News

News highlights January-July 2025

News highlights January to July 2025

ECMWF news highlights in the first seven months of 2025 include updates on our Integrated Forecasting System and our Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System, on initiatives in weather science, and on the EU-funded services implemented by ECMWF.
ECMWF Newsletter No. 184 - top image

Summer 2025 Newsletter published

The summer 2025 issue of the ECMWF Newsletter is now available. As well as news about ECMWF staff and events, it features articles about new developments and the use that can be made of ECMWF products.
ECMWF Fellowship Programme graphic

New ECMWF Fellows outline plans for collaborative research

ECMWF has appointed three scientists as new Fellows to collaborate on research projects undertaken at the Centre. They add to five scientists whose Fellowships were renewed or started in 2023.
Design of ECMWF's new headquarters building

Work under way on new ECMWF headquarters in Reading, UK

Construction has begun on ECMWF’s new cutting-edge headquarters in Reading, UK, marked by a groundbreaking ceremony on 9 July 2025.
Florian Pappenberger

Next Director-General of ECMWF will drive innovation and collaboration across 35 nations

ECMWF’s Council, representing 35 Member and Co-operating States, has announced the appointment of Dr Florian Pappenberger as the Centre’s next Director-General from 1 January 2026. He will take over the post from Dr Florence Rabier.
AIFS Ensemble operational

ECMWF’s ensemble AI forecasts become operational

ECMWF has taken the ensemble version of the Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System (AIFS) into operations today, 1 July 2025, to run side by side with the traditional physics-based Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) to advance numerical weather prediction.
Graphic based on cover of ECMWF Annual Report 2024

ECMWF Annual Report 2024 published

The ECMWF Annual Report 2024 is now available online, reviewing progress towards the goals set out in our ten-year Strategy under the pillars of ‘Science and technology’, ‘Impact’, and ‘Organisation and people’.
Upgrade of IFS Cycle 50r1 - analysing humidity in the stratosphere

Analysing humidity in the stratosphere improves forecasts

In the next upgrade of ECMWF’s Integrated Forecasting System (IFS), humidity in the stratosphere will be analysed based on observations to improve the starting conditions of forecasts.
SOFF - Weather and climate data for resilience

Impact experiments support initiative for more weather observations

Impact experiments which ECMWF has carried out for the UN’s Systematic Observations Financing Facility have shown that weather forecasts would benefit significantly from more in-situ observations in several countries.
ECMWF data coverage from ships, buoys and on land

ECMWF backs initiative for 10,000 ships to monitor oceans and weather

ECMWF is one of the partners in an initiative for 10,000 ships to be equipped for ocean and weather monitoring, launched officially today, 13 June, at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
Tim Hewson and Fatima Pillosu

ECMWF scientists awarded prestigious precipitation research award

ECMWF scientists Tim Hewson and Fatima Pillosu have received the British Royal Meteorological Society’s 2024 Hugh Robert Mill Award for Precipitation Research for their achievements in improving the accuracy of rainfall forecasts.
Fredrik Wetterhall

Moving from flood forecasting scientist to project manager

Fredrik Wetterhall has transitioned from working in flood forecasting, an area that was expanding at ECMWF when he joined in 2011, to leading some of ECMWF’s involvement in external projects.
ECMWF's 50th anniversary image showing flags of participating nation states

ECMWF 50th anniversary events continue in September in Italy

ECMWF’s year of activities for its 50th anniversary will continue from 15 to 19 September with a series of workshops and meetings to be held in Bologna, Italy.
AI Weather Quest logo

The AI Weather Quest Testing Period is live

The AI Weather Quest Testing Period is now officially open. Running from mid-May to mid-August 2025, it gives registered participants a chance to test their models and the submission of forecasts.
Images of a flood and a drought

Enhancing global flood and drought prediction

ECMWF is taking a prominent role in the Horizon Europe research project SEED-FD (Strengthening Extreme Events Detection for Floods and Droughts) to improve the global prediction of extreme floods and droughts.

Florence Rabier and Anemoi image

Florence Rabier and Anemoi to receive European Meteorological Society awards

ECMWF Director-General Florence Rabier and the Anemoi Framework on machine learning, in which ECMWF plays a leading role, will each receive a prestigious award from the European Meteorological Society (EMS).
Ballon Generali de Paris

ECMWF showcases its Copernicus services at Ballon Generali de Paris

ECMWF has been invited to showcase its two Copernicus services at the Ballon Generali de Paris today, 29 April, marking the start of an exciting new five-year scientific partnership with insurance company Generali.
ECMWF's 50th anniversary image showing flags of participating nation states

Events at Bonn anniversary week provide insights into the future

A week of events in Bonn, Germany, from 7 to 11 April 2025 to mark ECMWF’s 50th anniversary has provided tantalising insights into the present and future of weather forecasting.
ECMWF Newsletter 183

Spring 2025 Newsletter published

The spring 2025 issue of the ECMWF Newsletter is now available. As well as news about ECMWF staff and events, it features articles about new developments and the use that can be made of ECMWF products.