Transforming Weather and Climate
Data Access with WIS 2.0
Introduction to WIS 2.0
WIS 2.0 is an information system for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), designed to collect and disseminate environmental data. Using web architecture and open standards, WIS 2.0 provides simple, timely, and seamless sharing of trusted weather and environmental information. WIS 2.0 is effective and inexpensive, eliminating the challenges that government agencies may have when it comes to sharing Core (publicly available on the Global Cache, no access restrictions) and Recommended (user must access the provider’s WIS 2.0 system, access restrictions may apply) data both publicly and with fellow WMO Member Countries.
Data sharing is done through:
- Open standards (MQTT, OGC, W3C, IETF, and others)
- Open source (off the shelf tools)
- Web and publication/subscription protocols
- Cloud ready, turn-key solutions
- Web application programming interfaces (APIs)
In 2023, Synoptic was the first company to partner and sign a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the WMO on WIS 2.0 and continues to be at the forefront of development and implementation. WIS 2.0 allows National Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Services (NMHS) agencies to gather and share environmental data quickly and easily, empowering them to make important decisions about the safety of their communities.
How Does it Work?
WIS 2.0 provides full instructions and guidelines for users to implement the system. First, the user establishes a node, called a WIS2 Node, to share their dataset. Metadata must be included in order to share what the dataset contains and how to access it.
Once this is established there are four key elements of the implementation:
- Global Broker: Provides global distribution of notifications about new (meta)data available for download from WIS2 Nodes or Global Caches.
- Global Cache: Stores and provides a copy of the last 24 hours of real-time and near-real-time Core data from WIS2 Nodes.
- Global Discovery Catalog: Provides users an API to discover datasets and services.
- Global Monitor: Reports the health of the WIS 2.0 service using metrics aggregated from all Global Services.
Why Choose Synoptic for Your WIS 2.0 Implementation?
Synoptic’s data platform supports the WMO’s vision for WIS 2.0 through:
- Robust data handling
- Compliance with international standards
- Ease of data discovery and retrieval
- Delivery and sharing of data in a wide variety of formats, such as TAC, BUFR, IWXXM
We Offer the Following WIS 2.0 Turnkey Services for Implementation:
Consultation
If you’re ready to implement WIS 2.0 and seeking guidance, Synoptic offers consultation services to help you prepare.
WIS 2.0 Box
Synoptic will design, build, train your staff, and transfer a WIS 2.0 Box to your country.
WIS 2.0 Box as a Service
If you don’t have the resources and need a partner for WIS 2.0, we’re here to help!
Ongoing Annual Support
We’re here to help with ongoing support services with access to our team to deliver superior customer service.
Our employees are experts in atmospheric science and data engineering and have assisted with WIS 2.0 development for the past year plus. We are able to provide guidance on:
- Weather stations, data logging, metadata
- Data quality and data availability
- Usage and interpretation of data
- Engineering for high volume, low latency weather data / observations
- Architecture and infrastructure best practices
This provides you with everything you need to get started and gives you the freedom to move forward and manage your data sharing in-house.
For WIS 2.0 Box as a Service, we’ll design, build, train, operate, and maintain your node. This includes ongoing monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, and access control.
Annual contracts may include:
- 4-hour training sessions every 6 months virtually or one 1-week of training on-site
- Troubleshooting for functionality, technical platform issues, or delivery inconsistencies
- Ongoing performance tuning for your implementation
- A customized support plan with designated manhours
Benefits of Working with Synoptic on Your WIS 2.0 Implementation
Global Reach and Access
Synoptic’s WIS 2.0 implementation allows organizations to access a broad range of datasets around the world, share their data publicly, and improve data availability for their stakeholders.
Real-Time Data Processing
Operating the largest platform for real-time weather data in the industry, our high-frequency data services exceed all WIS 2.0 requirements for reliable, real-time weather updates.
Interoperability Across Platforms
With 20+ years experience delivering data that integrates across diverse platforms, you’ll be working with experts to enhance the usability and accessibility of weather data for public, private, and research sectors.
View Your Data on the Synoptic Data Viewer & Access Dashboards and Notifications Tools
With your WIS 2.0 implementation, your station data will be added to the Synoptic Data Viewer, a free map-based interface where users can monitor real-time conditions. The Dashboards and Notifications tools allow you to create customized dashboards for specific areas or parameters. Add notifications to get immediate alerts when thresholds are met.
Access to Your Data through our Weather API
Synoptic’s Weather API is a powerful tool for accessing real-time and historical weather, water, and other environmental observations from over 150,000 global public and private stations. Benefits include:
- Largest global platform of real-time weather and environmental information
- Access to over 25 years of historical data as well as unlimited archiving
- Quality controlled data to eliminate erroneous values
Ready to get started with WIS 2.0?
Contact us to discuss how we can help you implement these services for your organization.