GALIMET - Application of Satellite-based Location Services for Warnings against Hazardous Weather

Warnings are given in case of heavy precipitation, thunderstorms or hail occurring in the near neighbourhood with a high probability of affecting the user in the next 1 or 2 hours. The addressed people will then have the possibility to seek shelter or to take any other action to prevent further damages. The target group for this kind of warnings is anyone doing some kind of outdoor activity, hail warnings specially addresse drivers.

In case of strong convective storms, a major problem arises: how to get the most accurate information concerning intensity of thunderstorms and areas most likely affected. At present information about thunderstorms is given for a wide area in space and time in the general weather report. Year after year, tourists, hikers, mountaineers, sailors, and surfers are affected by unexpected severe weather conditions leading to injuries or death. The usual weather forecast is standardised, not always available and often with a time lag.

Every year hailstorms cause property losses exceeding millions of Euros. A warning in good time could help drivers to seek shelter, thus avoiding damage to their cars.

The combination of the user ́s position and high resolution weather data from radar and satellite images could not only increase the accuracy of a warning but also reach people who are in danger.

The aim of the project is to create an operational prototype of a satellite based warning system and to conduct a successful test phase with a limited number of users. For the implementation, four tasks will be defined:

• The satellite based determination of the position of the user
• The recognition and tracking of severe convective storms
• The development of an automatic warning tool and easy-to- use products for the mobile phone
• The immediate transmission of the warnings to the target group: outdoor activists, drivers.

The outcome of the project is an increased accuracy in locating users with a satellite based system, an increased accuracy in time and space in determining the affected areas by thunderstorms, leading to a faster and more specific warning of the endangered people.

The development of a fully automatic warning tool aims at convincing the test group of the usefulness of the warnings given. Finally, a business model for the mobile warning system will be elaborated, as well as a cost/benefit analysis for the motor vehicle insurance sector.

Coordinator

MOWIS GmbH - MOBILE WORLD INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Partners

• Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik
• Hutchison 3G Austria GmbH

MOWIS GmbH - MOBILE WORLD INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Max-Winterstrasse 28
A-4860 Lenzing
Tel.: +43 (7672) 94700-0
Fax: +43 (7672) 94700-20
E-mail: r.steps@mowis.com
Web: www.mowis.com