Overview of hydrological situation of August In the first two decades of August, rivers showed mainly a decline in water levels and their even course. As a result, on the Western Dvina near Vitebsk, on the Dnieper near Mogilev, Zhlobin, Rechitsa and Loev, on the Berezina near Svetlogorsk, on the Sozh near Krichev, Slavgorod and Gomel conditions for river transport have become worse. On the Oster a tributary of the Sozh near the village of Khodun, the water level dropped below the mark of the water outlet to the floodplain. In the third decade, most rivers showed an increase in water levels due to precipitation. In August, water content of the Berezina was 15-20% less than the norm, the Western Dvina, the Neman, the Viliya, the Western Bug and the Pripyat were half of the usual for this time of year. Water content of the Sozh, the Dnieper near Orsha and Rechitsa was higher than the norm by 10-35% and the Dnieper in Mogilev-Zhlobin section by 55-65%. Minimum water levels in certain sections of rivers of the Neman, the Viliya and the Pripyat basins approached multiyear minimums for August, and on the Yaselda near Bereza (a tributary of the Pripyat), minimum water level dropped below the historical minimum for this time of year. Rivers are dominated by an increase in water levels as of the forecast date. On the navigable sections of the Western Dvina, the Neman, the Dnieper, the Berezina and the Sozh unfavorable conditions for the operation of river transport are observed. Forecast information on the minimum water levels in September Minimum water levels in September are projected below the multiyear averages for this time of year.

Opening ceremony of the site "Construction of a Doppler meteorological radar on the territory of the Grodno airport" (hereinafter - the opening ceremony) was held at 11:00 a.m. on August 6, 2020 on the territory of t Grodno airport (near the agro-town of Obukhovo).    Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Khudyk attended the ceremony together with representatives of Grodno regional and district executive committees, and engineering organizations of PRODOM LLC and the Brest branch of Institute BelNIIS - Scientific and Technical Center.                                     www.grodnonews  A solemn speech was made by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Khudyk, Deputy Chairman of Grodno Regional Executive Committee Vladimir Deshko, Director of branch of the Research Republican Unitary Enterprise for Construction "Institute BelNIIS" - Scientific and Technical Center (Brest) Valery Derkach, Director of Limited Liability Company "Prodom" (Brest) Andrey Dyakov.                                                                                                                                                                               Network of radar observations development on the territory of Belarus will create a unified radar field, increase the lead time and accuracy of storm warnings on severe and adverse weather events. Forecasts of a short lead time (up to 6 hours) are mostly needed for ensuring the safety of aircraft flights, construction, agriculture (during agrotechnical work), during sport events.   Processing of radar data allows forecasters to build meteorological maps of severe weather events, the height of the upper cloudiness limit, the amount and intensity of precipitation, the speed of gusps, to determine the presence of turbulence and icing zones and other parameters.                                                www.grodnonews  Radar observation network on the territory of the Republic of Belarus consisted of two Doppler meteorological radars (hereinafter - DMR) located in Minsk and Gomel, and an old-constructed meteorological radar (MR-5) in Brest. At the end of 2019, a new DMR was built in Vitebsk, and by the end of 2020 MR-5 in Brest will be replaced with a new DMR.  Radar observation network of Belhydromet will consist of 5 radars combined into one system with the introduction of the DMR in Grodno.                                       www.grodnonews Symbolic ribbon was cut in a solemn atmosphere at the end of the event, that gave a start to the implementation of radar observations in Grodno.   

The 3rd belarusian-polish expert working groups meeting in the field of meteorology, hydrology and aeronautical meteorology between Belhydromet and Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB) was held on February 19, 2020.      The delegation of IMGW-PIB of the Republic of Poland was headed by Malgozhata Machuga, deputy director of the country's hydrological safety center. The delegation included: Isabella Zablotzka, head of central bureau of civil aviation predictions - meteorological tracking authority, Rafale Lewando, head of remote sensing sector, Jacek Trzosowski, head of international cooperation sector.    Sviatlana Kuzmich, deputy head of Belhydromet, made welcome remarks. In the speech, she noted the urgent need and importance of developing cooperation between National Hydrometeorological Services of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Poland. The following issues were discussed during the meeting: carrying out of practical training course for Belhydromets weather forecasters at Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute in 2020; the experience of using SADIS output data for the formation of software products produced by IMGW-PIB; the use of the AIREP information formation system issued within the flight information region of the Republic of Poland; the features of climate services of economic sectors, government and the population in the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Belarus (the question is related to the sphere of climate); the results of joint international hydrometric and geodetic valley surveys of cross sections in the profiles of the Bug river water meter (Terespol/Brest and Wlodawa/Tamashouka); and also some other important issues.  As a result of the meeting number of fundamentally important decisions which will contribute to the development of closer interaction between Belhydromet and IMGW-PIB were made.  An agreement concerning practical training for weather forecasters in IMGW-PIB  in 2020 was reached.    

The year 2019 was the second warmest year on record after 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s consolidated analysis of leading international datasets. Average temperatures for the five-year (2015-2019) and ten-year (2010-2019) periods were the highest on record. Since the 1980s each decade has been warmer than the previous one. This trend is expected to continue because of record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Averaged across the five data sets used in the consolidated analysis, the annual global temperature in 2019 was 1.1°C warmer than the average for 1850-1900, used to represent pre-industrial conditions. 2016 remains the warmest year on record because of the combination of a very strong El Niño event, which has a warming impact, and long-term climate change. “The average global temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era and ocean heat content is at a record level,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, we are heading towards a temperature increase of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of century.” Temperatures are only part of the story. The past year and decade have been characterized by retreating ice, record sea levels, increasing ocean heat and acidification, and extreme weather. These have combined to have major impacts on the health and well-being of both humans and the environment, as highlighted by WMO’s Provisional Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2019, which was presented at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP25, in Madrid. The full statement will be issued in March 2020. “The year 2020 has started out where 2019 left off – with high-impact weather and climate-related events.  Australia had its hottest, driest year on record in 2019, setting the scene for the massive bushfires which were so devastating to people and property, wildlife, ecosystems and the environment,” said Mr Taalas. “Unfortunately, we expect to see much extreme weather throughout 2020 and the coming decades, fuelled by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said Mr Taalas. More than 90 percent of the excess heat is stored within the world’s ocean, and so ocean heat content is a good way to quantify the rate of global warming. A new study published 13 January in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Center for Environmental Information and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics showed that ocean heat content was at a record level in 2019. The past five years are the top five warmest years in the ocean historically with modern instruments, and the past ten years are also the top ten years on record. Modern temperature records began in 1850. WMO uses datasets (based on monthly climatological data from Global Observing Systems) from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the United Kingdom’s Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in the United Kingdom.   It also uses reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and its Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency.  This method combines millions of meteorological and marine observations, including from satellites, with models to produce a complete reanalysis of the atmosphere. The combination of observations with models makes it possible to estimate temperatures at any time and in any place across the globe, even in data-sparse areas such as the polar regions. The spread between the five data sets was 0.15°C with both the lowest (1.05°C) and the highest (1.20°C) being more than 1°C warmer than the pre-industrial baseline.  Taken from:  https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-confirms-2019-second-hottest-year-record  

  Visit of World Bank experts to Belhydromet took place on 19 November, 2019.    During the visit draft of a Road Map was reviewed and discussed in detail. Road map “Strengthening Hydromet And Early Warning Services in Belarus” prepared by World Bank as part of implementation of component 3 “Improving the quality of hydrometeorological information and information on radiation situation, including the use of early warning systems” of the project Project “Enhancing Disaster Preparedness in the Republic of Belarus”.   From World Bank side event was attended by:      Daniel Werner Kull, senior disaster risk management specialist, project manager;  Vladislava I. Nemova, environment specialist,  Haleh Kootval, senior specialist, meteorology and public weather service, Andreas Schumann,senior specialist in hydrology and floods Paolo Fiorucci, senior specialist in wild/forest fires  Kathrin Baumman-Stanzer, senior specialist in radiation monitoring and forecasting,   Andreas Schaffhauser,senior specialist in MeteoAlarm integration   Ekaterina Zayash, interpreter.    Reference:  Technical Assistance Project “Enhancing Disaster Preparedness in the Republic of Belarus”   aims to enhance disaster risk preparedness capacity in the Republic of Belarus by improving extreme weather reporting, risk identification, data availability and dissemination and national disaster risk reduction strategy.    The project is implemented jointly by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus.  The first working meeting with World Bank experts was held in Belhydromet on January this year. During this week’s meeting, representatives of Belhydromet familiarized experts with the history of hydrometeorological service of the Republic of Belarus, system of activities in the field of meteorology, hydrology and radiation monitoring, also conducted an excursion in the center, accompanying with interesting information, answered questions.     Following the visit was made a decision by World Bank experts and Belhydromet employees to jointly finalize the draft Roadmap, which represents potential path aimed at strengthening the national hydrometeorological service (Belhydromet) and early warning systems, forest fire forecasting, as well as radiation monitoring and weather forecasting systems tailored to customer needs. Draft of a Roadmap is based on assessment of needs and potential of Belhydromet, which is main and only official provider of services in the field of weather, water resources, radiation monitoring, as well as forecasts and warnings.   Draft of a Roadmap, reviewed on November 19, 2019, will be jointly finalized until March 2020. Bilateral signing of the project is scheduled for April 2020 at World Bank office in Minsk.      

14th meeting of Working group on interaction of interested regional centers of hydrometeorology of Belhydromet and HEMC of Roshydromet is held from 16 to 19 September, 2019 year in Kaliningrad (Russian Federation).  Ivan Evdokimov, head of monitoring network administration of Roshydromet and deputy head of Belhydromet Svetlana Kuzmich gave a speech at the opening of the meeting. In addition co-chairs reported on the progress in the implementation of previous decisions of Working group and proposals for improving effectiveness of its work.          During the meeting also reports from heads of Kaliningrad, Smolensk, Bryansk HEMCs of Roshydromet were planned as well as heads of Gomeloblhydromet, Vitebskoblhydromet, Grodnoblhydromet, Mogilevoblhydromet of Belhydromet. Main topics of reports are implementation of Plan for exchange of operational and production information and experience in implementing joint activities between departments of Roshydromet and Belhydromet.    Co-chairs of Working group also reported on joint execution of Plan of joint operational activities in frames of Committee of Union State for hydrometeorology and environmental pollution monitoring in 2018-2019.    At the end of the meeting  decisions of Working Group were  discussed and adopted, and date and venue of 15th meeting of Working Group were selected.   

70th meeting of Joint board Committee of Union state for hydrometeorology and environmental pollution monitoring is held on basis of Federal State Budgetary Institution "High Mountain Geophysical Institute" is held in Nalchik  (Russian Federation) from 12 to 14 September 2019.          Meeting’s agenda includes consideration of wide range of issues on interaction of national hydrometeorological services of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation, including following issues “Implementation of Union State program “Development of Union State Hydrometeorological Safety System ”for 2017-2021 in first half of 2019,“ on automation and further prospects for development of Meteorological Observation Network for the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation”,“On Development of Legal Framework base of the Republic of Belarus in terms of environmental monitoring in the area of operation of nuclear power plants based on experience of the Russian Federation ”, “On consideration of new edition of “Procedure for mutual informing in extreme situation of threat and / or radiation emergency  in system of Union state Committee for hydrometeorology and environmental pollution monitoring”.   Based on traditions of holding meetings of joint board, meeting is attended by representatives of Roshydromet, Belhydromet, Standing Committee of Union state, and local administration. Representatives of media are also invited.   Russian delegation is lead by head of geophysical monitoring, active impacts and state supervision department of Roshydromet  Tasenko.    From Belhydromet side takes part: Raman Labaznov, head of Belhydromet, Svetlana Kuzmich, deputy head of Belhydromet deputy chairman of the joint board , Alexander Begansky, member of joint board , head of weather forecasting service, Andrei Korobchuk, deputy head-head of international cooperation department of Belhydromet,   secretary of joint colleague.    

  Dear Colleagues! I cordially congratulate you with 95th anniversary of the establishment of Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus!   From July 1, 1924 , in accordance with the order of Public Commissariat of Agriculture of BSSR No. 80 dated May 22, 1924, Meteorological Bureau of the Experimental Department of the Public Commissariat, first central body of future Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus, began its work . This day is considered to be the date of formation of Hydrometeorological Service of Belarus.        Over past 95 years Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus has repeatedly undergone periodic recessions and booms. The period of Great Patriotic War, when many employees were lost, stations and posts of hydrometeorological observers were destroyed, was a difficult test. Hydrometeorological service in a short time restored most of stations and posts and ensured work of forecasting service.    Until the present day traditions of integrated approach to study of atmospheric processes are carefully preserved in Belhydromet Considerable attention is paid to development of operational activities based on use of modern information technologies and latest computing and telecommunication capabilities. Modernization and expansion of network of radar observations, new technologies of hydrometeorological observations are being actively introduced.   I note with satisfaction the gradual increase to international cooperation in framework of WMO and other international organizations and, of course, in framework of the Union State Committee on Hydrometeorology and Environmental Pollution Monitoring and CIS Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology.    On a wonderful day of Jubilee please accept our most sincere and good wishes for continued success in hard work for the benefit of our country, as well as new achievements in the field of hydrometeorology, implementation of plans and successful completion of all projects started.   We can together preserve and enhance our traditions, achieve new successes!  Please accept warmest words of gratitude and appreciation for your work, for your devotion to the chosen case. I wish you good health, happiness and well-being. 

  Visit of specialists from the National Center of Study of Water Resources at the Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia is held in Belhydromet from 16 to 30 June as part of training course “Radiation monitoring of natural and man-made radionuclides in environmental compartment”.  During the visit guests will familiarize with main activities of Radiation Monitoring Service of Belhydromet and with regulatory and legal acts governing conduct of radiation monitoring in the Republic of Belarus. Both lecture and laboratory classes will be held. On basis of laboratory of radiometry and radiochemistry and laboratory of radio spectrometry , laboratory classes will be held with the participation of teachers of the Belarusian State University.   It is also planned to visit Atomtech UE and familiarize with instruments and equipment of their production. In addition, guests from Saudi Arabia will visit settlement of Masana, which is located on the territory of the Polesye State Radiation and Ecological Reserve, where they will take part in practical exercises on sampling of environmental objects. Belhydromet was selected for training specialists of National Center for Study of Water Resources at the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia and it testifies high professionalism of workers of radiation monitoring service of Belhydromet.   

Water stress, water-related hazards and water quality pose increasing challenges to modern society. And yet, the capacity to monitor and manage this vital resource is fragmented and inadequate. The World Meteorological Organization has therefore decided to give greater priority to strengthening operational hydrological services and to improve monitoring and forecasting.  This is key to tackle issues of too much, too little or too polluted water and supports operational management, planning and decision support. The World Meteorological Congress – WMO’s top decision-making body – approved the way forward towards  new vision and strategy for hydrology and water resources after a special Hydrological Assembly, which heard calls to “count every drop because every drop counts.” “We need to think about water as our most precious commodity on the planet,” said WMO President David Grimes (Environment and Climate Change Canada) . “The impacts of climate change means that there is no time but now to organize ourselves to help decision- makers around the world address such an important issue. “ The Congress approved eight long-term ambitions that should guide the development of WMO activities relevant to water: No one is surprised by a flood; Everyone is prepared for drought; Hydro-climate and meteorological data support the food security agenda; High-quality data supports science; Science provides a sound basis for operational hydrology; We have a thorough knowledge of the water resources of our world; Sustainable development is supported by information covering the full  hydrological cycle; Water quality is known; Congress also agreed to increase the involvement and participation of the broad hydrological community in WMO activities as part of WMO’s planned reform of its governance structures towards a more seamless earth systems approach embracing more integrated weather, climate, water, environmental and ocean services. “We want to open the doors wider for the hydrological community in the future,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. In many countries, meteorological and weather services are separate from hydrological and water services. Cooperation between these services, and with users, is a key to provide integrated and complete information need to support water-smart decision-making. Climate change, urbanization and pollution mean that water resources are stressed as never before. Water-related hazards like drought and flooding are becoming more serious, and a much greater proportion of annual precipitation is now falling in extreme precipitation events rather than spread more evenly throughout the year. Most rivers and fresh water bodies are trans-boundary and decisions by one country on water resource management often have implications for other countries, thus making water a potential source for both peace and conflict. And yet, many countries lack the capacity to monitor and analyse relevant data. This means that decisions on major infrastructure projects like dams or hydroelectric plants as well as urban planning are often made on the basis of outdated or incomplete information. For the first time, the quadrennial World Meteorological Congress therefore hosted a special three-day Hydrological Assembly, attended by 100 participants from more than 50 countries, to discuss a roadmap to ensure sustainable monitoring and decision support for the management of water resources and to support disaster risk reduction. At a high-level panel session, the Hon M. Abdel Aty, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt, cited the example of the Nile river basin. He underlined the key role that scientific knowledge plays in contributing to the solution of trans-boundary water management issues and pointed to the need of reinforcing international collaboration in order to share the benefits from improved water resources management. The panel focussed on how to harness water as an instrument for peace and sustainable development. Key points emerging from the panel discussion were: Water is a key factor for life, environmental protection and sustainable development. Several stressors are affecting the water cycle, its resulting water resources distribution and availability. Special emphasis was given to climate change, population growth and water quality There is a lack of a single strong political voice for water within the UN system, and WMO should take a more proactive coordination and leadership role, focussing on its mandate in Operational Hydrology. There is a market potential for expanding hydrological data and services. WMO could contribute to strike a balance between particular and general societal interest. Collecting, managing and sharing data are fundamental for developing appropriate water management solutions. Data and knowledge are of fundamental importance for informing the decision-making process, particularly in international and transboundary basins. Water quality and quantity issues should be addressed in a holistic way. There is need for opening a dialogue with all users to take into account their needs. Congress approved the appointment of Jan Danhelka (Czech Republic) as chairperson and José Alberto Zuñiga Mora (Costa Rica) as vice chairperson of the Hydrological Assembly until the next session of the Hydrological Assembly is held. During the Hydrological Assembly, WMO and the Global Water Partnership signed a Framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strategic collaboration to achieve the objectives of Integrated Water Resources Management. This builds on existing initiatives, including integrated programmes on flood and drought management. An integrated, cross-sector approach to water resource management is vital because water investments are spread across many institutions and different levels of government. WMO has a number of additional water-related initiatives, including the Flash Flood Guidance System. Additionally, WMO is responsible for the direction of the the World Water Data Initiative, which was implemented under the leadership of the Australian Government and the World Bank. Better data is key to better management of water. With these developments, hydrology is more prominent than ever in the WMO. Congress created new possibilities for a more effective integration of hydrology , climate science and meteorology to support its Members and to inform regional and global processes like the Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Water is the commodity of the 21st Century, WMO is responding the call of its Members to act on water issues now. Source:  https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-embarks-new-strategy-hydrology-and-water-resources