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AMDAmendGMDSS(Global Maritime Distress and Safety System)- The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is intended to provide more effective and efficient emergency and safety communications and disseminate Maritime Safety Information (MSI) to all ships on the world's oceans regardless of location or atmospheric conditions. MSI includes navigational warnings, meteorological warnings and forecasts, and other urgent safety related information GMDSS goals are defined in the International Convention for The Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS). The National Weather Service participates directly in the GMDSS by preparing meteorological forecasts and warnings for broadcast via NAVTEX and SafetyNET. HMD(Hemispheric Map Discussion)- This discussion is issued once a day around 1 PM EST (2
PM EDT) and is primarily intended to provide insight into the hemispheric circulation patterns over
the next 5 days. This includes a discussion of the 5-day mean circulation pattern. Comparisons,
differences, and continuity among the numerical models are highlighted, and preferred solutions
are proposed with an explanation of why a solution is preferred. This includes any reasons why
the preferred solution differs from any model. In cases where certain models are not universally
available, an attempt will be made to describe that model's solution to an extent that a reader can
understand it's important aspects. MDMesoscale Discussion- When conditions actually begin to shape up for severe weather, SPC (Storm Prediction Center) often issues a Mesoscale Discussion statement anywhere from roughly half an hour to several hours before issuing a weather watch. SPC also puts out MCDs for hazardous winter weather events on the mesoscale, such as locally heavy snow, blizzards and freezing rain (see below). MCDs are also issued on occasion for heavy rainfall, convective trends, and other phenomena, when the forecaster feels he/she can provide useful information that is not readily available or apparent to field forecasters. MCDs are based on mesoscale analysis and interpretation of observations and of short term, high resolution numerical model output.
The MCD basically describes what is currently happening, what is expected in the next few hours, the meteorological reasoning for the forecast, and when/where SPC plans to issue the watch (if dealing with severe thunderstorm potential). Severe thunderstorm MCDs can help you get a little extra lead time on the weather and allow you to begin gearing up operations before a watch is issued. The MCD begins with a numerical string that gives the LAT/LON coordinates of a polygon that loosely describes the area being discussed.MDFYModifyMDLSmodelsMDNGTmidnightMDTModerate (or) Mountain Daylight TimePMDPrognostic DiscussionRCMDRecommendVMDVolume median diameter. A statistical measure of the average droplet size in a spray cloud, such that fifty percent of the volume of sprayed material is composed of droplets smaller in diameter than the VMD.
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