MARINE METEOROLOGY FOR MARITIME ACTIVITIES AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN CROATIA.

The Croatian meteorological and hydrological service (DHMZ) provides marine meteorological services for the offshore, coastal areas, ports, coastlines and land-based support operations for the area of Adriatic Sea. On demands, the services are provided for the Mediterranean areas and other seas. The duties of DHMZ are described at Croatian law of the sea. Marine meteorological services includes activities of atmospheric and sea surface observations and monitoring, numerical analyses and forecasting and applied forecasts and warnings for dangerous weather phenomena. Met-ocean (atmospheric, sea surface and sea state) observing systems are part of global observing system coordinated by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Joined Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology Observations Programme (JCOOM OPS). DHMZ is contributing to global and regional observing systems with surface observations, moored met-ocean buoys and voluntarily observing ships (VOS) observations. The met-ocean observing system is a part of the modernization of state meteorological observing system and also a part of European automatic VOS system. The specific duties for the marine forecasting and warnings are provided by DHMZ Marine meteorological center (Pomorski meteorološki centar - PMC) that operates in Split and Rijeka. PMC is working as 24/7 call center and issues forecasts and warnings for navigational safety (maritime transport) in line with the international SOLAS convention. The PMC monitor and forecast severe meteorological phenomena, creates weather surveys, severe weather phenomena warnings and marine weather forecasts. The products of PMC work are: marine meteorological bulletins and warnings for ships, bulletins and warnings for ports and anchoring sites, weather notifications for the Search and Rescue, weather notifications for nautical tourism, sport activities and tourism in general (in English, German and Italian), special meteorological notifications for marinas, shipyards, marine constructions, for towing and dangerous goods shipping, other maritime works, research and exploitation of the sea, seabed and the undersea, for roads and bridges constructions, salt pans, electric power industry, fishering, etc. DHMZ issues and publish marine meteorological forecasts and warnings (www.meteo.hr) for numerous public, civil and governmental institutions and at the marine broadcasting system. The warnings are disseminated immediately after they are prepared to the authorities of the national early warning system (EWS): • Ministry of the interior S Civil Protection Directorate (SCZ) • Ministry of the sea, transport and infrastructure • Croatian firefighting association (HVZ) • Ministry of defense S Marine and coast guard. The specific marine meteorological product - NAVTEX marine messages are part of worldwide met-ocean information and warning service provides Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to mariners in the form of marine forecast and warning products. NAVTEX messages in English are radio broadcasted via national marine radio operators on 518 kHz of MSI by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy. Ministry of sea, transport and infrastructure incorporated PMC marine meteorological messages as a part of Navigational Information System (nIS) mobile phone application that is designed for the small and recreational craft crews and marine tourists. PMC marine meteorological messages will be part of new AIS AToN Messages for Adriatic Sea that will be developed at Italy-Croatia Vessel Traffic information System (VTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]