News

News highlights 2021

News highlights of 2021

ECMWF news highlights in 2021 include two upgrades of our Integrated Forecasting System that improved forecasts; projects and workshops to drive forward weather science; and new developments regarding the EU-funded Copernicus services implemented by ECMWF.
Machine Learning workshop image

Scientists explore machine learning for Earth system work

The European Space Agency and ECMWF held an online workshop on Machine Learning for Earth System Observation and Prediction from 15 to 18 November 2021. The annual event attracted over 1,100 participants from 85 countries.
ECMWF supercomputer in Bologna

New supercomputing resources available for Special Project research

From next year ECMWF will start to provide about five times more supercomputing resources in its new data centre in Bologna for weather and climate research as part of the Special Project framework.
Member State flags in ECMWF Council chamber, Copyright: Stephen Shepherd

ECMWF welcomes Georgia as its 12th Co-operating State

A Co-operation Agreement between ECMWF and Georgia came into force on 1 December 2021.
ESCAPE-2 project image

Computing project prepares weather prediction for the exascale

The three-year EU-funded ESCAPE-2 project coordinated by ECMWF, on energy-efficient scalable algorithms for weather and climate prediction at the exascale, is coming to a successful conclusion.
Copernicus-CoCO2-General-Assembly-image

Copernicus CO2 project holds first General Assembly

The ECMWF-coordinated Copernicus CO2 (CoCO2) project to build a prototype system to monitor anthropogenic CO2 emissions worldwide held its first General Assembly from 16 to 18 November.
Metop satellite

Metop-A satellite retiring after 15 years of huge benefits to forecasting

EUMETSAT has started to decommission the Metop-A satellite, which has brought tremendous benefits to numerical weather prediction after it was launched 15 years ago.
ECMWF OpenCharts montage

ECMWF’s free-to-use OpenCharts catalogue extended and new feature added

A powerful new feature is now available through our popular OpenCharts Catalogue, allowing users to tailor their own forecast display. The launch of ‘ChartSet’ comes just weeks after nearly 60 new products were added, bringing the total number available to well over 250.

ECMWF at COP26 graphic

ECMWF at the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference

ECMWF will be present at COP26, showing how data and services from the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation programme can support countries in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

ECMWF and Union for the Mediterranean logos over image of Mediterranean

Union for Mediterranean and ECMWF sign cooperation accord

The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean and ECMWF signed an agreement on 25 October establishing bilateral cooperation concerning the uptake and impact of EU Copernicus services implemented by ECMWF.
ECMWF Newsletter 169

Autumn 2021 Newsletter published

The autumn 2021 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.
Cinzia Mazzetti

Using hydrology to help upgrade European and global flood forecasting

ECMWF takes care of operational matters for the European and Global Flood Awareness Systems of the EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Cinzia Mazzetti uses her hydrological skills to help upgrade EFAS to much higher resolution.
Upgrade to IFS Cycle 47r3

Forecast upgrade improves moist physics and use of satellite observations

An upgrade of ECMWF’s Integrated Forecasting System to Cycle 47r3 implemented on 12 October has improved the representation of moist physics in the model and increased satellite observation usage in cloudy regions in data assimilation.
High-performance computing in meteorology

Experts debate use of high-performance computing in meteorology

ECMWF held a biennial event on the use of high-performance computing in meteorology from 20 to 24 September, bringing together experts from national weather centres, academia and industry.
Kaah Menang

WMO fellow to develop Climate Data Store application for Africa

Kaah Menang, a meteorologist and researcher from the National Department of Meteorology, Cameroon, is to use a one-year World Meteorological Organization Fellowship at ECMWF to work on a Climate Data Store application for Africa.
Annual Seminar 2021 group image

Annual Seminar looks into Earth system observations

Thirty-seven experts set out the latest thinking on Earth system observations at ECMWF’s Annual Seminar 2021 from 13 to 17 September. The online event was held jointly with the World Meteorological Organization WCRP–WWRP Symposium on Data Assimilation and Reanalysis.

Map showing ECMWF sites in the UK, Germany and Italy

ECMWF becomes a multi-site organisation

ECMWF has officially become a multi-site organisation, holding opening ceremonies for offices in Bonn, Germany, and its data centre in Bologna, Italy, on 13 and 14 September 2021.
Katie Lean

Investigating AMVs and microwave sounders on small satellites

As ECMWF’s Annual Seminar on Observations gets under way, we take a look at Katie Lean’s work on satellites producing atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) and a potential future constellation of small satellites carrying microwave sounding instruments.
European temperature anomaly June-July-August 2021

Heat, rain, floods and fires – the European summer of 2021

The European summer of 2021 stands out for great heat, regional fires, heavy rain and devastating floods, which were reflected in the output of ECMWF and the EU’s Copernicus Services which we operate or contribute to.