The APEC Climate Center held the training program entitled “APCC in the Forefront of S2S (Subseasonal to Seasonal) Forecast: Leading the way in the fight against extreme phenomena” from July 23rd to 28th 2018 at the APCC headquarters in Haeundae, Busan. The 19 working officers responsible for extreme climate prediction and climate information application from 10 Asia-Pacific region countries joined in this training program.

S2S prediction information refers to the climate forecast information that provides climate prediction for the period between 2 weeks (15 days) and 2 months (60 days). Extreme hydrological events such as droughts and floods occur often and cause great harm to the population and infrastructure during this period.

This training program was also held to strengthen disaster response capability in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific by teaching the trainees the concept of S2S climate prediction and the applicability of climate information.

To decrease the impact of these types of events, the countries in the Asia-Pacific region can utilize the highly-reliable S2S prediction information for disaster preparedness in socioeconomic areas such as agriculture and water resources.

During the training program, the 19 participants had the opportunity to understand the concept of S2S climate prediction, and the main climate phenomena which we can forecast through S2S prediction.

They also had the chance to learn how BSISO (Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation), the climate factor necessary for S2S climate prediction, affects the occurrence of extreme climate in their countries.

BSISO forecasts play an important role in predicting the beginning and the characteristics of the Asian summer monsoon. The Oscillation is a large-scale convection, with a period of 15 to 60 days. It originates over the Indian Ocean, gradually traveling eastward as well as north with a diverse structure. It affects the beginning of the Asian summer monsoon, circulation of atmosphere, and weather patterns.

APCC first provided BSISO services at its website (www.apcc21.org), in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (WGNE) and the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) Task Force on July 1, 2013.