How does a weather radar work?

EUMETNET AMDAR coverage

The coverage for the EUMETNET AMDAR network for a typical day is shown on the map below. Yellow plots indicate observations taken enroute with red and green plots representing aircraft ascent and descent profiles.

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The key priorities

A close cooperation and exchange between the members
The building and maintaining of communications structures with European climate oriented organisations for regular exchange
An exchange with the scientific community in order to provide up-to-date products.

The Programme milestones

A few important milestones of this programme are:

Regular meetings between the participating EUMETNET members
The setting up of communication channels with European organisations
Supporting climate related conferences

The organisation

The current phase of the Programme started in January 2024 and will last until the end of 2028. The Activity is managed by a consortium of GeoSphere (Austria, Coordinating Member, Barbara Chimani) and HungaroMet (Hungary, Monika Lakatos).

Contact: Barbara.Chimani@geosphere.at

Further information

This PowerPoint presentation outlines a few of the tasks and capabilities concerning climate activities carried out by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

Other Useful Information

Workshops and Conferences

Data Rescue and recovery

OPERA ODIM

OBSERVATIONS – OPERA

OPERA is the Radar Programme of EUMETNET

The objectives of OPERA :

to provide a European platform wherein expertise on operationally-oriented weather radar issues is exchanged;
to develop, generate and distribute high-quality pan-European weather radar composite products on an operational basis.

The key achievements of OPERA:

OPERA weather radar information model ODIM (see “Publications” below)
Pan-European radar composite (see near real-time animation here )

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OPERA has been coordinating radar data exchange in Europe for 20 years, and its data centres have been operational for almost a decade.

In the previous programme phase (2019-2023) the data centre (ODYSSEY) operated since 2011, was gradually replaced with three new production lines. The three production lines, CUMULUS/STRATUS, NIMBUS, and CIRRUS, are responsible for gathering the data, and producing European-wide radar products for EUMETNET members as well as third-party users.

OPERA Data production

During the previous OPERA phase (2019-2023), the data centre (ODYSSEY) was gradually replaced with three new production lines (CUMULUS/STRATUS CIRRUS, and NIMBUS).

New OPERA data production

Figure: The schematic structure of the new OPERA data production.

The three new production lines are:

• CUMULUS/STRATUS, a real-time data hub providing the incoming data back to members in approximately real-time for their own processing (e.g. regional composites or NWP assimilation) and to the other two production lines (CIRRUS and NIMBUS). The production line has been operational since Q2/2021.

• CIRRUS producing 5-minute instantaneous maximum reflectivity composite (dBZ) for current weather, severe weather alerts and aviation needs. It is replacing the ODYSSEY maximum reflectivity composite with improved spatial (now with 1 km gridding) and temporal resolution (from 15 – minutes to 5- minutes). The production has been operational in Q1/2024. Documentation regarding the CIRRUS maximum reflectivity product and its differences compared to the ODYSSEY maximum reflectivity product can be found here.

– OPERA_Max Reflectivity_Product Sheet_Ed-2.0.pdf

– OPERA5_Report_Cirrus-vs-Odyssey_Ed-2.0.pdf

• NIMBUS producing centrally the quality-controlled products; instantaneous rain rate (mm/h) and 1 – hour accumulation (mm) composites, and wind profiles (TBD Q4/2024), and additionally the quality-controlled volume data for NWP assimilation. It is replacing the ODYSSEY production for the above-mentioned products. The NIMBUS production has been operational in Q2/2024. Documentation regarding the NIMBUS composites and their differences compared to the corresponding ODYSSEY can be found here:

– NIMBUS_datasheet_composites_1.0_13062024.pdf

– NIMBUS_composite_vs_ODYSSEY_1.0_19062024.pdf

OPERA support can be reached through email to support.opera@emetnet.com. Responses from the service desk are provided on a best-effort basis.

Access to data

The members of OPERA and EUMETNET may use the composites for their official duties without a separate license. The Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) modelers obtain the quality-controlled volume data directly from NIMBUS production line.

The OPERA products are also available under license to 3rd parties:

· For national weather services not participating in OPERA which want to use the products to support their public weather service, contact info@emetnet.com

· For a research and education licence, contact info@emetnet.com.

· For a license to exploit the products commercially, contact one of the EUMETNET members contact points(https://www.ecomet.eu/contact/members) or send a mail eumetdaps_secretariat@emetnet.com.

AVIMET

WG AVIMET: The Working Group for Aviation

Objectives

Aviation, consisting of a wide spectrum of aeronautical stakeholders, is a high priority customer group for most EUMETNET Members. Via co-operation, EUMETNET Members strive to improve the value and efficiency of aeronautical meteorological services to ensure performance benefits for the aviation industry as well as to reduce the negative impact of adverse weather conditions on the daily operations.

AVIMET is a Working Group of EUMETNET that was created to address issues of common interest within the aeronautical meteorological (MET) domain, especially in relation to the ongoing development of the political, technical and regulatory landscape under a Single European Sky (SES). In addition to this, the WG AVIMET aims to facilitate the exchange of information between members on aviation meteorological issues whilst developing common position statements of EUMETNET on aviation-related issues.

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Focus Areas

AVIMET has identified three main focus areas:

Improving the value and efficiency of aeronautical meteorological services to the aviation industry to ensure performance benefits through cooperation, innovation and investment for the future
Improving the perception of the MET service providers by the other aviation stakeholders
Responding in a cooperative, consistent and user-focused way to the demands of the implementation of the Single European Sky (SES) initiative

Membership & Organisation

Membership is open to all EUMETNET Members who may nominate one representative to the Working Group. In general, the representative should belong to an authorized and certified MET Service Provider which may be either the EUMETNET Member itself or another agency in that country. On 1st of January 2017 AVIMET has 33 members.

The Working Group tasks are coordinated by an elected WG Chairperson whose main roles are to:

Act as an external spokesman for WG AVIMET when required
Act as an internal rapporteur to other EUMETNET bodies as required
Provide advice to the EUMETNET Aviation Support on how aviation issues should be handled

The AVIMET Chair is assisted by 2 elected Vice-Chairs.

How does a weather radar work?

Project Details

Project Description

PEP725 MODULE

EUMETNET AMDAR coverage

Other Useful Information

OBSERVATIONS – OPERA

WG AVIMET: The Working Group for Aviation