United Island Office of Meteorology



The United Island Meteorological Organization (UNIMO) is one of the governmental departments of AHSCA. Its mission is to forecast, predict and monitor weather conditions on the island and in the greater regional waters and provide early flood and hurricane warnings to ensure protection of life on the islands. Its current Officer is Tama Asahina.

History
UNIMO was established by Chief of Congress, Mikela Olaf (UNIP - Stilleståndö) as a means of better securing life on the islands and part of her governmental responsibility expansion. Tama Asahina was chosen as Officer for her long time of storm monitoring off the coast lines of the AHSCA isles and her study of the nightly Catatumbo lightning storms.

Cyclone Forecasting
UNIMO's main mission is to forecast and track tropical cyclones issues warnings if they fall within the National Area of Responsibility or NAR. This area is bound by an imaginary line drawn along the AHSCA regional waters, shared with the regional waters of Catatumbo and Carnelian Island.

Tropical cyclone bulletins are issued by UNIMO every six hours for all tropical cyclones within this area that have or are anticipated to make landfall within the islands, or twelve hours when cyclones are not affecting land.

As of 2014, UNIMO used to classify tropical cyclones into three categories:

Tropical Depression - maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 30 to 60 kph Tropical Storm - maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 61 to 117 kph Hurricane - maximum 10-minute sustained winds of more than 118 kph

UNIMO uses both technology of radar weather buoys and trained storm spotters to monitor storm conditions out to sea.

Geological and Hydrological
UNIMO monitors and studies geological and hydrological concerns in the area of responsibility. Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and volcanic activity fall under the department's monitoring both on and off the island and it's neighbors.