Quarterly Report (1^st of July - 30^th of September, 2011)

1. Headlines

The most important activity of the C-SRNWP programme during the third quarter of 2011 was the contribution to the discussions and the redaction of the EUMETNET Forecasting Roadmap (which is coming from the fact that the previous C-SRNWP Programme Manager was also acting as Interim Forecasting Capability Programme Manager till the 31st of August 2011). The Roadmap document was further updated based on the incoming comments, which resulted in a version presented for STAC and PFAC. Beside that preliminary project requirements were compiled for the anticipated projects from 2013 onwards. Discussions with the OPERA PM on the NWP requirements to use OPERA products has been continued via email exchange. A questionnaire prepared by OPERA was distributed among the SRNWP consortia. 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) has been continued (practical organisational matters, compilation of the scientific programme etc.).

2. Status of programmatic targets

The main activity of the C-SRNWP programme is the scientific and technical (operational) 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) established in the previous years and through the regular correspondence (including the annual meeting) between the members of the SRNWP Advisory Committee. Recent information can be found about the programme in general and about the workplans of the Expert Teams in particular at the SRNWP webpage hosted by the Hungarian Meteorological Service.

2.1. Expert Team issues

the Expert Teams continued their activities based on their respective work plans. The Expert Team on "Surface and Soil processes (model and data assimilation)" organized a working day at ECMWF (taking an opportunity that most of the Expert Team members were present at the ECMWF seminar on Data Assimilation of Atmosphere and Ocean). The presentations and discussions held at the working day can be found at ECMWF.

Also a new person (from Swedish HIRLAM group) has asked for an access to the data archive maintained by DWD for surface data exchange. The gradual increase in the number of users strengthens the view of the SRNWP Advisory Committee that running the surface data archive was a useful initiative. The discussions with the two additional sites (Valday in Russia and Debrecen in Hungary) are ongoing, hopefully bringing results (data) for the near future. The Expert Team on “Data Assimilation” (together with the SRNWP Advisory Committee) has helped the newly nominated C-SRNWP Programme Manager in taking over the coordination between OPERA and SRNWP on the use of radar data (OPERA products). The scientific programme of the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting (10-13 October, Estonia) has been finalized with the help of Expert Teams.

2.2 SRNWP Advisory Committee issues

At the beginning of the quarter, the SRNWP Advisory committee was involved mostly in commenting the roadmap document of the proposed Forecasting Capability Area. In the last month SNWP Advisory Committee helped the newly nominated C-SRNWP Programme Manager to take over the coordination of the ongoing dialogue between the SRNWP and the OPERA community.

2.3 Links with the partners

Links with the SRNWP members was maintained via email correspondence, namely through the consortia leaders (who pass on information towards member states and vice versa). There were no changes concerning memberships in the Programme. The link with the OPERA Programme Manager was kept in order to manage the future use of OPERA radar products in NWP.

3. Communication and cooperation

The communication with the Forecasting Roadmap Drafting Team members and with the SRNWP Advisory Committee members was maintained via email correspondence and phone calls in the last quarter. Also the cooperation with the OPERA community was continued via emails.

4. Benefits Delivery

Drafting the roadmap for the proposed Forecasting Capability Area may ensure a smooth transition of the present European SRNWP activities to the proposed new structure of the EUMETNET governance beyond 2012. The coordination on the future application of OPERA products in NWP models may ensure an enhanced quality of short range forecasts on the long term.

5. Financial report

6. Risks and issues

None to report.

7. Programme change requests

None to request.

8. Outlook for rest of the year

The former C-SRNWP Programme Manager and his proposed successor will both attend the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting, which will help in handing over all the management duties to the new candidate. The meeting will also make possible for the SRNWP Advisory Committee members to meet. The Programme Manager can also get updates on the status of SRNWP-I and SRNWP-V programmes. The coordination on the extension of the ECMWF Boundary Condition project to provide boundary conditions from EPS system will be an important activity of the newly proposed C-SRNWP programme Manager during the last 3 month of 2011. The C-SRNWP Programme Manager (if accepted by Assembly in November) will participate at the EUMETNET Core Team Meeting in December (Helsinki).