The following is a description of the upcoming operational release of GloFAS (v5), with expected launch on DAY MONTH 2026. For an overview of other GloFAS releases, please see: GloFAS versioning system.

Summary

GloFAS v5 introduces several major changes to the system, including:

• major improvements to the open-source hydrological model: OS LISFLOOD v5.0.0
• improved input dataset, with major revisions to some of the 0.05 degrees resolution input maps (e.g. soil hydraulic properties), and to input datasets for lakes and reservoirs
• a new hydrological model calibration at 5379 in-situ gauging stations. Furthermore, a parameter regionalisation was performed to estimate the parameters of catchments for which in situ discharge observations were not available.
• new return period thresholds and snow water/soil moisture anomaly maps based on a climatology from 1980 – 2025.
• GloFAS v5 reanalysis dataset is available at the CEMS Early Warning Data Store.

This upgrade of GloFAS has large impacts on the GloFAS modelling results.

Technical details