Users of ECMWF data now have the option of signing up for direct delivery of ERA5T reanalysis data.
ERA5T is an initial-release version of ERA5, issued every day, five days behind real time.
Just like ERA5, which is the quality-controlled fully validated version of the data, ERA5T provides gridded data on many atmospheric, land-surface, and sea-state parameters, together with estimates of uncertainty and a comprehensive description of the observed climate as it has evolved during recent decades.
Unlike ERA5, which is released two to three months behind real-time, however, ERA5T is released just five days behind real-time. This is because, although it is quality-assured, ERA5T has not been fully validated at this stage.
“This initial data often appeals to sectors such as agriculture, insurance and energy because it provides the option of analysing weather events quickly," said Michela Giusti, User Support Services Officer at ECMWF.
“Any issues picked up with the initial release data are then corrected when ERA5 data is issued. Other users, such as researchers looking more closely at long-term trends, prefer to download the fully validated ERA5 data because it contains data all the way back to 1940.”
Although ERA5T data has been available to download via the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS) since the end of 2019, this is the first time users have been able to sign up to receive it automatically, on a chargeable basis, by ordering it from ECMWF’s Product Requirements Catalogue.
Victoria Bennett, Head of User Services Section at ECMWF, said: “The option to receive ERA5T directly alongside other products has been requested by users for some time. Those who still want to access the data free can continue to do so via the CDS, but this new alternative means that those who want to pay for the service can receive it without having to manage their own requests through the CDS.”
Users wanting to receive ERA5T directly can simply order it on the Product Requirements Catalogue, or, with access, add it to their usual products via the Product Requirements Editor.
The data will then arrive automatically according to the dissemination schedule, via the same channel as other operational data.
Users can choose the ECMWF or the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) file-naming templates and there is the option to define parameters, levels, steps, area and grid, to receive only what is actually needed.
More details about ERA5T can be found:
- On the support portal.
- In the ERA5 documentation
- In the Product Requirements Catalogue (PRC)