Warning systems

Based on radar measurements, forecasts, if applicable other measurements like rainfall station data and water level data, automatical warnings can be produced for predefined threshold values.

A warning can be distributed via email or be integrated into a warning system.
Our activities in this domain include:

  • Investigation about the feasibility of warnings

  • Development of warning strategies

  • Practical implementation and support of the warning system

  • Development of specific software.

Most of our supported systems are using radar-based rainfall measurements or forecasts as a component.

Example RainAhead emergency service warning

Within the project RainAhead  for the city of Lübeck, we developed a warning system for heavy rainfall in the city boundaries. Based on the analysis of past fire brigade operations during heavy rainfall, we determined district specific rainfall boundary values. The threshold values for rainfall were determined by relating concurrent rainfall measurements, which were calculated by our software SCOUT. In case thresholds are exceeded, a warning via email will now be sent to the fire brigade and other municipal actors.

Example Warning Service Binnenhochwasser Hamburg

Another example of a successfully developed and implemented warning system is the warning service of the Binnenhochwasser Hamburg. On behalf of the Landesbetrieb Straßen, Brücken und Gewässer we implemented a concept in which an overall warning status is produced from the water level gauge height of the monitored creeks and from the numeral weather forecast of the German Weather Service DWD. The result is published on the webpage www.wabiha.de.

Wabiha Warn Ampel

Within the BMBF-researchsproject (StucK ) for the city of Lübeck, we are developing a more accurate warning strategies for WaBiHa, which also contain probahilistic nowcasts based on Ensemble-Nowcasts and COSMO-DE-EPS.