News

5th International Conference on Reanalysis in Rome, November 2017

Reanalysis takes centre stage as climate change service spreads its wings

After a successful conference on climate reanalysis in Rome, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) being implemented by ECMWF is getting ready to make reanalysis results available to wider audiences.
Diagram illustrating the principle of 4D-Var

20 years of 4D-Var: better forecasts through a better use of observations

Twenty years ago ECMWF added an extra dimension – time – to the assimilation of observational data into weather models. This pioneering ‘4D-Var’ technique has led to substantial improvements in the Centre’s forecasts.
Towering convective clouds

How to model convection and its impact on weather

Convection is one of the small-scale atmospheric processes at the heart of the workshop ‘Shedding light on the greyzone’ taking place at ECMWF from 13 to 16 November. Convection specialist Peter Bechtold explains why.
SEAS5 2-metre temperature forecast chart

New seasonal prediction system SEAS5 brings better El Niño forecasts

ECMWF’s new seasonal prediction system (SEAS5) brings better forecasts, especially for El Niño/La Niña events. Forecasts are also more detailed thanks to much greater horizontal resolution.
Numerical weather prediction grid

Experts to explore global modelling at resolutions under 10 km

More than 50 scientists will meet at ECMWF from 13 to 16 November to discuss the modelling of atmospheric processes across the globe at ‘grey zone’ resolutions of a few kilometres or less.
Emma Pidduck

How to support data users in WMO countries, research and business

Supporting ECMWF’s diverse range of users requires know-how in weather science, data handling and consultancy. Emma Pidduck from ECMWF’s Data Services team has what it takes.
ECMWF Newsletter 153 cover

Autumn 2017 Newsletter published

The autumn 2017 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.
Large cloud

Experts debate progress in limited-area modelling

Over 90 scientists from European national meteorological services and ECMWF came together at the Centre from 2 to 5 October 2017 to talk about convection and other topics in limited-area modelling.
ERA5 reanalysis of the Great Storm of 1987

New climate reanalysis simulates Great Storm of 1987

A new climate reanalysis produced by the ECMWF-run Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has reconstructed the Great Storm that hit Britain in October 1987 in much more detail than was possible in the 1980s.
Sentinel-5P artist's impression

Newly launched Sentinel-5P satellite to monitor the atmosphere

The Sentinel-5P satellite launched on 13 October 2017 will make a vital contribution to the ECMWF-run Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by measuring the composition of the atmosphere.
Melt ponds on sea ice

January meeting to review ocean and sea ice observations

A workshop on observations and data assimilation of sea-surface temperatures and sea ice will take place at ECMWF from 22 to 25 January 2018. Registration is still open until 15 October.
Physics Dynamics Coupling Workshop image

Workshop on physics–dynamics coupling to take place in July 2018

Registration is now open for a workshop on physics–dynamics coupling (PDC18) to take place at ECMWF from 10 to 12 July 2018.
Peter Düben

ECMWF scientist starts Royal Society research fellowship

The Royal Society has awarded ECMWF scientist Peter Düben a prestigious University Research Fellowship, which starts in October.
Roberto Buizza at the Annual Seminar 2017

Annual Seminar explores future of ensemble prediction

More than 100 people from across the world joined ECMWF scientists and 28 speakers at the Annual Seminar on ‘Ensemble prediction: past, present and future’.
Sarah-Jane Lock

How to pin down uncertainty in weather forecasting

How can we best represent uncertainty in weather forecasting models? ECMWF scientist Sarah-Jane Lock will chart the way forward in a talk at the four-day Annual Seminar on ensemble prediction (11 to 14 September).
Adrian Simmons word cloud

Symposium to mark leading ECMWF scientist’s lifetime achievements

A symposium will be held at the Centre on 8 December 2017 to mark the decisive contributions of ECMWF scientist Adrian Simmons to numerical weather prediction and climate science.
Wave reanalysis for 2100 UTC on 20 June 1944

ECMWF simulates storm that destroyed Normandy invasion harbour

ECMWF simulations have helped to explain how a fierce storm in June 1944 destroyed one of two harbours built to support the Allied invasion of northern France in World War II.
Example forecasts from S2S database

Sub-seasonal to seasonal forecast database expands to 11 models

The multi-model sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) prediction database hosted by ECMWF has expanded significantly over the last two years and now includes data from 11 forecasting centres.
WMO headquarters, Geneva

WMO designates ECMWF as World Meteorological Centre

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated ECMWF as a World Meteorological Centre (WMC), in a clear recognition of ECMWF's global forecasting capabilities.