Introduction

In the ECMWF data store (ECDS) established in 2026, users can find selection of WMO public datasets managed by ECMWF. 

The ECDS is powered by CDS technology (access via CDS-API, discovery forms etc). It shares the same authentication system, so that users can access any dataset across all data stores ( CDS, ADS, EWDS, ECDS) with their ECMWF User account and the same API key which is shared between all data stores.

Please take into account if you use multiple data stores:

Currently, for access to different data stores ( cds.ecmwf.int , ecds.ecmwf.int , etc.) the user must have separate .cdsapirc files with the correct URL for given data store (this can change in near future).  Alternatively, the URL and user token can be part of the Python client definition as per  Examples in User guide for migration of S2S and TIGGE to ECDS.

Find all information how to access a dataset in ECDS and the available tools and tutorials in the  ECDS home page

How to get data

Documentation logo

Get data interactively (manually over the web)

Users can download data interactively from the ECDS website using the Download Data tab form for given dataset...

API logo Get data programmatically (API service)

...or programmatically using the API service. API guidelines including Troubleshooting are provided!

How to troubleshoot and report CDS-API issue

ECDS datasets

TIGGE and S2S

The data access to TIGGE and S2S is now being migrated from WEB-API to CDS-API (in ECDS).

For more information about the timelines, please consult the dedicated page Decommissioning of ECMWF Public Datasets service. 

The comprehensive overview of the older and new ways how to access TIGGE or S2S data and the related tools is available in  User guide for migration of S2S and TIGGE to ECDS.

Users with experience getting the data via older WEB-API can found there information how to update their workflows.

TIGGE and S2S have been the first datasets moved to ECDS. Follow the links below to the dedicated main web spaces for given dataset:

To discover available data and get them from ECDS, multiple options exist:

Get data interactively

Discover and download sample data by using two available systems with different interface:

Get data programmatically  

  1. Install CDS-API personal access token and client.
  2. Search for data and generate CDS-API request by using dedicated ECDS forms (TIGGE, S2S real-time forecasts, S2S reforecast) or MARS data catalogue (TIGGE and S2S).
    • Please be aware that there are different versions of CDS-API syntaxes generated by ECDS form and by MARS catalogue. Full details and examples are available in User guide for migration of S2S and TIGGE to ECDS.

      Please take into account some considerations about the content:

      • Different ECDS datasets include different  "parameters" , "times", and "steps"    
      • In each ECDS dataset not all the "parameters" are available from all "steps"  
      • In each ECDS dataset not all the "steps" are available from all "times"
  3. Tailor CDS-API request as needed and run it following Use the CDS API client for data access to get the requested data.




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