On 5 September the (UK) Met Office and Met Éireann of the Republic of Ireland, along with new partner KNMI of the Netherlands, revealed the list of 21 storm names for 2019-2020.

First introduced in 2015, the Name our Storms campaign has helped raise awareness of the potential impacts of severe weather in Britain and Ireland before it hits. Now in its fifth year, Met Office and Met Éireann are joined by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the Dutch national weather forecasting service.

Earlier this summer Met Office and Met Éireann received thousands of suggestions from the public after asking people to send in ideas for future storm names.

“We believe strongly in the value of bringing people together to share knowledge, perspectives and insights. We strive to make INC an enriching experience for all delegates, irrespective of experience or discipline.

The format of INC is designed to offer more keynote speakers – to set the scene for the session papers; and we’ve designed the programme to offer plenty of time for networking, including social events on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. We aim for each delegate to leave INC with new insights, ideas and contacts.”

Without doubt the implementation of e-navigation – the user-friendly collection, harmonization and display of essential maritime information – will contribute to enhanced maritime safety and security and support efficient shipping while protecting the marine environment. Various e-navigation solutions are being developed, taking into account IMO guidance and regulations.

The SMART-Navigation Project, organized and funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea, was presented during an IMO regional workshop on e-navigation for the Asia-Pacific region, held in Busan, Republic of Korea from 4-6 September. This was reported by the IMO media service on 6 September.

Our aerial image shows the island of Great Abaco which was one of the first to be hit by Hurricane Dorian after she turned in to a category 5 hurricane earlier in week commencing 1 September.

RFA Mounts Bay is embarked with a Wildcat helicopter that has been conducting reconnaissance flights over the islands to assess the damage and provide important intelligence to the Bahamian Government and the team of Department for International Development (DFID) experts who have deployed to the region.

Mounts Bay is equipped with a dedicated Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) team made up of personnel from the Royal Engineers and Royal Logistic Corps and is carrying vital aid and specialist equipment, such as all-terrain quads, dump trucks, diggers and stores. The ship is also able to provide essential medical care. It is understood that the ship has the capability to transport up to 3600 evacuees (in ideal conditions) to nearby islands.

HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from her homeport of Portsmouth on 30 August ahead of testing the UK’s F-35B Lightning fast fighter jets for the first time.

The Royal Navy’s biggest warship will be working with up to seven British F-35B jets during her Exercise Westlant 19 deployment, which sees her once again return to the east coast of North America.

This deployment marks another significant milestone for the aircraft carrier, which will have Royal Navy and RAF jets embarked during five weeks of testing, as well as hosting F-35s from the United States Marine Corps.

It was reported on 2 September by the Ministry of Defence that Royal Air Force Typhoon jets had returned to their Lincolnshire base after completing the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission and handing over to Gripen aircraft from the Czech Air Force.

Over the four-month deployment, known as Operation Azotize, RAF Typhoons conducted a total of 21 interceptions of 56 Russian aircraft in the skies above Estonia.

It was reported from Ålesund, Norway, on 2 September that satellite communications specialist IEC Telecom has extended its portfolio through a partnership with specialist satcoms manufacturer Lars Thrane.

IEC Telecom is now an official distributor of the LT-3100 Iridium satellite phone in Norway and went to unveil its new product range during the major shipping industry BlueFish held in A?lesund from 3 to 5 September.

In recent weeks thousands of fires have broken out in the Amazon rainforest. Satellite data show that there are almost four times as many fires this year compared to the same period last year (2018). Apart from Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina have also been affected. This was reported in a communiqué from the European Space Agency (ESA) on 27 August.

While forest fires normally occur in Brazil’s dry season, which runs from July to October, the unprecedented increase is reported to come from both legal and illegal deforestation which allows land to be used for agricultural purposes, rising global temperatures are also thought to be making the region more susceptible to fire.

Lighthouses, typically located on islands and shoals near the approaches to ports and harbours, provide visual aids to navigational for seafarers. In addition, they also serve as the warning of hazards such as rocks and reefs.
We are informed by Remember Singapore that currently five of Singapore’s lighthouses are managed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

According to Captain Dieter Wulf, the Hamburg Pilots’ Choir will perform their Annual concert in St Ansgar’s Church / Kleiner Michel in Michaelisstrasse 5 Hamburg (S-Bahnhof Stadhausbrucke) on Friday 25 October 2019 at 1900.

ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

There is an important article on ITU’s news site introducing a revolution in railway communication by Dirk Schattschneider, Senior Spectrum Manager, Deutsche Bahn AG.

Today’s constantly increasing traffic and threat of climate change, are forcing more and more governments to look for alternative transport. Shifting traffic from the road to the railways is one option for consideration as rail systems are by far the most environmentally-friendly means of transport.

At the end of July the (US) National Transportation Safety Board announced a change in leadership in the agency’s Office of Aviation Safety.

Dana Schulze (pictured) assumed the duties of Director, Office of Aviation Safety, effective from 22 July.

Schulze has served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Aviation Safety since 2012 and has concurrently served as the office’s acting director since November 2018. Schulze has been with the NTSB since 2002, has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2012 and earned a 2017 Distinguished Presidential Rank Award.

On 12 August the (US) National Transportation Safety Board announced that the 21 August 2017 collision between the USS John S McCain and the tanker Alnic MC was caused by insufficient training, inadequate bridge operating procedures and a lack of operational oversight.

Ten sailors aboard John S McCain died in the accident and 48 were injured when the ships collided in the Middle Channel passage of the Singapore Strait Traffic Separation Scheme. There were no injuries to the crew of Alnic MC. Property damage resulting from the collision exceeded $1.2 million. There was no report of pollution associated with the accident.

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s busiest bodies of water; from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Levant coast, it covers approximately 2,500 miles and occupies an area of nearly 970,000 square miles.

While the region offers safe transit to commercial traffic and entry to the Middle East and beyond via the Suez Canal, regional instability in certain areas such as Libya and Syria have the potential to spill over into adjacent waters posing a possible threat to commercial traffic.

A recent report by NATO provides a general assessment on the threat posed to commercial shipping while transiting the Mediterranean in open waters.

The NATO report and MARAD advisory

It was announced from Waterloo, Ontario, on 1 August that Maerospace Corporation, a global supplier of real-time, predictive analytics to the maritime market, had signed a global license agreement with Raytheon Canada Limited (RCL) to support the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces’ science and technology organization.

Maerospace will assume responsibility for the maintenance, design, engineering, manufacturing and international promotion, sales and deployment of the third generation High Frequency Surface Wave Radar (HFSWR) systems. This Canadian system is one of the few operationally deployed HFSWR land-based radars capable of 200-mile, persistent coverage of a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The RAF Typhoons deployed on NATO Baltic Air Policing in Estonia intercepted a Russian TU-95 ‘Bear’ Bomber, heading west close to Estonian airspace. The Typhoons then handed the escort over to Finnish and Swedish QRA aircraft, before being tasked to re-intercept to maintain the escort of the TU-95 as it transited close to NATO airspace. The ‘Bear’ had since been accompanied by two Russian SU-30 ‘Flanker’ fighters.

This is a routine NATO mission for the Typhoons which provides reassurance that the UK is here to work in partnership with Estonia.

Two intrepid aviators – Matt Jones and Steve Brooks – left Goodwood Aerodrome on 5 August to attempt to fly a Silver Spitfire around the world, taking in some of the most famous landmarks on the planet from the Grand Canyon in the West to the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji in the East.

This Spitfire is a UK treasure and represents an emblem of freedom across the globe. The Silver Spitfire expedition is expected to promote the Best of British worldwide showcasing the nation’s heritage in engineering excellence, and an aircraft that changed the course of history.

The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (otherwise known
as the GSA) is the link between space technology and user needs.

The GSA’s mission is to ensure that users in Europe and around the world fully benefit from Europe’s satellite navigation programmes. To do this, the Agency is responsible for the operations and service provision for both EGNOS and Galileo.

You can subscribe to GSA’s newsletter here. There is an RSS feed available as well.

Regarding failure of Galileo and the possibilities of alternative systems readers may wish to keep up to date with the website of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. The Foundation is a Corresponding Member of IAIN.

On 29 July the European Space Agency (ESA) reported that hundreds of wildfires have broken out in Siberia, some of which can be seen in this image captured from space the previous day.

It is understood that almost three million hectares of land are estimated to have been affected, according to Russia’s Federal Forestry Agency.

This Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows a number of fires, producing plumes of smoke. The smoke has carried air pollution into the Kemerovo, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, and Altai regions.

Furthermore, it is reported that an unprecedented amount of wildfires have been raging in regions of the Arctic, including Greenland and Alaska in the US. They have been caused by record-breaking high temperatures and lightning, fuelled by strong winds.

A new 128 page report issued by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on 28 July put forward 200 recommendations to help accelerate no deal preparations for the UK, the EU and companies. These points are based on a comprehensive study of existing plans laid out by the UK government, the European Commission, member states and firms.

Of particular interest to the shipping community will be pages 31, Movements, and 39, Haulage.

With the likelihood of no deal increasing, the CBI has backed up government efforts to help prepare for a no deal exit by publishing practical steps the UK, the EU and businesses can take to reduce the worst effects.

A second satellite to join the constellation that forms the European Data Relay System (EDRS) has finished fuelling and is days away from launch. This was reported by the European Space Agency (ESA) on 27 July.

It is understood that EDRS uses innovative laser technology to dramatically cut the time needed for Earth observation satellites to deliver information to the ground. The system enables observations of the Earth almost live, accelerating responses to emergency situations and spurring the development of new services and products, thereby creating jobs and prosperity, it is claimed.

The International Navigation Conference of the Royal Institute of Navigation, is one of the premier forums for the presentation of research and advances in navigation.

INC2019, the fifth in this annual series, brings together industry, academia, and policy makers from around the world.

The deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended and is now 9 August.

An extreme heatwave hit Europe once again in week commencing 21 July, following extreme weather in June. High temperatures were expected to peak on 25 July, reaching as high as 39-40°C, (102.2-104°F) with The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany recording their highest ever temperatures. Paris reached a sweltering 41°C (105.8°F), breaking its previous record in 1947.

The illustration here, an animation of two images, shows the land surface temperature from today July, compared to data recorded during the previous heatwave on 26 June 2019.

Opening the 6th ICAO Africa (AFI1) Aviation Week in Kampala in mid-May ICAO Secretary General Dr Fang Liu stressed how ongoing aviation safety, security, and capacity improvements all across Africa are maximizing air transport’s role as a catalyst for socio-economic development in the region.
Her remarks were delivered in the presence of Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport, Ms Monica Azuba Ntege, and many governmental and diplomatic dignitaries including members of the ICAO Council.