Meteorological Service of CanadaIn support of the…

2015 Pan Am / Parapan Games

Presented by: Rob SimpsonHead: Projects and Installations

Air Monitoring and Operations SectionMSC, Toronto, ON

May 29th, 2012

Our Mandate Includes:• Essential Federal Services

• Safety and Protection of the public, athletes, and officials• The Games will have large crowds in specific areas• Extending Severe Weather Warning for Venues (specific

small area warning)

• Services will include:• Strong winds, hail, lightning, heavy rain warnings for

venues• Health / Air Quality / Smog• General inquiries

• Environmental Stewardship• Emergency Response• Sustainability, Assessments

Our Mandate Does Not Include:

• Services for operating games efficiently, or forecasting sport-specific weather thresholds related to safety or fairness.

A Comparison2010 Vancouver

Olympics2015 Pan Am and Parapan Games

No. Of Athletes and Coaches

2600 8000 – PanAm2000 – Parapan

Volunteers 20,000 23,000No. of Sports 16 – Olympics

(10 outdoors)4 – Paralympics

40 – PanAm (18 Outdoors)10 – Parapan

Range of Spectator Seating

1,500 to 18,000 1,500 to 20,000(potentially 70,000 – Opening/Closing Ceremonies)

Duration 14 Days – Olympics7 Days – Paralympics(6 Weeks total with Prep time and Wrap-Up)

14 Days – Pan AM7 Days – Parapan(6 Weeks total with Prep time and Wrap-Up)

Participating Countries

80 42

On the Mountain

In the City

Photo by: Mark Watmough

Summer Severe Weather

Heavy Rain/Flooding Infrastructure Failure Tornadoes Hail

SMOG 15 events/yr 2-3 day episodes

Heavy Rain Strong Winds Air Quality Lightning Hail Heat/UV

Past experience from Sydney, Beijing, and Vancouver…

• Weather will become the #1 daily Agenda item for the Games Operating Committee.

Priorities This YearIn order to produce venue specific weather warnings, we needed observational data at a finer spatial and temporal scale

After an evaluation of the existing weather observational network, gaps were identified.

– to build 3 all season sites

– 20 to 30 summer only compact sites, some will be collocated with venues

– To use additional existing equipment to augment observation network density

Three Full Stations

Locations selected with MT input to improve coverage of the GTA area

Leases to be concluded soon. Construction to begin this summer

To be built to RCS standard but scheduled for removal after the games

Locations

EWS• AMOS will deploy our Emergency

weather station. • Location to be determined, but one

possible location is Toronto Island to augment marine forecasts

• No Environmental Assessment required as station is portable

• Recently completed communication upgrade

U/A

• AMOS will deploy our Emergency U/A station. • Location to be determined – flight frequency up to 4x a day

Marine

• AMOS will deploy one Watchkeeper buoy with one Waverider buoy to augment wave data

• Lowest cost option as these assets are already within the Marine Network

• Will need CCG assistance with deployments

• Plan calls for buoys in the water for testing in FY 2013/14

Compact Stations

Compact Stations will measure T/Td, Pressure, Wind Speed and Direction, and on some sensor models - precipitation

Many if not all will be camera equipped

Cooperation – Health Canada Black Globes for Heat Index

Compact Stations

Communication will be IP modem based

Power will be solar – no guarantee of 115v availability

Totally portable – deployable from a minivan – by one person if necessary (some assembly required)

Two stations, one with a camera, running at CARE, with more coming soon to provide proof-of-concept data

Compact

1

23

45

6

Questions ??