions such as fog, turbulence and thunderstorms within a zero to four-hour timeframe.