Find out why ECMWF needs a supercomputer, what we use it for, and how developments in supercomputing can help to provide more skilful weather forecasts.
In focus
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10 September 2021
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25 June 2021Updated in May 2021, ECMWF’s extratropical cyclone database products provide forecasters with familiar synoptic-style charts. They show fronts and low-pressure (cyclonic) weather systems that can be associated with hazardous conditions such as strong winds, snow and rain.
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14 June 2021ECMWF’s new data centre in Italy is close to becoming fully operational. The process has involved the migration of huge amounts of data and systems, which has been conducted with minimal disruption to our service to users. The final stages will involve the physical move of some of our equipment and we are expecting a certain level of disruption to some of our activities.
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8 March 2021ECMWF’s Earth system model aims to represent interactions between as many Earth system components as required, at the necessary level of complexity and as initialised by data assimilation, to achieve the Centre’s forecasting goals.
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19 January 2021The ECMWF Support Portal provides a single point of entry for users to request support and find documentation.
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16 November 2020Marine weather forecasts can help to save lives and limit the damage caused by severe storms. This fact sheet explains how ocean waves are forecast at ECMWF, how observations are used and what forecast products are provided.
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9 November 2020Reanalysis data provide the most complete picture currently possible of past weather and climate. This fact sheet explains what reanalysis is and what it is used for.
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6 July 2020Satellite observations make a crucial contribution to the quality of today’s weather forecasts. This fact sheet explains the types of satellite observations available and how ECMWF uses such data in its operational forecasting system and in research activities.
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7 April 2020As the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve, ECMWF staff, whether in Italy or in the United Kingdom, are now working remotely. The operation and delivery of our mission-critical activities are not affected. Staff will continue to be available via email. For updates on our events, please check the relevant pages on this website.
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16 March 2020The quality of weather forecasts crucially depends on our ability to accurately estimate the current state of the Earth system. This Q&A explains how Earth system data assimilation enables us to make such estimates.
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6 March 2020To celebrate International Women’s Day 2020, ECMWF asked a selection of experts and leaders in the world of meteorology to tell us their story.
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2 December 2019ECMWF is contributing to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, USA (9 to 13 December 2019) with presentations, exhibitions and posters. Find out where you can meet us during the AGU week.
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8 November 2019Released in November 2019, the world’s first publicly available near-real-time river discharge and fire danger reanalyses provide data back to 1980.
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26 April 2019The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) activity to coordinate data rescue is an exciting and major step forward in improving the historical datasets that are so vital for assessing and managing the risks from climate change.
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18 March 2019A WMO workshop in February 2019, in which ECMWF participated, examined the requirements for ocean observations, which make a critical contribution to weather forecasts and warning systems.
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2 January 2019ECMWF will be at the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona from 6 to 10 January. Find out when our staff are presenting and when they will be available at our booth.
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16 November 2018ECMWF is one of 127 participating organisations which, together with 105 member nations and the European Union, form the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Here we look at GEO’s important work and how ECMWF both benefits and contributes.
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1 October 2018The heatwave of summer 2018 highlighted the skill and value of our extended-range (sub-seasonal) forecasts. Forming part of ECMWF's seamless prediction system, the extended range falls between the medium- and long-range (seasonal) timescales. Forecasts on the extended-range timescale are scientifically challenging, but skill has been increasing steadily.
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23 July 2018Back issues of the ECMWF Newsletter previously only published in paper form are now available in our eLibrary, along with all Newsletter feature articles published since spring 2005.