Reading ECMWF data with NCL

Problem

You downloaded data from the ECMWF data server or another ECMWF repository in NetCDF format.

Then you are trying to read the data with the NCAR Command Language (NCL) but get an error message:

ncl 0> f = addfile("ECMWF-data.nc","r")
ncl 1> print (getfilevarnames (f))

(0)     longitude

(1)     latitude

(2)     time

(3)     p83.162

(4)     p86.162

ncl 3> x = f->p83.162

fatal:syntax error: line 3 before or near .162

x = f->p83.162

-------------^

ncl 4> x = f->"p83.162"

fatal:syntax error: line 4 before or near >

x = f->

------^

Please enclose the parameter name in Dollar signs and double quotes:

ncl 0> f = addfile("ECMWF-data.nc","r")

ncl 1> print (getfilevarnames (f))     
(0)     longitude
(1)     latitude
(2)     time
(3)     p83.162
(4)     p86.162
 q

ncl 2> x = f->$"p83.162"$

ncl 3> print (x)

Variable: x

Type: short

Total Size: 7172160 bytes

            3586080 values

Number of Dimensions: 3

Dimensions and sizes:   [time | 31] x [latitude | 241] x [longitude | 480]

Coordinates:

            time: [1024872..1025592]

            latitude: [90..-90]

            longitude: [ 0..359.25]

Number Of Attributes: 6

  scale_factor :        0.6170104064936749

  add_offset :  -3072.290927078247

  _FillValue :  -32767

  missing_value :       -32767

  units :       W m**-2

  long_name :   Vertical integral of divergence of thermal energy flux