NOVEMBER 2019   .

• 2019/11/28 - Announcement of cessation of TAC transmission of SHIP reports by Météo-France on 14 January 2020. 

AUGUST 2016   .

• 2016/08/26 - Announcement - A survey on the observations carried out on the 6th of August, showed that (see details in the corresponding pages):
  • 99.5% of the drifting buoys report in BUFR with template TM315009 (against 83% that still report in FM18) => migration almost ended;
  • 83% of the VOS (manned or automated) report in BUFR with template TM308009;
  • only 28% of the moored buoys report in BUFR with the right template (TM315008).

JULY 2016   .

• 2016/07/07 - Announcement - Following a request from Met Office, Meteo-France and CLS agree to postpone again the end of the distribution of FM18 BUOY data. The new deadline is now the 1st of November 2016.

MAY 2016   .

• 2016/05/26 - Announcement - A map, drawn by ECMWF, that shows the availability of buoy reports, was published on the drifting buoy page. During the coming months, more and more buoys will only report in BUFR onto the GTS and most of the FM18 (TAC) data will disappear on the 1st of September.
• 2016/05/24 - Problem fixed - Joubeh no longer transmits FM18 messages for buoys that are fitted with a 7-digit WMO ID not convertible in a 5-digit one.
• 2016/05/12 - Problem - Since this date, five buoys (WMO 4401601-4401604) have their data sent by Joubeh onto the GTS (CWAO) in FM18 BUOY format with wrong IDs (WMO 44601-44604). This leads to have duplicates in databanks: the same data are sent with two different identifiers which are not equivalent. In addition, one of these IDs (WMO 44604) is already used by an active E-SURFMAR drifting buoy => the data of two different buoys are sent onto the GTS with the same identifier. Buoys 4401601-4401604 should not report in FM18.

APRIL 2016   .

• 2016/04/26  - Problem fixed - Since today, all BUFR bulletins generated by CLS America (IOBX06 KARS most especially) contain a single message. The migration to BUFR (with template 315009) for drifting buoys should be considered as being complete . Only 4 buoys managed by JMA still report their data according to the never validated WMO template. 
• 2016/04/25 - Announcement - Since today, SIO has been producing BUFR messages for drifting buoys with template TM315009. About 100 buoys are concerned. GTS header is IOBX02 KWBC. The transmission of data with the never-validated template (under header IOBX01 KWBC will stop soon. After this event, only JMA still transmits drifting buoy data through the never-validated WMO template but 4 buoys are only concerned. 
• 2016/04/13  - Problem fixed - Since today, the [wrong] segmentation of BUFR messages has been removed at CLS. They may now be extended up to 500 kbytes. Bulletins IOBX06 KARS were mostly concerned. In parallel, the first digit of Antarctic buoy WMO Ids has been forced to '7'. In the never-validated WMO template, this BUFR element (WMO region area - 0 01 003) could not be '7'. So, it was '0'. In BUFR template TM315009, the WMO Id is reported through a single 7-digit element.(0 01 087).
• 2016/04/08 - Problem - Bulletins generated by CLS America under header IOBX06 KARS contain two messages: one for platforms wrongly declared as being in subcategory 0 (ships), the other one for platforms declared as being in category 25 (data buoys). According to WMO code manual, a BUFR bulletin should have a single message.    
• 2016/04/06 - Announcement - Meteo-France and CLS agree to postpone the end of the distribution of FM18 BUOY data to the 1st of September. This concerns those sent under headers with CCCC equal to LFPW, LFVW or KARS.
• 2016/04/01 - Problem - In ship BUFR messages, Metoffice increments the so called "update sequence number" for delayed data (those of which the header is fitted with RRA, RRB... This is not correct. Concerned bulletins are ISSA[A-L][01/11/16] EGRR.

MARCH 2016    .

• 2016/03/23  - Problem - Several BUFR messages sent by CLS America under header IOBX06 KARS (among others) for drifting buoys, are segmented. However, due to a wrong use of extension '(BBB)', a part of the data are not distributed: Meteo-France does not receive them. It seems the segmentation of GTS bulletins was necessary for TAC data that could not overpass 15 kbytes. This is no more an issue with binary data which bulletins may weight 500 kbytes.
• 2016/03/18  - Announcement - All drifting buoy data are now transmitted onto the GTS in BUFR. Template TM315009 is used by almost all producing centres. SIO (IOBX01 KWBC) and JMA (IOB[A-L]01 RJTD) are still using the never validated template for about 80 and 2 buoys respectively. SIO plans to apply template TM315009 by mid-April, JMA during the second half of 2016.
• 2016/03/11  - Problem fixed - All drifting buoys processed by CLS America now send their data in BUFR (TM315009 - IOBX06 KARS).
• 2016/03/09  - Problem fixed - The dataflow from Pacific Gyre (IOBX06 KWBC), interrupted on the 28th of February, re-started.
• 2016/03/08  - Problem fixed - Joubeh reports correct BUFR data now (IOBX12 and IOBX15 CWAO).
• 2016/03/07  - Problem - Joubeh does not report correct BUFR messages yet (CCCC = CWAO).
• 2016/03/04  - Problem - It seems that many observations are missing in BUFR messages produced by CLS America (TM315009 - IOBX06 KARS). A significant number of buoys processed by this centre have their data sent in FM18 BUOY format only.

FEBRUARY 2016   .

• 2016/02/17 - Announcement - Meteo-France officially announces the distribution of new buoy BUFR data in replacement of FM18 ones and the stop of the transmission for these latter on the 3rd of May 2016. This concerns data transmitted from Meteo-France (LFPW) and CLS Argos (LFVW).
• 2016/02/15 - Announcement - An evaluation test on drifting buoy data sent onto the GTS is planned at Meteo-France and MEDS on the 1st of March. The purpose is to identify which buoys have their data sent in BUFR (TM308009) and/or in FM18 dataformat, expecting the problem at Joubeh will have been fixed.
• 2016/02/12 - Problem fixed - Wrong header for Argo float data has been corrected => IOPX02 RKSL.
• 2016/02/05 - Problem - Argo float data are reported onto the GTS with header TTAAii CCCC instead of IOP....
• 2016/02/05 - Problem - Since the 8th of December 2015, Joubeh has been using template TM315009 to report drifting buoy data in BUFR onto the GTS. Headers are IOBX12 and IOBX15 CWAO. Unfortunately, WMO Ids are missing in these messages. Data are so rejected by a majority of users. Joubeh stopped the transmission of BUFR messages using the never validated WMO template for buoy data which were sent under headers IOBX02 and IOBX05 CWAO.

NOVEMBER 2015  .

• 2015/11/18 - Announcement - As agreed during the last DBCP meeting, CLS confirm that they will continue to send FM-18 data until March 2016 (in parallel of the sending BUFR data).
• 2015/11/06 - Announcement - French Lion moored buoy (WMO 61002/6100002) was replaced on the 5th of November. Observations are henceforth sent onto the GTS in BUFR only (template TM315008). GTS header should be IOBD02 LFPW. Two mistakes which should be corrected soon: WMO ID is presently 0061002 instead of 6100002 and the GTS header is IOBD01 instead of IOBD02.
• 2015/11/06 - Status - More and more moored buoy observations are sent in BUFR onto the GTS with template TM315008. Among new bulletins, we noted IOAB21 EIDB and IOBX09 KPML.

OCTOBER 2015  .

• 2015/10/28 - Problem - On the 20th of October, Joubeh switched their BUFR messages for drifting buoys from the old template to template TM315009 (CCCC=CWAO). Due to an error, the new data could not be transmitted. Joubeh plans to come back to the old template on October 28th until the problem is corrected.
• 2015/10/26 - Announcement - Since October 14th, native BUFR messages produced by Meteo-France for ships have been sent onto the GTS with headers ISS[A-L]01 LFPW (template TM308009).
• 2015/10/16 - Status - Meanwhile the migration for drifting buoys is almost complete, this of ship data is far to be. It seems that, due to a lack of IT resources, some producing centres (Australia, Canada, USA...) are waiting for template TM308014 to be validated by WMO before moving to BUFR. For the moment, they still report in FM13 only.
• 2015/10/16 - Announcement - Met Eirann recently annouced they will stop the distribution of TAC data for their moored buoys WMO 62091-62094 on the 10th of November. Observations have been reported in BUFR (template TM315008) for several weeks. GTS header is IOBA21 EIDB. It must be reminded that WMO Ids have 7 digits in BUFR => 6200091-6200094 in the present case.
• 2015/10/16 - Announcement - Since yesterday, Meteo-France is producing BUFR data (template TM315008) for French waveriders. Header are IOB[A/D/E]03 LFPW.
• 2015/10/13 - Problem fixed - WMO Ids are now correct in BUFR data sent by CLS for drifting buoys (CCCC = LFVW or KARS - Template 315009). This means that 95% of the drifting buoys now report through BUFR with the right template. The migration is almost ended for this component. Data users are invited to get these data instead of FM18.

SEPTEMBER 2015

• 2015/09/22 - Announcement - PMEL produces BUFR data (TM315008) for T-Flex tropical moored buoys under header IOBX08 KPML. T-Flex are Iridium buoys that replace old Atlas in TAO, PIRATA and RAMA networks.

AUGUST 2015

• 2015/08/14 - Announcement - Almost all VOS observations are now sent in BUFR (TM308009) onto the GTS, either as native or as the result of a FM13 SHIP to BUFR conversion. The new template (TM308014) is still under evaluation but should be applied to VOS data in 2016.
• 2015/08/14 - Announcement - Joubeh, NDBC and JMA are not sending BUFR messages fitted with template TM315009 onto the GTS yet. The issue will be raised by the DBCP Task Team on Data Management during the next session of the panel (Geneva, 19-23 October 2015).
• 2015/08/12 - Announcement - Buoy identifiers are still wrong in BUFR messages produced by CLS (TM315009). CLS now plans not to stop the distribution of FM18 BUOY messages before the beginning of 2016.

JULY 2015

• 2015/07/15 - Announcement - By mid-July, it seems that Joubeh (CWAO), NDBC (IOBX01 KWBC) and JMA (RJTD) did not produce BUFR data for drifting buoys with official WMO template TM315009 yet. However, these data should represent less than 10% of the whole drifting buoy data.

JUNE 2015

• 2015/06/04 - Important announcement - CLS plans to stop the distribution of FM18 BUOY message in September 2015. This represents 78% of the whole drifting buoy data transmitted onto the GTS.
• 2015/06/04 - Announcement - CLS Toulouse and CLS America hencefoth produce drifting buoy BUFR following template TM315009. BUFR data following the old template and FM18 BUOY messages should be transmitted in parallel during a few months. GTS headers for the BUFR are IOBXii LFVW and IOBXii KARS. Different 'ii' are used according to the template: 05, 06, 15, 16, 17 and 18 for template TM315009; 01, 02, 03, 07, 12 and 13 for the old template.
• 2015/06/03 - Announcement - Drifting buoy BUFR data produced by Meteo-France are henceforth sent with header IOB[A-L]01 LFPW onto the GTS instead of IOB[A-L]13.
• 2015/06/01 - Announcement - Drifting buoy data processed at Meteo-France now use template TM315009 instead of the never-validated WMO template for data buoys.

  APRIL 2015

• 2015/04/20 - Announcement - Pacific Gyre started the production of BUFR data following template TM31509 (drifting buoys). It is the first centre to do this. GTS header is IOBX06 KWBC. Pacific Gyre continues to produce drifting buoy data in BUFR according to the former [not validated] template for buoy data.

 MARCH 2015

• 2015/03/27 - Announcement - Most of the centres producing BUFR data for drifting buoys, including CLS and Meteo-France, plan to move from the template for buoy data that has never been validated to template TM315009. This action should occur on the 1st of June 2015. The centres will continue to report FM18 BUOY messages in parallel for a couple of months but not more.
• 2015/03/25 - Problem - BUFR messages sent by CLS for ships (header ISSX20 LFVW) are following template TM308004 instead of TM308009.
• 2015/03/11 - Announcement - Australia should produce BUFR data (template TM315004 expected) from the 3rd of April 2015. These will be the result of a TAC2BUFR conversion of FM63 BATHY messages.

 FEBRARY 2015

• 2015/02/18 - Problem - BUFR messages are received in Europe from NOAA with header ISS[S/T]01 KWBC for European stations already reporting in both FM13 and BUFR codes. The U.S. messages are resulting from a TAC2BUFR conversion applied to FM13 messages received from European NMS. This creates duplicates in European GTS databanks.
• 2015/02/10 - Announcement - From 1200 UTC on Tuesday 3rd March 2015, Met Office will stop the transmission of FM13 SHIP bulletins on the GTS. Corresponding BUFR data are sent onto the GTS with headers ISS[A-L]01 and ISS[A-L]11 EGRR
• 2015/02/07 - Problem fixed - BUFR messages produced by Meteo-France for drifting buoys (e.g. with GTS header IOBA13 LFPW) for a given observation time have now an extension ('RRA', 'RRB', etc...) when a first message has already been sent.
• 2015/02/02 - Announcement - TAO moored buoy observations should be distributed by NOAA in BUFR from March 2nd. Template TM315008 has been suggested. GTS headers should be IOBF08 and IOBG08 KWNB
• 2015/02/01 - Announcement - CLS would start the distribution of BUFR data according to new templates on the 1st of June. Reminder: DBCP Task Team on Data Management recommended to data producers to use a different GTS header when a new template is applied.

JANUARY 2015

• 2015/01/21 - Problem - BUFR messages sent by Meteo-France (e.g. with GTS header IOBA13 LFPW) for the same observation time have the same header although the second one should be fitted with 'RRA', the third with 'RRB', etc. Works are ongoing to correct the problem.

 NOVEMBER 2014

• 2014/11/20 - Problem - BUFR messages received from buoy WMO 6100200 (with header IOBD12 LIIB) seem wrong. They are not decoded at Meteo-France. ECMWF BUFR checker confirms they are not valid. USAM (Italy) is informed. 
• 2014/11/03 - Problem fixed - Sub-surface temperature data from drifting buoy WMO 4800665 (sent with header IOBX05 KWBC) are now correctly coded.

OCTOBER 2014

• 2014/10/20 - Problem - Since the 13th of October, sub-surface temperature data from drifting buoy WMO 4800665 (sent with header IOBX05 KWBC), seem not academic. This caused crashes in the data acquisition software of Meteo-France. Data provider informed today.
• 2014/10/08 - New BUFR data  - Data received from NOAA/PMEL for two OCEANSites moored buoys have been correctly handled by Meteo-France today (headers IOB[B/C]18 KPML). These data are the first using template 315008 and received at Meteo-France.

SEPTEMBER 2014

• 2014/09/30 - Problem fixed - The problem with bulletins IOBX02 KARS and IOBX11 LFVW was fixed today. It was due Met Office (Exeter) message switch that considered these messages were text and not binary data.
• 2014/09/25 - Problem - On 23 September, CLS switched IOBX02 data from Toulouse back to Largo. Drifting buoy data received at Meteo-France with header IOBX02 KARS are corrupted. The problem is not at CLS America that produces reliable native BUFR data with this header. A feedback was sent to NOAA/NWP yesterday. The problem ECMWF reported about moored buoy data fitted with header IOBX11 LFVW could be the same. For this latter, two dataflew are received at ECMWF: those coming from Exeter (EGRR) have been wrong since the 10th of September whilst those coming from Offenbach (EDZW) are correct. Here also CLS certifies their native BUFR data are correct.
• 2014/09/22 - Problem - ECMWF reports they can no longer decode IOBX11 LFVW messages (TAO/PIRATA/RAMA moored buoy networks). An element (0 03 007) not known and not present in any table is reported. The problem is forwared to CLS Toulouse.
• 2014/09/19 - CLS switches the sending of buoy data from Largo (KARS) to their backup service in Toulouse (LFVW) waiting for the problem is fixed in the US. Data fitted received at Meteo-France with header IOBX02 LFVW are correctly decoded.
• 2014/09/18 - Problem - Drifting buoy data with header IOBX02 KARS received at Meteo-France and ECMWF have no longer been valid since the 10th of September. Data sent with this header represent 75% of the whole drifting buoy observations. Investigations are ongoing at CLS to fix the problem.