Using the ECMWF OpenIFS model and state-of-the-art training techniques in meteorological education

Abstract

Abstract. The OpenIFS programme of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) maintains a version of the ECMWF forecast model (IFS; Integrated Forecasting System) for use in education and research at universities, national meteorological services and other institutes. The OpenIFS model can be run on high-performance computing systems, desktop or laptop computers to produce weather forecasts in a similar way to the operational forecasts at ECMWF. Application of OpenIFS as a training tool is wide ranging. At several universities, masters students are taught modelling aspects via sensitivity studies, such as numerical stability, impact of spatial resolution and physical parameterisation settings on the forecast quality. The OpenIFS single column model is used to study a subset of physical processes in the atmosphere. Participants of the OpenIFS user workshops are trained through selected weather events on interpretation of different forecasts, for example ensemble forecasts, probabilistic information, seasonal forecasts. The OpenIFS user meetings and training events demonstrate advanced and easy-to-use graphical tools and training technologies. Metview is developed to analyse, visualise and evaluate the forecast outputs. OpenIFS and Metview “virtual machines” relieve the tutors from the difficulties often found in installing this software on the local computing environment. They provide data, applications and documents in a package tested in-house and deployed easily to another site. A further step on virtualisation is utilising cloud servers, ensuring the computational resources demanded by model runs are available in the cloud space. This paper shows the education activity in the OpenIFS programme with some examples.