OpenForecast v2: Development and Benchmarking of the First National-Scale Operational Runoff Forecasting System in Russia

Abstract

Operational national-scale hydrological forecasting systems are widely used in many countries for flood early warning systems and water management. However, this kind of system has never been implemented in Russia. OpenForecast v2—the first national-scale operational runoff forecasting system in Russia—has been developed and deployed to fill this gap. OpenForecast v2 delivers 7 day-ahead streamflow forecasts for 843 gauges across Russia. The verification study has been carried out using 244 gauges for which operational streamflow data were openly available and quality-controlled for the entire verification period (14 March–6 July 2020). The results showed that the developed system provides reliable and skillful runoff forecasts for up to one week. The benchmark testing against climatology and persistence forecasts showed that the system provides skillful predictions for most analyzed basins. OpenForecast v2 is in operational use and is openly available on the Internet.