News

Globe with NWP mesh

How did the Integrated Forecasting System get its name?

Thirty years ago ECMWF started a major project to rewrite the computer code of its forecasting system. One of the key players in the project, Mats Hamrud, says the system he and his colleagues went on to develop has stood the test of time but needs to keep evolving to meet new challenges.
Weather station

Extra weather station data improve ECMWF’s forecasts

Accurate and timely weather data from across the globe are crucial for numerical weather prediction. In a welcome development, Ukraine has recently begun to provide additional weather station observations to ECMWF in real time.

Climate Data Store diagram

Game-changing Climate Data Store launched

Europe’s Climate Data Store (CDS), launched today, is a one-stop-shop for past, present and future climate information. The CDS greatly improves access to climate data and tools, is open and free for all to use, and will change the ways in which society can benefit from Earth observations and climate science.
Kristian Mogensen

How to couple the ocean, sea ice and the atmosphere in forecasts

Since 5 June 2018, rapid interactions between the ocean, sea ice and the atmosphere have been included in ECMWF’s highest-resolution weather forecasts. ECMWF scientist Kristian Mogensen has helped to make this latest move towards seamless Earth system modelling.
Earth system diagram

IFS upgrade improves extended-range weather forecasts

A wide-ranging upgrade of ECMWF’s Integrated Forecasting System (IFS), implemented on 5 June 2018, brings better global weather forecasts, with particularly consistent gains in the extended range.
OpenDataHack2018 event image

ECMWF hackathon to put new Climate Data Store through its paces

More than 90 data enthusiasts will converge on the Centre on 9 and 10 June 2018 for a hackathon weekend to develop innovative climate data applications. They will be able to test the capabilities of the brand new Climate Data Store (CDS).
Artist's impresssion of NOAA-17 satellite in orbit

NOAA satellite launch 20 years ago marked start of new era

Sunday 13 May marks the 20th anniversary of the start of a new era in meteorological satellite observations. On 13 May 1998, the NOAA-15 satellite was launched, beginning the ATOVS series of satellite observations that continues to this day.

Physics Dynamics Coupling Workshop image

Countdown to registration deadline for physics–dynamics coupling workshop

Registration for a workshop on physics–dynamics coupling (PDC18) from 10 to 12 July 2018 at ECMWF remains open until 1 June. The workshop will address challenges in coupling the growing number of Earth system processes represented in weather and climate models.

Willem Deconinck

How to develop software tools for the next generation of NWP models

The next generation of numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems will be based on highly parallel and flexible data structures. Willem Deconinck is at the forefront of developing the necessary numerical techniques and software tools.
Annual Seminar graphic

Annual Seminar to focus on Earth system data assimilation

ECMWF’s Annual Seminar 2018 will be devoted to the assimilation of observations to initialise forecasts of the different components of the Earth system. Registration is open until 27 July.
ECMWF Newsletter 155 cover

Spring 2018 Newsletter published

The spring 2018 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 poster session at EGU 2018

ECMWF makes its mark at EGU General Assembly 2018

ECMWF scientists delivered several well-received talks and courses at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly from 8 to 13 April in Vienna, where numerical weather prediction (NWP) was generally strongly represented.
European State of the Climate Summary 2017 cover

Copernicus presents state of Europe's climate

The EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), both implemented by ECMWF, have drawn up an overview of climate indicators in 2017 with a special emphasis on Europe.
Melanie Ades

How to make the most of satellite data on atmospheric composition

As ex-hurricane Ophelia hurtled towards Ireland in October 2017, the sky over parts of Europe turned red. ECMWF scientist Melanie Ades works on the satellite observations that help us to understand why.
World Meteorological Day graphic

World Meteorological Day highlights weather and climate risks

World Meteorological Day 2018 is dedicated to the risks related to weather and water events and climate change: we need to be weather-ready, climate-smart, and water-wise, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.
Snow-covered mountains in the Arctic

ECMWF uses data from extra radiosondes launched in the Arctic

Weather data collected by radiosondes launched in the Arctic in February and March 2018 as part of the Year of Polar Prediction are feeding into ECMWF forecasts. The availability of such observations is significant as this region is normally only sparsely observed.
HPC workshop graphic

Sign up for supercomputing meeting at ECMWF in September

Registration is now open for the biennial workshop on high-performance computing in meteorology to take place at ECMWF from 24 to 28 September 2018. The meeting will cover a wide range of issues with a particular focus on scalability and I/O.
International Women's Day 2018 montage

Celebrating women in science

Women are still sorely underrepresented in science globally. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we look at the achievements of some of the women driving forward weather science at ECMWF.
Lightning strike

How to predict lightning

ECMWF will soon provide global forecasts of one of the most spectacular phenomena in the atmosphere: lightning. Predictions cannot be made for individual flashes, but forecasts for average lightning activity can have useful skill up to several days ahead.