Forecasters Handbook for the Southern African Continent and Atlantic/Indian Ocean Transit.

• Main Authors: Williams,F R, Renard,R J, Jung,G H, Tomkins,R D, Picard,R R
• Other Authors: NAVAL ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION RESEARCH FACILITY MONTEREY CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1984
• Subjects: Meteorology; *WEATHER FORECASTING; *MARINE CLIMATOLOGY; *INDIAN OCEAN; *SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; COASTAL REGIONS; OCEAN WAVES; OCEAN CURRENTS; WEATHER; OCEAN SURFACE; LITERATURE SURVEYS; WIND; DUST; WINTER; CASE STUDIES; FOG; TROPICAL REGIONS; AFRICA; HANDBOOKS; SURFACE TEMPERATURE; CYCLONES; SOUTH(DIRECTION); WAVES; SOUTH AFRICA; OFFSHORE; MADAGASCAR; MOZAMBIQUE; KENYA; ANTICYCLONES; SAHARAN AFRICA; TANZANIA; Namibia; Reunion; Muritius; Seychelles Islands; PE62759N; Indian; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA163196; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA163196

This handbook describes the analysis and forecasting of atmospheric and oceanic conditions important to air/sea operations over and near the southern African continent, to include Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, and Namibia. Weather over the Malagasy Republic (formerly Madagascar), Mauritius and Reunion (the Mascarene Islands) and Seychelles Islands is also addressed. Included are descriptions of such coastal phenomena as fog, gale frequency, and onshore/offshore winds, as well as an in-depth review of the Agulhas and Benguela nearshore oceanic currents. Southern Hemisphere climatological data also are given for seasonal tracks of cyclones and anticyclones, atmospheric frontal positions, wave heights, sea surface temperatures, and other parameters. Three case studies describe tracks and speeds of extratropical cyclones affecting the South Atlantic and western Indian Oceans during the Southern Hemisphere winter. Another case study describes the anomalously high seas Cape Rollers found near the 100 fathom contour when high ocean waves, driven by strong southwesterly winds, oppose the Agulhas Current flowing from the northeast near the southeastern coast of the Republic of South Africa. Further literature search provides two additional cases describing easterly waves and Saharan dust outbreaks, to assist fleet units transiting between the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans.