Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS)
Final report
Misumi, R., Y. Shoji, K. Saito, H. Seko, N. Seino, S. Suzuki, Y. Shusse, K. Hirano, S. Belair, V. Chandrasekar, D. Lee, A. Pereira Filho, T. Nakatani, and M. Maki, 2019: Results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0316.1
Objectives
An unprecedented dense observation campaign and relevant modeling and societal studies have been conducted since April 2010 by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Meteorological Research Institute (MRI), and more than 25 national institutions and universities in Japan that target local high-impact weather (LHIW) in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The objectives of the project, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS), include
- Elucidation of the mechanism of LHIW in urban areas (e.g., local torrential rain, flash flood, strong wind, lightening),
- Improvement of nowcasting and forecasting techniques of LHIW,
- The implementation of high resolution weather information to end-users through social experiments.
TOMACS was approved as the Research and Development Project (RDP) of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at a meeting of the Joint Scientific Committee of WWRP from 18 - 19 July 2013. The study period of TOMACS is until December 2016.
- (*Link) WWRP RDP Science Plan of TOMACS
For the study of the mechanism of LHIW in the domestic TOMACS, data are used from the advanced observational instruments owned by participating organizations (including X-band and C-band polarimetric radars, a Ku-band fast scanning radar, Doppler lidars, microwave radiometers, a network of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), radiosondes and unmanned aerial vehicles), which are currently deployed in the Tokyo metropolitan area in addition to the operational observation networks of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT) of Japan. The intensive operational period (IOP) of the observations was set to the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013. All observed data are archived for studies on LHIW.
To improve the nowcasting/forecasting techniques of LHIW, data acquired by the observation networks are also used. The X-band radars observed rainfall with 250-m resolution at 1-minute intervals. Numerical weather predictions are conducted with cloud resolving models by assimilating the meteorological data observed by several radars, lidars, GPS and radiosondes to examine how much the dense observation data can improve LHIW forecasting for urban areas.
The high resolution data and forecast information from TOMACS are provided to end-users to reduce disasters caused by LHIW. For this purpose, social experiments in near real-time have been conducted. The social experiments are categorized into four fields: rescue services, risk management, infrastructure and education. The impacts of the near real-time and forecast information were analyzed by social scientists.
TOMACS is an international testbed study for deep convection. The international partners include the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), Sao Paulo University (Brazil), Environment Canada (Canada), University of Hohenheim (Germany), Pukyong National University (Korea), University Paris-Est (France), National Center for Atmospheric Research (USA) and Colorado State University (USA). The TOMACS RDP incorporates the previously mentioned scientific objectives with the study on LHIW. The international participants will conduct nowcasting/forecasting experiments collaborating with Japanese scientists using TOMACS observation data. Mechanisms of LHIW and the urban effect on their evolution are also studied. TOMACS also exchanges information with other projects that share similar academic goals.
Observation network
One of the unique features of TOMACS is the utilization of dense meteorological instruments in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, which is one of the most urbanized areas in the world. The field campaign that was planned by 14 research organizations, which was initiated in summer 2011 and ended in summer 2013, targets the atmospheric environment of the troposphere and boundary layer, and the initiation of convections and lifecycles of thunderstorms.
Management and organization
International Science Steering Committee
| Country | Institution | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) | A. Seed | Nowcasting |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo Univ. | A. Pereira | Radar meteorology |
| Canada | Environment Canada (EC) | S. Belair | Urban modeling |
| Germany | Univ. of Hohenheim (HU) | V. Wulfmeyer | Data assimilation |
| Japan | NIED | T. Nakatani | Principal investigator (PI) |
| Japan | NIED | R. Misumi | Management |
| Japan | MRI | Y. Shoji | Field campaign |
| Japan | MRI | K. Saito | RDP proposal to WWRP |
| Korea | Pukyong National Univ. (PKNU) | D.-I. Lee | Field observation |
| USA | NCAR | J. Sun | Data assimilation |
International Advisory Board
| Country | Institution | Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | EC | P. Joe | Chairman of WGNR |
| France | UANPE | D. Schertzer | Precipitation |
| Japan | Toyo Univ. | I. Nakamura | Social experiment |
| Japan | NIED | K. Iwanami | Collaborator of RDP science plan |
| Japan | Hokkaido Univ. | Y. Fujiyoshi | Proposer of RDP science plan |
| Japan | Kagoshima Univ. | M. Maki | Former PI of TOMACS |
| Japan | Kyoto Univ. | M. Ishihara | Proposer of TOMACS |
| Netherlands | KNMI | J. Onvlee | Chairman of WG-MWFR |
| USA | CSU | V. Chandrasekar | PI of Dallas-Fort Worth project |
Local Organizing Committee
| Institution | Names |
|---|---|
| NIED | S. Suzuki Y. Shusse K. Hirano and A. Nakai |
| MRI | H. Seko N. Seino M. Otsuka M. Kunii and N. Imai |
Publications
International Workshop
Preparatory meeting on 25 October 2012
In preparation of the RDP proposal, a TOMACS RDP preparatory meeting was held in Shinagawa Intercity, Tokyo, Japan, on 25 October 2012. Approximately 50 participants from six countries attended the meeting.
Participants
First international workshop from 4-5 December 2013
The first international workshop on TOMACS was held at Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, from 4 - 5 December 2013 with an attendance of approximately 90 scientists, which included scientists from overseas.
- 1st_Workshop_program.pdf(1012)
- T. Nakatani, R. Misumi, Y.Shoji, K.Saito, H.Seko, N.Seino, S.Suzuki, Y.Shusse, T.Maesaka, and H.Sugawara, 2015, Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Published online.
Participants
Second international workshop from 26-27 November 2014
The Second International Workshop on Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS) took place at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan from 26 to 27 November 2014.
- 2nd_Workshop_program.pdf(1558)
Participants
Third International Workshop from 4-5 February 2016
The Third International Workshop on Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS) took place at Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo from 4 to 5 February 2016.
- 3rd_Workshop_program.pdf(1378)
Participants
JMSJ TOMACS Special Issue
Special Issue on Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study for Extreme Weather Resilient Cities (TOMACS) of Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan was published in May 2018.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jmsj/96A/0/_contents/-char/en
- Hironori IWAI, Shoken ISHII, Seiji KAWAMURA, Eiichi SATO, Kenichi KUSUNOKI, Case Study on Convection Initiation Associated with an Isolated Convective Storm Developed over Flat Terrain during TOMACS, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released February 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released April 26, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2017-014, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2017-014/_article/-char/en
- Shin-ichi SUZUKI, Takeshi MAESAKA, Koyuru IWANAMI, Shingo SHIMIZU, Kaori KIEDA, X-band Dual-Polarization Radar Observations of the Supercell Storm that Generated an F3 Tornado on 6 May 2012 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released February 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released July 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2017-019, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2017-019/_article/-char/en
- Yoshihito SETO, Hitoshi YOKOYAMA, Tsuyoshi NAKATANI, Haruo ANDO, Nobumitsu TSUNEMATSU, Yoshinori SHOJI, Kenichi KUSUNOKI, Masaya NAKAYAMA, Yuto SAITOH, Hideo TAKAHASHI, Relationships among Rainfall Distribution, Surface Wind, and Precipitable Water Vapor during Heavy Rainfall in Central Tokyo in Summer, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released February 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released July 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2017-020, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2017-020/_article/-char/en
- Ryohei MISUMI, Namiko SAKURAI, Takeshi MAESAKA, Shin-ichi SUZUKI, Shingo SHIMIZU, Koyuru IWANAMI, Transition Process from Non-Precipitating Cumuli to Precipitating Convective Clouds over Mountains: Observation by Ka-band Doppler Radar and Stereo Photogrammetry, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released February 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released July 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2017-021, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2017-021/_article/-char/en
- Hirofumi SUGAWARA, Ryoko ODA, Naoko SEINO, Urban Thermal Influence on the Background Environment of Convective Precipitation, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released April 18, 2018, [Advance publication] Released December 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-010, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-010/_article/-char/en
- Stéphane BÉLAIR, Sylvie LEROYER, Naoko SEINO, Lubos SPACEK, Vanh SOUVANLASY, Danahé PAQUIN-RICARD, Role and Impact of the Urban Environment in a Numerical Forecast of an Intense Summertime Precipitation Event over Tokyo, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released April 25, 2018, [Advance publication] Released December 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-011, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-011/_article/-char/en
- Tetsuya SANO, Satoru OISHI, Observational Study on Formation of a Localized Rainfall on a Basin with Heat and Aridity on Days of Weak Synoptic Disturbance in Summer, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released December 21, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-012, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-012/_article/-char/en
- V. CHANDRASEKAR, Haonan CHEN, Brenda PHILIPS, Principles of High-Resolution Radar Network for Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Management in an Urban Environment, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 23, 2018, [Advance publication] Released January 12, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-015, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-015/_article/-char/en
- Robert CIFELLI, V. CHANDRASEKAR, Haonan CHEN, Lynn E. JOHNSON, High Resolution Radar Quantitative Precipitation Estimation in the San Francisco Bay Area: Rainfall Monitoring for the Urban Environment, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released January 12, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-016, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-016/_article/-char/en
- Takuya KAWABATA, Hans-Stefan BAUER, Thomas SCHWITALLA, Volker WULFMEYER, Ahoro ADACHI, Evaluation of Forward Operators for Polarimetric Radars Aiming for Data Assimilation, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 10, 2018, [Advance publication] Released December 27, 2017, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-017, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-017/_article/-char/en
- Kazuo SAITO, Masaru KUNII, Kentaro ARAKI, Cloud Resolving Simulation of a Local Heavy Rainfall Event on 26 August 2011 Observed in TOMACS, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 17, 2018, [Advance publication] Released February 11, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-027, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-027/_article/-char/en
- Kohin HIRANO, Masayuki MAKI, Imminent Nowcasting for Severe Rainfall Using Vertically Integrated Liquid Water Content Derived from X-Band Polarimetric Radar, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 19, 2018, [Advance publication] Released February 24, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-028, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-028/_article/-char/en
- Naoko SEINO, Ryoko ODA, Hirofumi SUGAWARA, Toshinori AOYAGI, Observations and Simulations of the Mesoscale Environment in TOMACS Urban Heavy Rain Events, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 23, 2018, [Advance publication] Released February 17, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-029, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-029/_article/-char/en
- Augusto José PEREIRA FILHO, Felipe VEMADO, Kazuo SAITO, Hiromu SEKO, José Luis FLORES ROJAS, Hugo Abi KARAM, ARPS Simulations of Convection during TOMACS, Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, Released May 17, 2018, [Advance publication] Released March 09, 2018, Online ISSN 2186-9057, Print ISSN 0026-1165, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2018-030, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/96A/0/96A_2018-030/_article/-char/en
Contact
Dr. Ryohei Misumi