Early warnings for floods in SA: engineering for future climate change

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Improved data sharing between government departments, universities and communities is required for an early warning system.

Perhaps more pertinent is the question: did anyone see this coming? There isn’t a simple answer. It’s something that has been challenging scientists and engineers around the world for decades. For example, scientists such as myself have been trying to apply the principles of fluid mechanics to address these types of questions.

The second method involves computer modelling. It is difficult to predict where rain will fall, how much will fall and whether this will cause flooding. These processes depend on spatial gradients that are not resolved in regional climate models. For example, wind moves from high pressure to low pressure, sometimes bringing with it rain. However, the wind speed depends on the difference between the high and low pressure. This is typically difficult to model accurately.

Even if the forecast system works, African cities of the future need significant 'on the ground' support and places of shelter The early warning system works by downscaling output from global modelling centres such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and National Centres for Environmental Prediction. This data is fed into numerical models that predict flooding and coastal processes at regional and local scales.

Source: Energy Industry News (energyindustrynews.net)

 

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