3rd Workshop on Precipitation Measurements

Click here to view new information on getting to the workshop, internet access, etc.

Dates: Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October, 2006

Location: Bureau of Meteorology Head Office, 700 Collins St, Docklands, Melbourne, Australia

Registration: Registration is now closed.

Abstracts Due: 21 July 2006.

Topics: All areas of quantitative precipitation measurements. Of particular interest:

International projects, current and future missions
Satellite-based rainfall estimation techniques
Precipitation assessment
Research activities
Validation efforts

Goals: The goals for this third IPWG meeting are:

To update the current status of operational and quasi–operational satellite-based estimates of precipitation for weather, hydrometeorological and climate applications, including the status of current and future satellite missions, both experimental and operational (TRMM, GPM, etc.)
Analysis of the open issues underlying precipitation retrievals, such as retrievals over complex terrain, light precipitation, and snowfall
Analysis of the statistical performance of current forecast models and satellite techniques over various seasons, rainfall regimes, and space-time scales, including initial results from the Pilot Evaluation of High Resolution Precipitation Products (PEHRPP)
To support algorithm developers in devising observational and modeling approaches for physical validation of advanced precipitation retrieval methods from passive and active sensors.

Click here to view the proceedings and presentations from the 1st IPWG meeting in Madrid, 2002.
Click here to view the proceedings and presentations from the 2nd IPWG meeting in Monterey, 2004.

Format: The format of the workshop will be a plenary session, where brief presentations will be made by participants on topics of relevance, followed by individual working group sessions on Retrievals, Applications, and Validation, where participants will help formulate recommendations and activities for the advancement of remote sensing of precipitation. The 3^rd IPWG workshop will be held in parallel with the 2006 Asia Pacific Satellite Application Training Seminar (APSATS) hosted by the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre. We anticipate having at least one joint session to enable sharing of information among IPWG and APSATS participants. The meeting will adjourn at lunchtime on Friday, October 27.

Meeting Program: Click here

Lodging: All participants are requested to make their own hotel arrangements. A block of rooms has been reserved for the IPWG at the Vibe Savoy Hotel. The Vibe is a 4-star hotel within easy walking distance of many restaurants and attractions, and is located about two blocks from the Bureau. The Bureau of Meteorology has negotiated a special rate of A$125 per night, or A$140 including breakfast. To get this special rate you must contact them directly (do not use the internet booking form). Contact details for the Vibe Savoy are:
            E-mail: vhsm@vibehotels.com.au
            Phone: +61-3-9622-8888
            Fax: +61-3-9622-8818
            Address: 630 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Australia
Please give them the following information:
            Your full name
            Which Vibe hotel you plan to stay at --> Vibe Savoy, Melbourne
            Which conference you are attending --> International Precipitation Working Group at the Bureau of Meteorology
            Your contact information (address, phone number, fax number, e-mail)
            Your arrival and departure date
            Number of people
            A credit card number to secure the booking.
There are many other hotels and apartment hotels located within a short distance of the Bureau if you are interested in exploring other accommodation options.

Outing: We have arranged an afternoon outing on Friday October 27 to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary so you can view Australia's unique animals up close. This will be followed by a visit to the Ainsworth Estate Winery in the nearby Yarra Valley for wine tasting and dinner. The cost is A$95 (2-course meal) or A$105 (3-course meal). Please indicate your interest in attending this outing on the registration form. Final confirmation and payment can be made at the workshop. Click here to view more information.

How to Get to Melbourne: Melbourne Airport (MEL) is serviced by regular flights from most major cities.
Shuttle Bus from Melbourne Airport to downtown: Skybus shuttle buses to downtown Melbourne depart every 15 minutes from the Melbourne airport. The cost is A$15 one way or A$24 return and includes free shuttle service between the downtown bus terminal and your hotel. See www.skybus.com.au for more information.
Taxi from Melbourne Airport to downtown: Taxis are available from the ground floor level of Melbourne Airport, outside the International Terminal and both domestic Terminals. Expect to pay around A$35 to A$40 for the 25-minute trip into the centre of Melbourne.

IMPORTANT VISA INFORMATION: All non-residents of Australia and New Zealand require a visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to enter Australia. The easiest way to apply is via the Australian Electronic Travel Authority web site; otherwise please contact your nearest Australian Visa Office. Since the primary purpose of your travel is to attend the workshop you should get a Short Stay Business Visa rather than a tourist visa.

Local Information: Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria in southeastern Australia. Frequently touted as one of the world's most "livable" cities it has a population of about 3 million and a Mediterranean climate. Springtime temperatures in late October typically range from 10C (50F) overnight to 21C (70F) in the afternoon.
For more information about Melbourne see www.melbourne.citysearch.com.au or www.visitvictoria.com.
Click here to download a map of Melbourne showing the location of the Bureau of Meteorology.

Additional information:

Getting to the workshop: The Bureau of Meteorology is marked on the attached map. To get there from the Vibe Savoy Hotel (corner of Spencer and Little Collins St, marked "Savoy Park Place" on the map) go south on Spencer Street toward the Southern Cross train station and the Yarra River. Turn right onto Collins Street and continue over the bridge to the building labeled "Medibank Private". The Bureau of Meteorology is co-located in this building but has not yet mounted its logo on the outside. Once in the building, veer to the right to the Bureau's reception window and pick up a visitor pass. Take the low-rise elevators up the 6th floor, which is where the workshop will be held.

Presentation equipment: The workshop will have a dedicated Windows PC laptop running Microsoft Powerpoint 2003 and Adobe Reader 6.0. You can load your presentation onto this machine from flash disk or CD, or e-mail it to me ahead of time. Alternatively, you may bring a laptop to connect to the data projector. If your presentation was created on a Macintosh this may be the safest option as it may not always "play" correctly on a PC. If you have other presentation needs please let me know as soon as possible.

Internet access: One or two PCs will be available for guests to access the internet from within the Bureau. Wireless and broadband access for laptop computers will also be available. The Vibe Savoy also provides broadband internet access from hotel rooms at $5.50 for half hour or $11.00 per hour. To use the internet from the hotel rooms they tell us that you should bring your own cable.

Extended abstracts: IPWG participants are requested to prepare extended abstracts (~4 pages) for each of their presentations, to be assembled into a proceedings volume. The sooner these are done the better (ideally we would like to receive them at the workshop, but up to 2 months after the workshop is acceptable). Click here for instructions for preparing the extended abstracts.

For more information contact:
                            Beth Ebert
                            Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre
                            GPO Box 1289
                            Melbourne, VIC 3001
                            Australia
                            Tel: +61-3-9669-4688
                            FAX: +61-3-9669-4660
                            Email: e.ebert@bom.gov.au

Program committee:
                            Peter Bauer, ECMWF, Reading, UK
                            Donald E. Hinsman, WMO, Geneva, Switzerland
                            James, F.W. Purdom, CIRA, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
                            Joe Turk, NRL, Monterey, CA, USA

Local organizing committee:
                            Beth Ebert, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia
                            Andrew Hollis, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia
                            Meryl Wiseman, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia
                            Margaret Hughes, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia
                            Alex Kariko, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia
                            Peter Newby, BMRC, Melbourne, Australia

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This page was last updated on 11 October 2006.