About Ecmwf
ECMWF: The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
ECMWF, or the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, is a research institute and operational service that produces global numerical weather predictions and other data for its member and co-operating states as well as the broader community. The centre has one of the largest supercomputer facilities and meteorological data archives in the world.
Founded in 1975, ECMWF is an intergovernmental organization with 34 member states from Europe and beyond. Its mission is to provide accurate weather forecasts to help protect lives, property, and economies from natural disasters caused by extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires.
ECMWF's numerical weather prediction models are based on complex mathematical algorithms that simulate atmospheric processes using observations from satellites, radars, buoys, aircrafts, balloons as well as ground-based instruments. These models can forecast up to 15 days ahead with high accuracy for various parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction at different altitudes/locations around the globe.
In addition to its core forecasting activities which include daily updates of medium-range (up to 10 days) forecasts for Europe twice a day (00 UTC/12 UTC), ECMWF also provides specialized products/services such as seasonal forecasts (up to 6 months ahead), climate reanalysis datasets (from 1950 onwards), air quality forecasts (for Europe), ocean wave forecasts (for global oceans), space weather monitoring/alerts (for satellite operators), among others.
ECMWF's services are used by a wide range of stakeholders including national meteorological services/agencies in its member/co-operating states who issue local/regional warnings/advisories based on ECMWF's guidance; aviation industry which relies on accurate weather information for flight planning/safety; energy sector which needs reliable forecasts of wind/solar power generation; agriculture sector which needs timely information on crop growth/irrigation/frost protection; emergency management agencies which need to prepare for/respond to natural disasters; and many more.
ECMWF's research activities are aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of its forecasts/models as well as developing new applications/products. The centre collaborates with many national/international organizations such as NASA, NOAA, JMA, Met Office, DWD, Météo-France, among others. ECMWF also hosts a number of training courses/workshops/seminars for meteorologists/scientists from around the world.
ECMWF's supercomputer facility is located in Bologna (Italy) and consists of several high-performance computing clusters that can perform over 25 quadrillion calculations per second (25 petaflops). This computing power is necessary to run ECMWF's numerical weather prediction models which require massive amounts of data processing/storage. The centre also operates a data archive facility in Reading (UK) that stores petabytes of meteorological data from various sources dating back several decades.
ECMWF is committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint by using renewable energy sources (such as solar panels), optimizing its cooling systems, recycling waste materials, promoting teleworking/remote collaboration among staff members. The centre has received several awards/certifications for its environmental initiatives.
In conclusion, ECMWF is a world-class organization that plays a crucial role in providing accurate weather forecasts/data for various sectors/stakeholders around the globe. Its cutting-edge technology/facilities combined with its talented staff members make it one of the most respected institutions in the field of meteorology/climatology. Whether you are a scientist looking for research opportunities or an industry professional seeking reliable weather information/services, ECMWF has something to offer you.