Consistent Communication in case of Extraordinary Space Weather Events
The SIDC Forecasters at the Royal Observatory of Belgium participated in a Consistent Communication Exercise for major Space Weather Events.
The exercise took place from July 3 to 9, 2023, as part of ESA's Space Weather Service Network pre-operational activities. The SIDC forecasters took the role of forecasters at ESA’s SSA Space Weather Coordination Centre (SSCC), and collaborated with the other network experts to agree on a series of messages following a predefined protocol.
The protocol consisted of standard operating procedures that addressed several aspects: promptly gathering relevant experts, utilizing communication platforms and methods for efficient information exchange, achieving consensus and agreement on messages among experts, establishing procedures for regular updates, and determining and communicating the end of the event.
The primary objective of this real-time information service is to equip end-users with comprehensive knowledge to effectively manage potential risks associated with unexpected extreme space weather events.
The table below shows just how busy our forecasters were that week. The entire exercise was based on the strong X-class flare that was observed in September 2017.
