A new numerical forecast service of the Meteorological Modeling Centre of IMGW-PIB has been launched under the following address https://cmm.imgw.pl/.
The new information service is providing current results of numerical forecasts calculated by the weather models applied at the Institute. The results are available in a modern graphic form on a dedicated website, the authors of which are experts of the Meteorological Modeling Centre of IMGW-PIB. The website is fully open to all interested customers, especially those outside the Institute, and the posted information is updated in the shortest possible time.
“This is the first edition of the service that provides widely available results of numerical forecasts prepared at the Meteorological Modeling Centre. We show the most important results of our forecasts, where modern graphics and high image resolution allow users to easily and accurately analyze the changes in weather forecasts. It is, in a way, a response to the memorandum of the World Meteorological Organization, that all meteorological services in the world should increase the quality of forecasts, their timeliness, and accessibility to users. At the same time, for several months, we have been teaching on Twitter version of CMM service (@IMGW_CMM) how to understand and read the weather, which is crucial task in the era of rapid climate change”. – said Prof. Mariusz J. Figurski, Director of the IMGW-PIB Meteorological Modeling Centre.
At https://cmm.imgw.pl/ you can follow, among others, the analysis of currently present storms and its 1-hour forecast based on the thunderstorm monitoring and forecasting system (TSP), the results of very short-range forecasts for up to 8 hours from the INCA model with a 1-hour step as well as precipitation forecasts from the MERGE system with a 10-minute time step. CMM specialists also provide access to maps with the results of short-range forecasts for a period of 30 to 72 hours with 3 -hour time step. These forecasts are derived from the ALARO, AROME, COSMO, and WRF METEOPG models, covering different geographic areas and operating at different spatial resolutions (from 2.0 km to 7 km). This information is complemented by medium-range forecasts for the next 5 or 14 days (MFF ICON, MFF GFS EU, MFF GFS PL models), as well as long-range forecasts up to 5 weeks and even for the next four months, prepared by experts of long-range forecast department.
The Meteorological Modeling Centre also made available important specialistic forecasts: fire danger indexes throughout Poland, backward trajectories (up to 7 days) showing the directions of air masses inflow, and products particularly significant for agriculture, such as soil water content. The interested user will also find results of current meteorological observations and measurements from IMGW-PIB network as the SYNOP stations: temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, visibility, precipitation, and other key parameters, as well as current data from the lightning detection system.
In the Video Service tab, you can access animated forecasts of temperature changes, precipitation, cloudiness, and pressure over Europe, prepared based on results of the GFS global weather model. There is also a vademecum describing numerical models and providing information on the scientific research carried out at CMM, accompanying the work on models’ development.
When analyzing the presented results, it should be noted that the forecast data are provided in UTC time. Therefore, the time zone difference should be taken into account – currently, for Poland, it is +2 hours in the summertime, and +1 hour in the wintertime. The results of the SYNOP observations are given in the local time.
Maps adapted for people with a colour recognition disorder are a very interesting and novel feature proving that IMGW-PIB thinks about everyone.
“The Meteorological Modeling Centre is a group of high-class experts using modern supercomputers, the latest programming technologies, and current scientific knowledge. IMGW-PIB focuses on the highest quality of products, forecasts accuracy, and innovative form of the visual message. We want to create modern standards for presenting forecasts. The CMM website is an important point on our new roadmap”. – Dr. Janusz Karp, Director of the IMGW-PIB, commented on the launch of the service.
The Meteorological Modeling Centre continues the 30-year tradition of numerical weather modeling at the IMGW-PIB (we encourage you to familiarise yourself with the special Observer’s number issued on the occasion of this jubilee: https://imgw.pl/sites/default/files/obserwator/). It comprises teams of experts engaging in weather modeling at various time scales: from nowcasting and very short-range forecasts to long-range forecasts. A significant part of the developments carried out in the Centre takes place within the framework of the European weather modeling consortia ACCORD, COSMO, and RC LACE, to which the Institute belongs. At the same time, products developed here constitute an essential basis for official forecasts and warnings prepared by the Institute. “The launch of the service dedicated to numerical model forecasting is also a recognition of the quality of these forecasts and achievements of scientists and analysts in the field of meteorological modeling”. – added Prof. Mariusz J. Figurski, Head of the CMM IMGW-PIB.
“The media mostly emphasizes the image and visualization of information. The CMM website may be seen as a press office and media service for IMGW-PIB. Here, the media can find visualizations of numerical forecasts, easily download them and use in order to prepare further information. It is of utmost importance for us that the recipient of the media message can, clearly and understandably, receive not only a synoptic forecast in the form of a text but also an image which is the key factor to communication in the 21st century”. –said Łukasz Kardas, Head of the IMGW-PIB Communication Team.
The CMM IMGW-PIB website will be updated with new products on an ongoing basis. It is available at: https://cmm.imgw.pl/
Service trailer: https://youtu.be/lPHHSErQ5ic
