WeBoKaN DWD 1

German Meteorological Service

Weather-Observing-Camera-Network

WeBoKaN = Wetter-Beobachtungs-Kamera-Netzwerk

Theodor Mammen, Uwe Wienert(Rainer Bauer, Hardy Pinz, Eckhard Lanzinger et al)

WeBoKaN DWD 2

German Meteorological Service

Topics:

• Technology• Products• Local-Remote Comparison• Outlook

WeBoKaN DWD 3

German Meteorological Service

TECHNOLOGY

WeBoKaN DWD 4

German Meteorological Service

DWD-WAN

- video4linux- bttv- convert- mplayer

AFD

TCP/IPNetwork

Surveillance-Camera

Framegrabber-Card

Digital Control Line(RS232-VISCA)

Videoline (SVHS)

JPG-PicturesMPG-Movies

PC

Integration of Standard Components

to a flexible and specialized System

WeBoKaN DWD 6

German Meteorological Service

Outdoor:• Movable Camera• Fixed Camera• Sensors (Temp., Precip. Y/N)• Fountain solution for wiper

Indoor:• PC• Terminalserver• Network• BITE and UPS

WeBoKaN DWD 7

German Meteorological Service

PRODUCTS

WeBoKaN DWD 8

German Meteorological Service

• Panorama: wide angle allows full 360 degrees with 8 shots

Movable Camera• Zoomed target for estimate of visibility

WeBoKaN DWD 9

German Meteorological Service

Picture:• JPG-Header includes

meta data

Movie:• Full PAL- or 1/4 PAL-resolution

WeBoKaN DWD 11

German Meteorological Service

INTER-COMPARISONLOCAL REMOTE

WeBoKaN DWD 12

German Meteorological Service

WeBoKaN DWD 13

German Meteorological Service

Parameter (data availability):

• Total Cloud Coverage (>90%)

• Horizontal Visibility (>90%)

• Present Weather (60%)

• State of Ground (10%)

Timeperiod:

• September,1st 2003 to August,31 2004

WeBoKaN DWD 14

German Meteorological ServiceEvaluation of total cloud coverage

Time period: 01.09.2003 to 31.08.2004

WEBOKAN-Station: Rostock-Warnemünde Remote Station: Kap-Arkona

WN Total cloud amount from WeBoKaN

0/8 1/8 2/8 3/8 4/8 5/8 6/8 7/8 8/8 9/8 Sum

N 0/8 198 20 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 221

1/8 52 186 21 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 263

2/8 5 105 81 26 4 0 0 0 0 0 221

3/8 0 51 130 69 23 7 1 2 0 0 283

4/8 0 13 25 57 76 35 7 2 0 0 215

5/8 0 6 20 39 107 105 61 11 0 0 349

6/8 0 4 11 22 40 128 257 153 8 0 623

7/8 0 0 0 7 6 28 111 648 100 3 903

8/8 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 165 1157 12 1344

9/8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 31 42

Sum 255 385 291 222 257 305 445 984 1273 47 4464Dif. >

1/85 74 59 70 51 37 16 18 8 4

Dif. in %

1,96% 19,22% 20,27% 31,53% 19,84% 12,13% 3,60% 1,83% 0,63% 8,51%

Sum (all Hits): 4464 2808 or 62,9%

342 4122 or 92,3%

To

tal C

lou

d a

mo

un

t S

YN

OP

ideal Hits

Non-Hits: or 7,7% incl. +/- 1/8:

WeBoKaN DWD 15

German Meteorological Service

Summary of Inter-Comparison:• Cloud Coverage and Visibilty can be well optained• Intensity of precipitation hard to get• Snow Voverage OK, other States of Ground not• Results from different Stations are similar

Summary of Questionnaire:• Forecasters use DWD- and other Internetcameras

– Cloud Coverage and Visibilty (60-80%)– Present Weather from Movies (55%)

WeBoKaN DWD 16

German Meteorological Service

OUTLOOK

WeBoKaN DWD 17

German Meteorological Service

Noise reduction:Original Averaged over 8 pictures

WeBoKaN DWD 18

German Meteorological Service

• Scanning will we optimized• Extend operation to „Low Brightness Condition“• Host based „Exposure“ and Picture Manipulation• Complete „outdoor“ Installation will be tested

• Requests for more Systems (WKN-II)• We apply for Ressources

• Integration into NINJO (DWD Data Display System)

WeBoKaN DWD 19

German Meteorological Service

WeBoKaN DWD 21

German Meteorological Service

Sahara-Dust over Bavaria