The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has signed a five-year strategic relationship agreement with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to collaborate and share data, knowledge sharing and capabilities exchange.
BoM has been invited to work with ECMWF as part of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the EU’s space program and includes satellite and in situ observations combined with expert modeling to provide services such as the Climate Change Service implemented by ECMWF.
ACCESS is BoM’s extended and long-range forecast system. It is a dynamical (physics-based) forecast modeling system that uses ocean, atmosphere, ice and land observations to initiate forecasts for the season ahead. There are eight contributors to the ECMWF Copernicus multi-system global ensemble and the addition of the Bureau’s ACCESS forecasts brings this total to nine.
The agreement was signed by Dr Andrew Johnson, CEO and director of BoM, and Dr Florence Rabier, ECMWF director-general. Dr Rabier said, “Under this agreement, we are adding long-range global forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator – also known as ACCESS – to the Copernicus multi-model global ensemble. ACCESS will join other world-leading models, demonstrating the importance of scientific collaboration and of Australia’s contribution to the international community.
“This is an important ongoing partnership for ECMWF, the benefits of which will be felt worldwide in the ensemble forecasts produced. It will also lead to further improvements in weather and climate modeling and research conducted in Europe and Australia.”
“This new agreement enables the Bureau to access more comprehensive data from some of the world’s best forecast models to support and improve its own services,” Dr Johnson said. “It also provides more opportunities for joint research projects exploring weather and climate impacts in the southern hemisphere and around the globe.
“This is a huge accomplishment for the Bureau and Australia. The benefits of this partnership will lead to future improvements in Australian weather and climate products and services for the benefit of the Australian community.”
To read Meteorological Technology International’s exclusive interview with Dr Florence Rabier, ECMWF director-general, click here.