NYK launches alert system to provide tsunami warnings to vessels

NYK launches alert system to provide tsunami warnings to vessels

JAPANESE shipping company NYK has announced that tsunami warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency and other weather service providers will be sent by e-mail to vessels operated by the shipping line as part of its "e-missions" system.

The warnings should allow affected vessels to determine the best course of action through correspondence with staff on shore and use of the Tsunami-Response Guidelines that the group developed and released last year. The guidelines detail how a vessel in a port is likely to react depending on the expected height of a tsunami.

When a tsunami warning is issued, a tsunami alert will be sent to vessel operators, who are administrators on land responsible for managing the schedules and movement of the groups vessels in service. About 800 vessels make use of "e-missions", which provide information about the positions of vessels in operation, and weather and sea conditions for the intended routes of vessels.

The tsunami alert will be in English. The vessel will then have a limited amount of time to use the guidelines to determine the best action to take, a company statement said.

Vessels that could be affected by a tsunami are automatically displayed on "e-missions," and vessel operators and NYK's marine group can immediately contact the affected vessels, share information with the ships, and provide any needed support.

This system will provide tsunami warnings issued for the Japanese coast in addition to warnings released by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre, which will cover the entire sailing area of all vessels operated by the shipping group.