Scientists Develop Low-Cost Sensors for River Levels
Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany have developed a low-cost, reliable method to monitor the water levels of rivers continuously. The sensor, which can be attached to a…
Forecasting and Warning Systems
Flood forecasting and early warning systems
Introduction of Southeast Asia Flash Flood Guidance System Aims to Improve Warnings
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced the official launch of the Southeast Asia Flash Flood Guidance System (SeAFFGS) which aims to improve early warnings for flash floods in the region.…
Australia – Weather Forecasts Should Include Clearer Warnings on Impacts
People could’ve prepared for the floods better if the impacts of weather forecasts were clearly communicated, write Kate R Saunders, Queensland University of Technology; Kate Helmstedt, Queensland University of Technology,…
Predictive Maintenance: A Flood Sensor Network
Marc Pégulu, VP of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group, takes a look at how Internet of Things (IoT) solutions such as flood sensor…
Europe’s Catastrophic Flooding Was Forecast Well in Advance – What Went So Wrong?
Almost 200 people dead and many others still missing. Billions of euros’ worth of damage. Communities devastated. Thousands of homes destroyed and their occupants traumatised. I am a flood forecaster…
Report From Europe’s Flood Zone: Researcher Calls Out Early Warning System Gridlock Amid Shocking Loss Of Life
It was close to midnight when I received a phone call from my sister telling me that our parent’s house was under water. Neither she nor they really knew what…
European Space Agency Researchers Developing AI Early Warning Systems for Flooding
Researchers at Lancaster University and the European Space Agency are developing new artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could help to predict and warn of flooding by processing images and other…
Satellite-Based Monitoring Is Needed to Prepare for Catastrophic Himalayan Floods
Aptly called Earth’s “Third Pole,” the Himalayan region is home to the largest ice mass outside of the planet’s polar regions. However, rising temperatures and extreme precipitation events make the…
New Early Warning Systems Reduce False Alarms for Landslides
Many slopes in the Campania region of southwestern Italy are covered with layers of volcanic soil, the result of repeated eruptions over the course of millennia. As the impacts of…
Launch of European Coastal Flood Awareness System
January 2021 saw the launch of development of a new coastal flood awareness system in Europe that could become a candidate to join the Copernicus suite of services. The Copernicus…
New Warning System in Bangladesh to Tackle Rising Landslide Risk
DHAKA, Jan 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A new system that can warn people of landslides nearly a week in advance is set to be launched in Bangladesh later this…
Advanced Cyclone Forecasting Is Leading to Early Action – and It’s Saving Thousands of Lives
On May 18, a massive tropical cyclone with sustained winds of nearly 150 miles per hour was barrelling across the Bay of Bengal towards the low-lying coasts of East India…
Bangladesh Has Saved Thousands of Lives From a Devastating Cyclone – Here’s How
The Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season has just begun, with the world worried about the prospect of providing humanitarian relief in the context of a pandemic and lockdowns. But Bangladesh…
How Mobile Phone Towers Could Help Monitor Rainfall in Developing Countries
Many developing economies suffer from a lack of reliable rainfall measurements due to a lack of funds and a shortage of equipment – such as gauges and radars. Even if…
Researchers Develop Near Real-Time Flood Prediction Tool
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a near real-time flood prediction tool which could boost emergency response during hurricanes, such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. By incorporating the architecture of…
Japan – Researchers Devise Powerful New Flood Monitoring System
Flooding accounts for a third of the average annual economic losses caused by natural disasters worldwide. Flood damage resulting from typhoons and torrential rainfall is increasing each year; thus, flood…
