The OpenIFS Data Hub is a facility to generate initial and boundary conditions for OpenIFS model experiments.
It is a service provided by ECMWF to support scientific research and education. Access is available to registered users of the IFS or the OpenIFS models within the ECMWF's Member and Co-operating States and in line with ECMWF's data distribution policies.
The Data Hub does not produce any OpenIFS model diagnostics or forecast data. It generates historical data that is required to carry out OpenIFS model experiments. It cannot be used to access valid or real-time data.
If you are interested in ECMWF data products or need more general information about ECMWF data please follow this link or contact ECMWF Support.
Latest Updates
2026-03-12: A new release of the Data Hub has been deployed.
This release includes updates to the data request input web-schema to avoid confusiong about single and multiple start dates.
What is the OpenIFS Data Hub?
One of the most pressing needs OpenIFS users face is to create initial experiment data (initial and boundary conditions) to start a model experiment. Before the Data Hub existed such initial experiment data were requested by contacting OpenIFS support via email.
The OpenIFS Data Hub allows OpenIFS and IFS users to produce their own initial experiment data through a web-based application that triggers an automatic data generation process on our servers. The initial data files are produced using the exact same method as if the OpenIFS team had created the data. At the end of the process the user is provided with a download web link to retrieve the requested data files.
The Data Hub therefore removes the need to contact the OpenIFS team at ECMWF and provides one common system that is available to both ECMWF staff and registered external OpenIFS users in ECMWF's Member and Co-operating States. Any initial data types that are currently not yet served by the Data Hub can be requested, as before, from OpenIFS support.
We continually explore options to expand this application with additional functionality, for instance by offering a wider range of data types or, in future, by providing access to OpenIFS training data. Feedback from our users is very welcome as it helps to identify additonal user needs.
What data products does the Data Hub provide?
The OpenIFS Data Hub provides data products that are required to carry out experiments with OpenIFS models. These include:
- Initial and boundary conditions for global 3D meteorological forecast experiments.
- As above, however additionally including initial and boundary data to simulate interactively atmospheric composition.
- Relaxation files to run global OpenIFS experiments in nudged configuration.
- Initial and forcing data to run experiments with the OpenIFS single-column model.
Please note that the Data Hub only provides input data for the model. It does not carry out OpenIFS model experiments and hence does not produce OpenIFS model outputs.
Further, the Data Hub does only provide historical data. It cannot be used to access valid or real-time data.
Data licence information
The Data Hub generates data products that are designed for experiments with OpenIFS models.
Using the Data Hub and submitting data requests requires the user to consent to the terms of the OpenIFS Data Hub Licence Agreement. This agreement also provides details of the data licences for the various data sources which are used by the Data Hub to generate its data products. It also includes recommended attribution wording when using Data Hub products.
How to use the Data Hub
This link below provides step by step information how to use the Hub to generate data products for use with with the OpenIFS global 3D forecasting model and the OpenIFS single-column model.
How can I get help?
- To get help and ask for information about the OpenIFS Data Hub please contact OpenIFS support. The OpenIFS Team will respond to your question as soon as possible.
- Please note that questions about OpenIFS and the OpenIFS Data Hub can also be posted in the OpenIFS Data Hub section of the ECMWF Forum. This allows the entire user community to benefit, and to respond or provide help and advice for your question.
- We welcome feedback about the Data Hub and suggestions for additional features and improvements. Please also contact the OpenIFS Team via the email address above. Feedback is important to us to understand the needs of the user community.
- Please be aware that OpenIFS staff cannot provide help and assistance for topics that are unrelated to OpenIFS. Queries about other ECMWF products & services (e.g. other software, or forecast and reanalysis data products) should be sent to the ECMWF Support portal where they will be assigned to the appropriate team.
