February 22 - The Nautical Institute has launched its Numerical Weather Prediction - a practical guide for mariners publication.
Numerical weather prediction (NWP) has significantly improved the accuracy of marine weather forecasting. However, International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) statistics indicate that the leading cause of total loss of shipping between 1996 and 2010 was the weather. From 2006 - 2010 weather accounted for 45 percent of total losses, according to IUMI.
The Numerical Weather Prediction - a practical guide for mariners paper aims to explain the benefits and limitations of NWP, so that seafarers can recognise and understand the information presented and to make informed judgements on the sea.
According to author Huw Davies, the guide "cuts through the jargon and complexity to provide mariners with the confidence and knowledge to exploit all of the advantages of modern meteorology and to avoid the pitfalls".
Please refer to the January/February 2013 edition of HeavyLift & Project Forwarding International magazine for a detailed review of the marine weather forecasting industry.
www.nautinst.org
www.iumi.com