TO UPDATE - currently contains 2017 data!
This list describes the status of some feedback and requests put forward by users during the User Voice Corner feedback session at the ECMWF UEF meeting held in June 20172018. Items are included here mainly to provide some useful clarification and/or an update where significant progress has already been made. Many more items are being worked on or considered for future action.
- Model Climate (M-Climate): quantiles archived in MARS
These are now archived, indeed all quantiles 0,1,2,..100 are saved for all lead time ranges and all parameters for which we compute the EFI and SOT. See here for an example of how to retrieve. Users should ideally download this quantile data directly rather than downloading all the re-forecasts and computing quantiles locally. The latter approach imposes a very heavy load on MARS, which can slow down access for all users.
- Additional parameters (7-day anomalies) and time periods for the Extended-range forecasts (also known as Monthly forecast)
Weekly anomalies are now available in ecCharts for multiple 7-day periods up to day 45. In the ecCharts layers filter box type "extended" to see the options. New parameters are also now available.
- Stratospheric levels from ENS and Extended range forecasts
The following stratospheric levels are available in MARS for both ENS and Extended Range forecasts: 100, 50, 10mb. Such levels are included in the Real-Time Catalogue for ENS while for the Extended range forecast the highest pressure level is 200 hPa. We are currently reviewing the Real-Time Catalogue for the Extended range forecasts with a view to adding more stratospheric levels.
- Personalise settings in user's profile on www.ecmwf.int (default location for ENS meteograms)
The Dashboard facility should be used for this purpose (see here for help).
- "Stepping back" on the new "Web Charts" interface
A new link has been provided to get back from chart display to thumbnail display. It is in the top left corner of the page (small arrow with the word "Charts").
- Additional precipitation and wind speed thresholds for probability charts
ECMWF strategy has been to provide the user with the option to tailor their probability requirements within ecCharts. In the ecCharts layers filter box type "probability". Note that weighted and multi-parameter probabilities are also catered for here. Saving related products to the dashboard facilitates quick recall (see here)
- Speed of ecCharts
Work continues to improve the situation - hardware and software upgrades are imminent. Note also that local issues, which ECMWF has no control over, can complicate performance levels. It is probably unreasonable for users to expect to reach the same performance levels as on their own dedicated workstations, though as indicated we are constantly striving to speed up the service.
- Clickable vertical soundings from the ENS
ECMWF is actively working on this addition to ecCharts, with a schedule for implementation of mid-2018, subject to technical hurdles being overcome.
- Spaghetti plots
While plotting Spaghetti charts, users faced instances when the plots time out or are extremely slow. This issue has been fixed.
- Precipitation type meteograms
These are now available in ecCharts for any site in the world (introduced in late Nov 2017). Also available is an ENS map product showing most probable precipitation type.
- Updating a saved ecCharts product
Users can load up an existing product, modify it, "save as" with a different name, then delete the old product.
- Resolution of disseminated HRES
References are made below to cycle 46r1; this is the new IFS model version that should go live in summer 2019.
- Re-analyses and Re-forecasts - big demand
The ERA5 re-analysis data, from 1978 until 2019, went live in January 2019. Resolution is 31km compared to 80km for ERA-Interim. Late in 2019 ERA5 re-analysis data from 1950-1978 will also be released. Re-forecasts, which currently use ERA-Interim analyses as the basis for their initialisation, will start using ERA5 analyses for this purpose with cycle 46r1. (ERA5 versus ERA-Interim)
- Can 1 year of re-forecasts be made available immediately with each new cycle ?
This is technically not possible at present with current supercomputer resources. It is also important to stress that model changes between cycles are not usually that great, and so model characteristics do not commonly change that much. This means that old re-forecasts are not as redundant as they might appear.
- Provide 06Z and 18Z BC forecast runs, and 1-hourly IFS data where available
ECMWF tabled a motion to Council in late June 2018. seeking approval for these to be disseminated for a fee. This motion was passed and the data was first made available in October 2018. (licenses for ECMWF data)
- Can the IFS model issue issue of snow on the ground not melting quickly enough be fixed ?
This is an active area of research; a new 5 layer snow scheme has proven beneficial in addressing this and other near surface weather-related issues, although further tests are still needed before operational implementation becomes viable. (Model issues)
- Dissatisfaction in some quarters with the ECMWF method of computing CAPE
In response to this being repeatedly voiced, ECMWF has set up a short collaborative project with ESSL (the European Severe Storms Laboratory) to review computation of CAPE in the IFS and related usage in member and co-operating states. There will be some changes to the "max CAPE" and "max CAPE-shear" output in 46r1.
- Why are winds over mountains underestimated ?
The Verification team have been tasked with investigating and documenting this issue.
- Can ECMWF improve its visibility diagnostic ?
Dynamic aerosol-moisture interaction is an important missing link. Parallel work on the atmospheric composition version of the IFS (C-IFS) should in the long term (years) help address this issue. In the meantime we continue to investigate cases and document findings. Users should also note that some C-IFS output is now available in ecCharts which can help, for example, with the prediction of reduced visibility in duststorm/sandstorm situations. (ecCharts update that included CAMS data e.g. for dust)
- Winds wanted at more near-surface levels, for wind energy applications
The utility of providing data for other levels, in addition to the 100m level data already disseminated, has been studied; the conclusion was that "200m winds" were sufficiently different to justify inclusion, so these will be made available for HRES and ENS with cycle 46r1 (u,v). 50m winds provided little extra information, partly because of lack of ENS levels near the surface, and so will not be added.
- More aviation-related indices wanted
ECMWF has been researching turbulence and icing diagnostics, but these will not be introduced in 2019.
- Can ECMWF make ecCharts refresh faster?
This long-standing problem is being addressed via new cloud and map-drawing technologies (one component is similar to the tiles used by google maps). We plan to advertise to users a pre-operational version of this at the June 2019 UEF meeting.
- Request for variables on the "PV=1.5" level
Will be added in cycle 46r1: variables will mirror those already available for the PV=2 level.
- Users want more fire and drought-related products
Operational fire danger products are produced at ECMWF as part of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, in the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) . Drought-related products are not being actively developed at the current time, due to resource limitations. (EFFIS)
- Better MARS documentation wanted
ECMWF reviews regularly the MARS user documentation. A more substantial review of the MARS request language is planned for this year as part of consolidating the MARS and Dissemination request languages. (MARS user documentation)
- Faster MARS access wanted
ECMWF has increased capacity with new disk technology. Some data, for example re-analyses, can be accessed more quickly via another route - the CDS (Climate Data Store). Users are encouraged to use this channel wherever possible. (downloading ERA5 data through the CDS)Lat/lon datasets are available at 0.1 degrees. This decision was taken because of coding issues with some of the surface data in grib1 format. Users can get the original model data from MARS by defining the grid as O1280.