First Quarterly Report for 2013 (January - March 2013)

1. Headlines

A Webex meeting of Project Managers (PM) within the Forecasting Programme took place. The C-SRNWP PM attended the ALADIN-HIRLAM All Staff Meeting and presented C-SRNWP related matters. C-SRNWP PM attended the OPERA-NWP meeting for helping the OPERA management to clarify the NWP needs regarding OPERA products. Progress was made in the organization of the SRNWP-EPS meeting and the EPS-Physics scientific workshop. Emailing started between several people concerned (SESAR Aviation Business Manager, EUMETNET ED, Aviation Affairs Manager, EPS PM and C-SRNWP PM) about the future provision of high-resolution ensemble forecasts for the WP11.2 work package of SESAR. Short discussion on the recent news on OPERA-SRNWP matters took place between the OPERA and C-SRNWP PMs.

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 2008 and through the regular correspondence, including the annual meeting, between the members of the SRNWP Advisory Expert Team Committee (previously called Advisory Committee), which consists of the consortia heads and the Expert Team chairs. During the first quarter of 2013 the following coordination efforts have been made.

PMs' webex meeting within the Forecasting Programme

A webex meeting has been organized by the FPM on the 25^th March 2013 in order to overview all Forecasting Programme plans, requirements, milestones and to discuss cross-project issues. The C-SRNWP PM presented the relevant plans for the C-SRNWP project. Regarding the cross-project issues the future of the Predictability and EPS Expert Team was discussed between the SRNWP-EPS PM, FPM and the C-SRNWP PM. The future promotion of European SRNWP models in education was briefly discussed between the EUMETCAL, C-SRNWP PMs and the FPM (email exchanges and a webex is foreseen before June).

Participation at the ALADIN-HIRLAM All Staff meeting

A presentation was given by the C-SRNWP PM about the recent and future coordination activities within the project. Latest NWP research and operational achievements of the ALADIN, LACE and HIRLAM consortia have been presented at the workshop.

Organization of the SRNWP-EPS meeting and EPS-Physics scientific workshop

The EPS and Physics Expert Teams have been active in identifying the most interesting scientific subjects for the forthcoming SRNWP-EPS meeting and EPS-Physics scientific workshop (18-21 June).

Future provision of high-resolution EPS forecasts for the WP11.2 work package of SESAR

An email exchange started between several concerned people about the future provision of high-resolution ensemble forecasts for the WP11.2 work package of SESAR. It was pointed out by the C-SRNWP PM that besides the future convective scale EPS systems, existing lower resolution ensemble systems might be useful to provide probabilistic forecasts for aviation purposes. It was also pointed out that the application and development of convective scale EPS systems will require IT investments. For small NMSs this will require application to projects (Horizon2020 or Norway Grants).

Coordination with OPERA for enhancing radar data assimilation

C-SRNWP PM has helped the OPERA PM to clarify the needs of the SRNWP (and NWP) community regarding the radar data (OPERA products). Members of the Opera User Group (OUG) from the SRNWP community are active in clarifying the set of metadata needed to be sent to Odyssey for enabling data Quality Indication (QI).

3. Financial report

4. Risks and issues

None to report.