Presentation by ET Chair – Dr Bill Wright
Dr Wright's report identified several important issues to be dealt with by this ET.

AWS issues

• Loss of data needs to be minimized
• Observational accuracy, errors of +/- 15% can occur
• Homogeneity of data is an issue, due to sensor change

Developing Counties' issues

• Sustainability
• Maintenance and training
• Not much deployment of AWSs

International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report - Dr Raino Heino
The report highlighted the growing changes being observed in rainfall, drought and hurricanes worldwide. The changes appear dramatic enough that there is an urgent need to accurately observe and track these increasing changes. 

It was noted that the work of this ET had the responsibility to try to ensure that climate observations and observational practices be as good as they can possibly be, in order that accurate information can be provided in a time when the changes in climate and weather may need to be known ever more quickly and accurately for disaster management and other decision making at high levels. 

Presentation on CEOS Database - Jerome Lafeuille
This presentation looked at the present state of the CEOS/WMO User Observational Requirements databases. The user requirements now include both Optimum and Threshold values for observational requirements.
These databases are available at: http://192.91.247.60/sat/aspscripts/Requirementsearch.asp

Presentations by Global Climate Observing System (GCOS); World Climate Programme (WCP); Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS); and Global Observing System (GOS)
Detailed overviews and discussion in the various climate programmes, including CCl, WCP, GEOSS, GCOS and GOS, and how the interactions between these programmes occurs, including with UNFCCC and IPCC.

Overview of the GCOS Regional Workshop, with 10 workshops between 2000 and 2005, enabling WMO members to know the importance and procedures for climate data observations and networks.

All speakers emphasized the need for reliable and high quality daily data, including atmospheric composition observations, is the key requirement to all climate programmes and applications. Also stressed was that the need for access to the data is a primary requirement for climate change detection, monitoring and modelling
Sustained climate networks are required, especially in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Models are not the be-all and end-all, the various players need to be made aware that daily high quality observations are the basic requirement for climate monitoring.

Automatic Weather Stations for Climate Observations
It was noted that there are many benefits for climate observations, but also some disadvantages, such as data loss because of damaged instruments, data spikes, loss of visual observations, lack of homogeneity between sensor changes and/or CWS (Classical Weather Stations) to AWS changes.

Standards need to be set for climate requirements, such as:

• 99 per cent of observations need to be obtained;
• Visual sensors on some AWS;
• Data backup ( need for data loggers so data not lost),
• Alert system for failures;
• High precision meeting WMO guidelines (0.3 or 0.1 degrees C);
• Regular inspection and maintenance;
• Mix of automatic and manned stations;
• Quality control;
• Metadata;
• Vandalism.

Guideline for Observational Standards in Developing Countries
This part of the meeting looked at the needs for Developing and Least Developed Countries (LDC).

The need for training programs was particularly identified.

Also the problems of costs of adequate climate observation instrumentation and systems was noted. The meeting discussed ways to overcome the cost problems and considered that it was important to look to ways to raise the profile of climate monitoring with the governments of such countries, in order that the expenditure on good instrumentation and systems was emphasised as economically and socially useful to the country.

Consideration was also given to methods of financial aids that are or may be possible to help particularly LDCs in respect to their participation in global climate monitoring and networks.

Guidelines on Quality Assurance (QA)/Quality Control (QC) of Surface Meteorological Data
Dr Wright presented a document on some considerations in regard to this QA/QC. The meeting found this document useful for the outline to guide the ET in specifying the QA/QC needed. Bruce Sumner from HMEI also pointed out the many QA/QC elements in various WMO Guides that would also be helpful to the ET in formulating the specific QA/QC it is working on. 

Work Plan
The Team set itself tasks to be undertaken during the next several years. Three tasks were identified, and each task was divided into a series of sub-tasks.

The three primary tasks are:

• Develop an updated list of standards for AWSs for climate purposes;
• Develop or contribute to a Guideline document for climate observation standards in developing countries (noting the special problems in these countries regarding sustainability and limited resources for maintenance), and provide advice relevant to the GEOSS project. This should involve, inter alia, collaboration with GCOS Lead Centres,
• Complete the Guidelines document on Quality Control/Quality Assurance that commenced in 2005 – “Guidelines in Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Surface Meteorological Data”, including the provision of an appendix addressing feedback to observational system providers.