The Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS) will be tested on 10 August. The purpose of the test of the warning system, first established in 2005 under the aegis of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), is to ensure effective communication between regional and national centres and tsunami warning focal points.
Thirty-one countries* will take part in the exercise which will include sending test messages via electronic mail, fax and the Global Telecommunication System (GTS)** from the Istanbul Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI, Turkey) to all the national centres and tsunami warning focal points in the region concerned. This should reveal possible dysfunctions in the dissemination of warnings. Indeed, the fast transmission of data and reactivity of national centres and country focal points are crucial for the effectiveness of the entire tsunami warning system. Read More
