Towards the development of tailored Sand and Dust Storms products

Abstract:

Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) play a significant role in different aspects of the Earth system and represent a severe hazard for life, health, property, environment and economy, as it is recognized by the United Nations (UN). SDS can severely disrupt communications, as well as ground and air transportation. Even moderate dust concentrations affect solar radiation production systems, damage croplands, and compromise air quality and human health. The minimal integration of SDS information and forecasts into practice and policy is a challenge for understanding, managing and mitigating its associated risks.

In this context, in 2007, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) launched the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS), whose mission is to enhance the ability of countries to deliver timely and quality SDS forecasts, observations, information and knowledge to users through an international partnership of research and operational communities. In close collaboration with the WMO SDS-WAS Regional Center for Northern Africa, Middle East and Europe (https://sdswas.aemet.es), in 2017 started the EU COST Action inDust (https://cost-indust.eu) that meets the ambition to bridge the gap between providers and users through the establishment of an international and multi-disciplinary network involving research institutions, service providers and end-users.

In the present contribution, we will introduce two examples of the use of SDS information. One the one hand, we will revise the benefits of using multi-model products for the early prediction of extreme events as the ones occurred in March 2018 in the Eastern Mediterranean and in February 2020 in the Canary Islands. On the other hand, we will introduce the results for 2019 of the SDS-WAS Warning Advisory System for Burkina Faso which is a routinely tailored product based on colour-coded maps that started in October 2018.