Integrating tools in forecasting’s last line of defence
Nowcasting specialists convened at EUMETSAT’s headquarters in January for a workshop aimed at developing and sharing integrated nowcasting tools
Nowcasts are critical for protecting lives and livelihoods from hazards due to rapidly developing extreme weather events such as hail, wind gusts, lightning, and heavy rainfall: they enable forecasters to warn of challenging atmospheric conditions in the order of just hours ahead. However, when it comes to complex convective events, studies have shown that there is still much that can be done to improve the role nowcasting plays in emergency preparedness and risk reduction.
21 February 2024
21 February 2024
With a view to improving nowcasting capabilities across Europe, 30 international specialists convened at EUMETSAT’s headquarters in Darmstadt on 23-25 January 2024 for a workshop on developing integrated nowcasting tools. Participants attended from national meteorological and hydrological institutes of 18 EUMETSAT member states, EUMETSAT’s Support to the Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting Satellite Application Facility (NWC SAF), the European Severe Storms Laboratory, and the World Meteorological Organization.
The workshop focussed minds on EUMETSAT’s next-generation satellite programmes, which will enhance the timeliness and resolution of data relevant for nowcasting.
Key points
- 30 nowcasting specialists convened at EUMETSAT’s headquarters in January for a workshop on integrating nowcasting tools
- EUMETSAT’s next-generation satellite programmes are expected to substantially increase nowcasting capabilities
- Collaboration and community are seen as key to maximising the potential of new and existing data streams
Meteosat Third Generation hosts Europe’s first space-based lightning sensors and will deliver the first continuous, near-real-time atmospheric sounding data from over the continent. Metop Second Generation polar-orbiting satellites will make observations that will be especially impactful at higher latitudes where data from geostationary spacecraft are more sparse.
Sessions explored aspects such as research and development priorities for integrating new and existing data streams; the pooling of resources to maximise the potential of data products from next-generation programmes; and initiatives to strengthen data exchange and collaboration, including via the NWC SAF and the European Weather Cloud.
Photo: EUMETSAT
“Nowcasts complement longer-term forecasts and are a vital last line of defence for protecting lives and livelihoods against the worst impacts of severe weather,” said Dr Stephan Bojinski, Satellite Application Expert and Manager of the Meteosat Third Generation User Preparation Project at EUMETSAT. “By bringing nowcasting specialists together from across Europe, we were able to explore what communities need from nowcasting applications, identify gaps in current services, especially in some of the smaller national meteorological and hydrological services, and develop some great ideas to share data and collaborate on nowcasting tool development in future.”
Author:
Adam Gristwood
