Japans tornado warning system sees five-fold improvement

[yuiyoshida]

The Japan Meteorological Agency says its new tornado prediction system is five times more accurate than its predecessor and enables some warnings to be issued up to 30 minutes earlier.

Tornado forecasting is a difficult science. In only a few percent of cases in Japan, powerful gusts of wind actually occurred in areas where tornado warnings had been issued.

The agency has improved the accuracy of its Hazardous Wind Watch using the latest scientific findings and high-performance radars. Operations of the new system started in December.

Warnings are issued by the agency when tornadoes, downbursts and other types of hazardous gusts of wind are predicted to likely occur in certain regions based on the condition of cumulonimbus clouds and other factors.

Between 2011 and 2014, around 600 tornado warnings were issued annually, but their accuracy rate was very low.

more...
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201701040011.html

[longship]

1. I lived in Wichita, KS for 18 years.

In none of those years did I not hear tornado sirens at least once, usually more. They don't call it tornado alley for nothing. One AM radio station had live coverage of every tornado alert, complete with live "mobile units", news staff who would go on the road with live coverage into the mouth of the beast. One of them I got to know over cocktails, Becky *****, who was injured in one her tornado coverage escapades. "Mobile unit #3, we have a funnel cloud on the ground..."

Some days it was a pretty incredible place to live.

Tornados can happen anywhere, however.