Services Research Press Room Resources Frontpage
ECMWF Frontpage

About ECMWF

Location
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, the Centre) is an international organisation supported by twentyone European States. Its member states are:

Belgium, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Yugoslavia*, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom.

* inactive since 5 June 1992

The Centre has concluded co-operation agreements with Croatia, Iceland, Hungary, and Slovenia, and has working arrangements with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the African Centre for Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD).

Originally a COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) project, the Centre was established in 1973 by a Convention.

The first real-time medium-range forecasts were made in June 1979. The Centre has been producing operational medium-range weather forecasts since 1 August 1979.

The objectives of the centre

The principal objectives of the Centre are:

  • the development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting;
  • the preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts for distribution to the meteorological services of the Member States;
  • scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts;
  • collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data.

In addition, the Centre:

  • makes available a proportion of its computing facilities to its Member States for their research;
  • assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation;
  • provides advanced training to the scientific staff of the Member States in the field of numerical weather prediction;
  • makes the data in its extensive archives available to outside bodies.

 

Top
� ECMWF, 1997/1998/1999 - Disclaimer

| First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Back to Text |