Joining forces for Arctic forecast
Travelers in the Arctic can now get navigational warnings and weather forecast all the way to the North Pole. Meteorological services in Norway, Russia and Canada will twice a day broadcast updated warning on weather, wind and the ice edge.
The first every weather forecast for all open waters in the European Arctic was sent out from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute’s Meteorological Station for North Norway on June 1, the institute’s web site reads.
As the ice edge moves north and activity in these areas increases, the need for a service for broadcasting navigational warnings and meteorological warnings and forecasts in the English language will become more profound.
The International Maritime Organization and World Meteorological Organization started the work of establishing five Arctic METAREA zones some years ago, and in 2007 it became clear that Norway would get responsibility for METAREA XIX.
The Arctic has been divided into five parts, where Canada, Norway and Russia share responsibility for meteorological forecast. Norway is responsible for reports on weather conditions and ice edge situation from 65°N, between 35°W and 30°E – in principle all the way to the North Pole.
Russia is responsible for METAREAS XX and XXI, covering the North-East Passage.
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At the same time as METAREA XIX is launched, the Norwegian Coastal Administration took responsibility for navigational warnings in the same area, called NAVAREA XIX, the organization’s web site reads. Warnings will be sent out from the Maritime Traffic Control Center in Vardø, Norway’s easternmost town.
The Meteorological Station for North Norway, which will lead the operations in METAREA XIX, has for many years issued daily meteorological warnings and forecasts for large parts of the European Arctic as far east as to Novaya Zemlya. The station’s Arctic meteorological station in Isfjord Radio on Svalbard has been upgraded for large sums and will be broadcasting warnings and forecasts on HF radio to be able to reach further north than satellites do.
