The aim of this page is to provide information and resources for the training courses OP-I and OP-II. The courses are suitable for those who have a genuine interest in ECMWF forecasting products and want to exploit fully the potential of these products in their daily duties, whether they are producing forecast bulletins or taking decisions that are affected by weather phenomena. The courses are a mixture of standard classroom lectures and practical activities where real weather cases are analysed in details and attendees are expected to report on at the end of the training week. Networking among the attendees is encouraged by allocating time for the participants to present their work and share their previous experience with ECMWF products. The courses are assessed by means of an online survey which allows the participants to include their feedback and suggestions for improvements. The learning outcomes are assessed separately using a self-evaluation method. Pre-course programmeA list of pre-course activities is indicated below. Please note that these activities are integral part of the course and by completing them you will be able to get the most benefit out of the training week. - Introduce yourself to the other course participants and to the lecturers (click here to go to the forum)
- Prepare a poster (click here for guidance, maximum size for poster: A1)
- Go trough the Practical activity: Choose a verification technique and apply it to your selected case (click here for guidance and document uploading facility)
- Browse through the list of suggested readings (see 'Suggested readings' in the list 'Resources' panel below)
- Listen to the slidecast (click here to start the MP4, if it does not start read instructions below in the 'Resources' panel)
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lunch-time activityPlease provide a forecast for Biarritz: details here Please provide a forecast for Ljubljana, Zagreb and Budapest. Details here timetable
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Dealing with 'jumps' in the forecast (Instructor-led practical session)
In this interactive session we will focus on apparent jumps, between runs, in ECMWF forecasts and how forecasters can perhaps deal with them. Examples will be included. The point will also be made that a sound forecasting system has to exhibit 'jumpy behaviour' from time to time.
Case 1
Floods in Italy: how could ECMWF products be used to help the forecasters?
Find case study resources here
Case 2
The students will be asked to construct forecast guidance for a cycle race around South Wales, for a summer-time situation, using a wide range of ECMWF products, that correspond to lead times between 45 days and 1 day.
Case 3
Very mild weather conditions built over Europe during the second and third week of December. Will it stay mild between Christmas and the New Year or there will be a change in the weather conditions across Europe? What is the chance of snow and cold weather for New Year's Eve? The area of interest is the Balkans and in particular Bulgaria. The main focus will be on the use of ENS to assess the forecast uncertainty and to provide the risk of hazardous weather. What types of hazardous/adverse weather can you foresee?
A wide range of forecast products will be used from ECMWF high-resolution forecast (HRES), ensemble forecast (ENS) including monthly forecast to assess the forecast uncertainty and analyse all possible scenarios and their probability. In the end we will see the outcome and compare it with the forecast.
Find case study resources here