C-SRNWP Programme

Third Quarterly Report for 2013 (July - September 2013)

Prepared by: Gergely Bölöni, C-SRNWP PM

Hungarian Meteorological Service

1024 Budapest, Kitaibel Pal utca 1., Hungary

For submission to: EIG EUMETNET Secretariat

Summary:

Action required: For information and comment

Distribution: Public

Reference	Date	Author(s)	Content
	October 30, 2013	Gergely Bölöni	First version

1. Headlines

The C-SRNWP PM attended the Obs-SET meeting and gave presentation on observation impact diagnostics in SRNWP systems and on recommendations on EUCOS monitoring standards.
The C-SRNWP PM attended the COSMO General Meeting and presented the current status of the project.
A proposal for the STAC meeting (October 2013) has been prepared in order to give access to the SRNWP data pool for universities/academia
A questionnaire has been prepared to measure the expectation of SRNWP consortia regarding research cooperation with universities.
The scientific programme of the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting (30 September – 3 October) has been prepared by the C-SRNWP PM and the Expert Teams
Progress has been made regarding the organization of a scientific workshop (with 9-10 December 2013 as preliminary dates) for assessing the added value of ECMWF IFS EPS LBC data for LAM EPS systems with an increased resolution.
There are vacant positions for chairing 4 Expert Teams: Surface aspects, System aspects, Dynamics, Physics.

2. Status of programmatic targets

The main activity of the C-SRNWP programme is the scientific and technical (operational) coordination between the five LAM Consortia in Europe (ALADIN, COSMO, HIRLAM, LACE and Met Office). The coordination is ensured by the eight Expert Teams (data assimilation and use of observations; diagnostics, validation and verification; dynamics and lateral boundary coupling; link with applications; physical parameterization: upper air; predictability and EPS; surface and soil processes: model and data assimilation; system aspects) established in 2008 and through the regular correspondence, including the annual meeting, between the members of the SRNWP Advisory Expert Team Committee (previously called Advisory Committee), which consists of the consortia heads and the Expert Team chairs. Standing for the success of the EUMETNET programmatic targets, coordination with other Forecasting (SRNWP-EPS, Nowcasting) and Observation (EUCOS, OPERA) Projects/Activities is done. During the third quarter of 2013 the following coordination efforts have been made.

Participation at the Obs-SET meeting

Input information was prepared for the annual Obs-SET meeting by the C-SRNWP PM on behalf of the SRNWP community (see the Q2 report). The C-SRNWP PM also attended the Obs-SET meeting and presented this input information (SRNWP activities regarding the assimilation of BUFR radisonds, EUCOS monitoring standards, observing network design from SRNWP point of view, status of OPERA radar volume data handling for NWP purposes). A presentation on the current status of the C-SRNWP project has also been given at the meeting.

Presentation on the status of the C-SRNWP Project at the COSMO General Meeting

The current status of the project has been presented by the C-SRNWP PM at the COSMO General meeting. The participation at the meeting also fostered progress in two important coordination subjects: a) the COSMO community suggested to open the access of the SRNWP data pool to universities/academia, b) following the discussions, the C-SRNWP PM learned a lot about the cooperation between the NWP and academic communities involved with the COSMO model.

SRNWP data pool for universities/academia

The SRNWP data pool is currently accessible for C-SRNWP project members. The data included in the pool helps the validation of soil models and soil-atmosphere interfaces in NWP models (the data are accessible with a delay of half year to prevent their use in operational analysis and forcasting). It is a general view of the SRNWP community that providing the SRNWP data pool to universities would foster the development of NWP soil or atmospheric models at universities, offering an additional manpower available at NMSs. The C-SRNWP PM prepared a proposal for the next STAC meeting (October 2013) promoting the access to universities.

Questionnaire on promoting European NWP models for education

The webex meeting held in this subject in June 2013 (with the participation of the EUMETCAL PM, Forecasting PM, OpenIFS team) concluded that information is needed from the SRNWP consortia about their expectations with respect to cooperation with universities/academia regarding NWP education and research. As a consequence, a questionnaire has been prepared by the C-SRNWP PM (with the involvement of the EUMECAL PM and the Forecasting PM) and sent to the SRNWP consortia (ALADIN, COSMO, HIRLAM, LACE, UKMO) leaders.

Preparation of the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting

The preparation of the scientific programme for the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting (30 September – 3 October) has been started in July and finished a few weeks before the meeting. The programme was drafted by the C-SRNWP PM with the help of the Expert Team chairs (Data Assimilation, EPS, Link with Applications, Verification). Preparations included the overview of the model-to-model adaptors developed in the frame of the SRNWP-I Programme. This has been done by the former SRNWP-I Programme Manager and the C-SRNWP PM with the help of the System Expert Team. The relevant ET members provided information about the “Annual adaptor testing” (agreed in the document “SRNWP Interoperability: Adaptor software maintenance regime“) to be presented at the EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting.

Communication with ECMWF regarding the extension of IFS EPS boundary conditions for very high resolution EPS systems

A planning of the ALADIN/LACE contribution to the high resolution IFS LBC tests has been done for October 2013 (a Hungarian and an Austrian scientist will work on this subject in Vienna). ECMWF kindly offered to ensure a venue for the scientific workshop discussing the results of all consortia (ALADIN/LACE, COSMO, HIRLAM) at the beginning of December. A preliminary agenda has been drafted by the EPS Expert Team chair and the C-SRNWP PM, which was sent to ECMWF for refinement.

3. Financial report

C-SRNWP			Date:	08.10.2013

Quarterly Income and Cost Statement

Q3 Statement	Year to date	Forecast to end of year	Balance (Forec - YtD)	Approved budget	Next year's planned budget
REVENUE:
R1 Contributions from participating members *	17 500	35 000	-17 500	35 000	33 982
R2 Surplus approved for use in year as S2 *	0	381	-381	0	1 018

Total Revenue	17 500	35 381	-17 881	35 000	35 000

EXPENDITURE:
E1 Salary	22 500	30 000	-7 500	30 000	30 000
E2 PM Travel	4 841	5 381	-540	5 000	5 000

Total expenditure:	27 341	35 381	-8 040	35 000	35 000

Balance in year - surplus / (deficit)	-9 841	0	-9 841	0	0

SURPLUS
S1 Surplus at start of year	1 018	1 018	0	1 018	637
S2 Approved allocation to revenue	0	-381	0	0	0
S3 In year project surplus or deficit	-9 841	0	-9 841	0	0
S4 Surplus at end of period	-8 823	637	-9 841	1 018	637
S4 Surplus amount held in EIG Account	1 018.00

Explanatory notes:

R1: OMSZ has paid only the half of its 2013 EUMETNET contribution and consequently only the first installment has been paid by EUMETNET to OMSZ for C-SRNWP. The second installment will be paid by EMN to OMSZ for C-SRNWP at reception of OMSZ payment of 2013 Contributions by the end of the year.

R2: The 2013 overspending (381€) is covered from last year's surplus. This change has been done under the right of the 2013 financial delegation and with the approval of the FPM and ED EUMETNET.

4. Risks and issues

None to report.