Metview is a meteorological workstation application designed to be a complete working environment for both the operational and research meteorologist. Its capabilities include powerful data access, processing and visualisation.

It features a powerful icon-based user interface for interactive work, and a scripting language for batch processing. The two are linked through the ability to automatically convert icons into their equivalent script code.

Metview can take input data from a variety of sources, including:

• GRIB files (editions 1 and 2)
• BUFR files
• MARS (ECMWF's meteorological archive)
• ODB (Observation Database)
• Local databases
• ASCII data files (CSV, grids and scattered data)
• NetCDF

Powerful data filtering and processing facilities are then available, and if graphics output is desired, then Metview can produce many plot types, including:

• map views in various projections
• cross sections
• vertical profiles
• x/y graph plots
• intelligent overlay of data from various sources on the same map
• arrangement of multiple plots on the same page

Metview can also interface with external models and applications, such as VAPOR, FLEXTRA and FLEXPART.

Metview was developed as part of a cooperation between ECMWF and INPE/CPTEC (Brazilian National Institute for Space Research / Centre for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies).