Annual reports
The report reviews progress towards the goals set out in the Centre’s ten-year Strategy to 2030 that launched at the start of 2021, under the pillars of ‘Science and technology’, ‘Impact’, and ‘Organisation and people’.
Developments include two forecasting system upgrades; the formal opening of duty stations in Italy and Germany that bring us closer to our Member and Co-operating States; agreements with the European Commission for ECMWF to continue its role in the Copernicus Earth observation programme and to become part of the new Destination Earth initiative; and many areas of progress in weather science.
The report highlights the international collaboration and expertise from our Member and Co‑operating States, partners and Fellows that are fundamental to the work of ECMWF.
The report reviews achievements at ECMWF during a year that will be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.
Developments include a wide-ranging forecasting system upgrade which has improved global weather forecasts and substantially improved analyses and forecasts in the stratosphere; a first step in a move towards free and open data; major contributions to Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation programme; progress towards the opening of the new data centre in Italy; and the decision to open additional ECMWF premises in Germany.
The report reviews improvements in forecast performance, advances in research, the Centre’s contributions to Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation programme, and preparations for the new data centre in Bologna, Italy, including the selection of a new Atos supercomputer.
The forecasting system upgrade improved the skill of forecasts substantially across most variables and regions. Amongst many other improvements, IFS Cycle 46r1 introduced more continuous data assimilation to improve ECMWF’s estimate of the state of the Earth system at the start of forecasts. It also included new ocean wave physics and new output parameters in the extended range to provide better advance information on the probability of severe weather.
The report reviews improvements in forecast performance, advances in research, the Centre’s contributions to Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation programme, and preparations for the new data centre in Bologna, Italy.
Highlights of the forecasting system upgrade in 2018 included enhanced dynamic coupling between the ocean, sea ice and the atmosphere, and new products useful in the prediction of severe weather.
