Extreme weather and climate events frequently lead to substantial losses, particularly in developing countries. After residing in South America for many years, I came to realize that most countries in the region lack consistent investments in human resources and preparedness for extreme events.
One of the projects I’ve been involved in since 2018 is the creation of a severe storm reports database in Brazil, focusing on tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind events. The primary objective of this database is to map the frequency of severe storms in Brazil, encouraging further research on severe storms and aiding governments in targeting areas that are more vulnerable. In 2020, we decided to collaborate with another project at the University of Santa Maria in Brazil, which concentrates on training storm spotters (REVOT). Together, these two initiatives are collectively referred to as PREVOTS. Additionally, we publish experimental convective outlooks for the south-central region of Brazil. For more details, please visit our website (http://prevots.org/) and our Twitter account (http://twitter.com/prevots_svr).
I also collaborated with colleagues in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile to foster cooperation in South America aimed at enhancing research and forecasting of severe weather. This effort includes the establishment of a joint storm reports database and the organization of training sessions. We plan to publish a paper in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) in late 2023, explaining the details of this initiative.
This is a personal project I have managed since my time as a graduate student. The idea behind it is to discuss weather events on a blog (www.atmosferalivre.com/blog) and provide products that can be utilized by South American forecasters, researchers, and teachers for real-time weather analysis. Most undergraduate meteorology courses in Brazil and other South American countries do not include comprehensive teaching of severe weather forecasting techniques. Therefore, my intention is to help fill this gap with accessible online teaching resources, such as blog discussions and videos, focused on the practical application of forecasting techniques, including interpreting soundings and using real-world weather events.
In late 2018, I had the privilege of participating in the RELAMPAGO project. In Argentina, I was a member of the ‘Hail Team’ and had the responsibility of deploying hailpads in the path of severe thunderstorms. In Brazil, I coordinated severe storm forecasting and oversaw various field measurements, including releasing radiosondes and managing radar operations during convective events.
Bruno Zanetti Ribeiro 