We are pleased to announce the implementation of IFS Cycle 49r1, the next scientific model upgrade of ECMWF's Integrated Forecast System, for October 2024, with a three-month Release Candidate Phase starting in June. Precise dates will be given in due course.
As highlighted in two recent articles about waves and 2 m temperature, Cycle 49r1 delivers a significant scientific upgrade including:
- Land-surface model updates,
- Increased resolution and soft-recentering of the ensemble of data assimilations (EDA) and
- Activation of the stochastically perturbed parameterisations (SPP) model uncertainty scheme in all ensemble configurations.
- Increase of the horizontal resolution of the wave model ensemble from 14 km to 9 km in the medium range, and from 55 km to 36 km in the extended range
Major technical and configuration change relevant to end-users includes the increase of the frequency of the re-forecasts runs for medium and extended range, both will run over the past 20 years, on fixed days of the month, with medium range running every four days, and extended range running every two days.
As an introduction to the new model cycle we have scheduled two webinars:
On 23 May, 9:00 UTC, Andy Brown, Director of Research, will introduce Cycle 49r1 and its performance (register here).
On 11 June, 9:00 UTC, Matthieu Chevallier, Head of Evaluation, will present the latest model verification, new products, and technical aspects like the access to test data and how to request data from the new reforecasts configurations (register here).
All users of ECMWF forecast products are invited to take note of the details provided in the Cycle 49r1 Implementation page and test their processing chains as early as possible after being notified that suitable test data has been provided. To be notified of further updates please “watch” the implementation page.
Please report any issues with this model upgrade and your tests via the ECMWF Support Portal.