Report describing a system to upgrade real-time data acquisition, flood forecasting, and communication capacities of the National Flood Forecasting Centres of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan. It includes software and hardware aspects for real time data acquisition and transmission, the types of forecast information to be generated, communication systems, and details of how ENTRO can provide technical back-stopping for NFCs such as data sharing, training, etc. to the national forecasting centres. The document presents the background and context of the project, results of the gap analysis for each country in flood forecasting and hydro-meteorological network system, overview of the individual components that can be used for a real-time data collection network, recommendations for real time data collection networks in Ethiopia and Sudan, design for a data processing and storage and a data communication system; procurement plan along with specifications, as well as demo expression of interest and terms of reference. This work was carried out as part of the World Bank supported Flood Preparedness and Early Warning Project Phase I (FPEW I), implemented by ENTRO from 2007 – 2010.