AMeDAS (''A''utomated ''Me''teorological ''D''ata ''A''cquisition ''S''ystem), commonly known in Japanese as "アメダス" (''amedasu''), is a high-resolution

surface observation Surface weather observations are the fundamental data used for safety as well as climatological reasons to forecast weather and issue warnings worldwide. They can be taken manually, by a weather observer, by computer through the use of automate ...

network developed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) used for gathering regional weather data and verifying forecast performance. The system began operating on 1 November 1974, and currently comprises 1,300 stations throughout Japan (of which over 1,100 are unmanned), with an average separation of . Observations at manned stations cover weather, wind direction and speed, types and amounts of precipitation, types and base heights of clouds, visibility, air temperature, humidity,

sunshine duration Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period (usually, a day or a year) for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years. It is a gene ...

, and atmospheric pressure. All of these (except weather, visibility and cloud-related meteorological elements) are observed automatically. At unmanned stations, observations are performed every 10 minutes. About 700 of the unmanned stations observe precipitation, air temperature, wind direction and speed, and sunshine duration, while the other stations observe only precipitation. For about 280 stations (manned or unmanned) located in areas of heavy snowfall, snow depth is also observed. All the observational data is transmitted to the AMeDAS Center at JMA Headquarters in Tokyo on a

real time Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...

basis via dedicated telephone lines. The data is then delivered to the whole country after a quality check. As well as weather conditions, AMeDAS is also used in the observation of

natural disaster A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...

s. Temporary observation points are set up in areas where there are signs of volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.

External links

Japan Meteorological Agency observations descriptions
Geography of Japan Japan Meteorological Agency Meteorological data and networks Meteorological instrumentation and equipment Science and technology in Japan {{Climate-stub

See also

External links