The Thirtieth Meeting of the Meteorology Group (METG/30) of the European Region Aviation Systems Planning Group (EASPG) was held virtually from 22 to 25 September 2020. The Meeting was attended by a total of 152 participants from 46 States, and 5 International Organizations
The .meeting reviewed the implementation of the World Area Forecast System (WAFS) and Secure Aviation Data Information Service (SADIS). The WAFS data hazard data sets for icing, turbulence and cumulonimbus will be provided at an increased horizontal resolution of 0.25 degrees (compared with 1.25 degrees at present) beginning 5 November 2020 as part of Amendment 79 to Annex 3.
Guidance material such as the EUR SIGMET and AIRMET Guide (EUR Doc 014) and the EUR OPMET Data Management Handbook (EUR Doc 018) were also updated to align with Amendment 79 to Annex 3.
Progress was also made on making requirements on the dissemination of tropical cyclone information in some parts of the EUR Region and expected to mature in early 2021.
Implementation of the ICAO Meteorological Information Exchange Model (IWXXM) continued to progress and the meeting agreed that the translation service offered by the Regional OPMET Centres (ROC)s at no cost be extended for one more year for States not yet in a position to implement IWXXM. Further assistance to States in IWXXM implementation will be provided by the ROCs in the next year noting the applicability date of IWXXM implementation is 5 November 2020.
Proposals to provide global guidance to TAF verification methods as well as reporting and converting surface wind in degrees true and degrees magnetic maybe considered by the appropriate global group if endorsed by EASPG.
Proposals to update the EUR Air Navigation Plan (ANP) were provided for all three Volumes pertaining to MET, noting that Volume III tables would be provided to EUROCONTROL for inclusion in the ASBU Implementation Monitoring Report for the ICAO EUR Region.
METG/31 will be held from 21 to 24 September 2021.
