Dear user,

After a short gap in March, we're back with the April edition (Nr. 3) of the Data Support News!

We have some exciting updates to share. As always, a copy of these updates will be stored in our Data & Charts blog. 

Easter Break: PREd Freeze Notification

Please note that PREd will be frozen from Thursday, April 17, to Tuesday, April 22 (inclusive). Service will resume on Wednesday, April 23, around 10 UTC. During this time, access to ECPDS will remain unchanged, and 24/7 operational support will remain available.

We wish everyone a very relaxing Easter! 

P.S. A calendar invite is attached so you can add the freeze period to your calendars.

Open Data 2025: Big Changes Coming to ECMWF Real-time Catalogue

From 1 October 2025, ECMWF Real-time Catalogue will become open under the CC-BY-4.0 licence, removing the Information Cost and making data more accessible than ever!

While Service and Volume charges still apply when data is delivered directly from ECMWF, this transition marks a significant step toward full open data.  We've started some documentation to support users in this implementation and will gradually add more information as it becomes available. 

The key messages for now are: 

  • The current ECMWF Standard Licence Agreement still applies until 01 October 2025, and we won't be permitting any deviations from this until then. 
  • From 01 October 2025, the Information Cost will be removed, but the Service and Volume Charges will still apply if you receive data directly from ECMWF.
  • Research users will still be bound by the Scope of Use they proposed when they obtained a licence and service provision/commercial use will still be prohibited if you have received free data for research purposes. 

GRIB2 Migration: What It Means for You

ECMWF is transitioning from GRIB1 to GRIB2 as the standard data format. This shift brings improved metadata, better compression, and support for complex parameters.

While GRIB1 will still be around for 2025 and part of 2026, users should begin adapting workflows to ensure they have a smooth switch. The change is gradual, with new datasets like EAC5, ERA6, ORAS6, and SEAS6 to be released in GRIB2 only. To keep on top of the changes and receive more information, we encourage you all to follow the latest updates and technical details on our dedicated GRIB2 page.

📩 Subscribe to our mailing list by emailing sympa@lists.ecmwf.int with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE mtg2@lists.ecmwf.int

We will be adding more information about test data and tools in due course! 

As always, we are here to assist with your data needs. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via the ECMWF Support Portal. 

We hope you find these updates helpful and look forward to supporting you in the coming months.

Best regards,

ECMWF Data Support Team

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