Data, graphical products for several variables, and a multi-system made of 5 contributing centers. The Italian CMCC Foundation, along with the German DWD, joined ECMWF (EU), Met Office (UK) and MeteoFrance (FR) in the latest enhancement of C3S seasonal forecast component.
Enhanced seasonal forecasts, data and graphical products for several variables, including air and sea-surface temperature, atmospheric circulation and precipitation, covering a period of six months: this is the brand new version of the seasonal forecast component presented by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Union.
Two major changes have been introduced to the system. Firstly, C3S multi-system forecasts, which comprise data for a range of variables, have been enhanced with data from two additional contributing centres: the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (Il Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, CMCC), and the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD). Secondly, the new operational forecast system from Météo-France, System 6, will replace their previous contribution (System 5) in the C3S multi-system.
The C3S forecast products, now based on data from ECMWF and the UK Met Office as well as the three new systems mentioned above, will continue to be issued each month, on the 13th at 12UTC. The products will include graphics that can be accessed through the C3S website, as well as data available through the C3S Climate Data Store (CDS).
“The new service released by C3S is very significant – Silvio Gualdi (CMCC, Climate Simulations and Predictions Division) explained – because it provides operational seasonal forecasts that can be used to improve managing systems and processes in all the field in which meteo-climate variables are critical, including a wide range of socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, energy demand and supply, water management, tourism and many others”.
The next significant changes to the seasonal forecast service are expected in early 2019, C3S informs in its note. Forecast verification statistics will be included alongside the forecast products and new contributors will be added to the multi-system (the first of which is expected to be from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction – NCEP)
Webpage: C3S seasonal charts
Source: C3S – Copernicus Climate Change Service
