author:
Andras Horanyi, C-SRNWP PM
Hungarian Meteorological Service
1024 Budapest, Kitaibel Pal utca 1., Hungary
date:
15 July, 2011
The programme was extended by the Assembly until the end of 2012. The most important activity of the C-SRNWP programme during the second quarter of 2011 was our contribution to the discussions and the redaction of the EUMETNET Forecasting Roadmap (which is coming from the fact that the C-SRNWP Programme Manager is also acting as Interim Forecasting Capability Programme Manager). The Roadmap document was updated based on the comments of STAC, PFAC and Assembly respectively and its quasi-final shape was produced at the end of June. Further discussions with the OPERA (radar) community were pursued mostly through a phone conference organised at the end of June. The negotiations for the extension of the surface data exchange programme were continued with the Valday (Russia) and Debrecen (Hungary) sites. The organisation of the annual EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting (to be held in Estonia at 10-13 October, 2011) had been started (practical organisational matters, compilation of the scientific programme etc.).
The main activity of the C-SRNWP programme is the coordination between the five LAM Consortia in Europe (ALADIN, COSMO, HIRLAM, LACE and Met Office). The coordination is ensured by the eight Expert Teams (data assimilation and use of observations; diagnostics, validation and verification; dynamics and lateral boundary coupling; link with applications;physical parameterization: upper air; predictability and EPS; surface and soil processes:model and data assimilation; system aspects) and the regular contacts between the members of the SRNWP Advisory Committee. Beside that, two SRNWP-related programmes (responsible member: Met Office) are ongoing (their reports are prepared independently):SRNWP-I (Interoperability; extended until the end of 2011) and SRNWP-V (Verification; valid until the end of 2012).
The Expert Teams continued their activities based on their respective workplans (which are available at the webpage of the C-SRNWP programme). In this period remarkable activities were carried out in the framework of the "data assimilation and use of observation" and the "surface and soil processes (model and data assimilation)" Expert Teams. The data assimilation experts were mostly concerned about the use of radar (composite) data in the data assimilation process of the European limited area models. A phone conference was organised between the representatives of both (NWP and radar) groups at the end of June. The main conclusions of the discussions were as follows:
The surface data exchange had been continued providing access to more and more users (now there are more than 10 persons accessing and using the collected data). The access point to the database is at webSite. The discussions with the two additional sites (Valday in Russia and Debrecen in Hungary) are ongoing, hopefully bringing results for the near future. The Expert Teams started the organisation of the scientific sessions of the autumn EWGLAM/SRNWP meetings (10-13 October, Estonia).
The SRNWP Advisory Committee continued its work mostly through correspondence, however in the framework of the Forecasting Roadmap Drafting Team most of the members “met” through additional email exchanges. Therefore the emphasis was put on the Forecasting Roadmap developments and the related issues (for instance about the liaison with the observational – see also OPERA issues above – and climate roadmaps).
The partners are getting information about the latest news of the programme through two levels: the Consortia leaders forward the relevant information from the Programme Manager through their respective Consortia structure and the C-SRNWP Programme Manager directly informs the SRNWP contact points on the main issues of interests around the programme (mainly about links with the EUMETNET Assembly and also about the preparations of the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting for instance).
The Programme Manager attended several meetings on behalf of the programme, which were as follows:
The activities inside the European limited area modelling Consortia are clearly extremely beneficial for the EUMETNET partners, since the developed models significantly contribute to the forecasting activities of the meteorological services with special emphasis on the protection of life and property. This work is enhanced by the C-SRNWP programme with its cooperation and competition character, where the improvement of the Consortia models can be achieved through the scientific and technological exchange between them.
| Quarterly Income and Cost Statement | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 Statement | Year to date | Forecast to end of year | Balance (Forec - YtD) | Approved budget | Next year's planned budget |
| Revenue | |||||
| R1 Contributions from participating members | 35,000 | 35,000 | 0 | 35,000 | 100,000 |
| Total Revenue | 35,000 | 35,000 | 0 | 35,000 | 100,000 |
| Cost | |||||
| E1 Salary | 15,000 | 30,000 | -15,000 | 30,000 | 90,000 |
| E2 PM Travel | 4,390 | 5,000 | -610 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| Total cost: | 19,390 | 35,000 | -15,610 | 35,000 | 100,000 |
| Balance in year - surplus / (deficit) | 15,610 | 0 | 15,610 | 0 | 0 |
| Surplus | |||||
| S1 Surplus at start of year | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S2 Approved allocation to revenue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S3 In year project surplus or deficit | 15,610 | 0 | 15,610 | 0 | 0 |
| S4 Surplus at end of period | 15,610 | 0 | 15,610 | 0 | 0 |
The C-SRNWP Programme Manager is also acting as Interim Forecasting Capability Programme Manager of EUMETNET, which means more coordination and administrative burden. On the other hand the resources available for the work is unchanged, therefore the additional duties coming from the higher level forecasting coordination can be realised only on a good-will basis and certainly with some limitations. The normalisation of this situation can be ensured either with the provision of increased financial support of C-SRNWP for 2012 or with the establishment of the FCPM programme as soon as possible, but not later than the beginning of 2013 (with increased resources).
The Assembly didn’t formally accept any change in the C-SRNWP Management and in the interim nature of the Forecasting Capability Programme Management, therefore both duties should be ensured until the end of 2012.
The C-SRNWP programme (as Interim Forecasting Capability Programme as well) will continue to have its active role in the finalisation and presentation of the EUMETNET Forecasting Roadmap and the project requirements of the anticipated future programmes. It is anticipated that the Assembly will confirm its preliminary decision to increase the CSRNWP budget in order to facilitate the originally expected higher level coordination activities among the NWP Consortia and inside the participating members. The organisation of the autumn EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting will be an important task from the scientific programme and the technical organisation point of view as well. Last, but not least after the submission of this Q2 report it was decided that Andras Horanyi will change his position from the 1st of September onwards, therefore the responsible member (the Hungarian Meteorological Service) is proposing to replace Andras Horanyi by another reseracher of their NWP team: Gergely Boloni. The proposal is submitted and will be considered by the STAC/PFAC and then by the Assembly this autumn.