EUMETNET meeting in Reykjavík
EUMETNET is a network grouping 24 European National Meteorological Services, established in 1996. The steering meeting of EUMETNET is being held in Reykjavík 28 - 29 May 2008.
EUMETNET provides a framework to organise co-operative programmes between members in the various fields of basic meteorological activities such as observing systems, data processing, basic forecasting products, training and research and development.
One of the results is a collective weather warning system, which was launched on the web last year. It is called Meteoalarm, "alerting Europe for extreme weather".
The largest task is managing the collective EUCOS, a EUmetnet Composed Observing System, which combines weather observations in the North Atlantic, observations from aeroplanes and sondes observations from ships.
Of 40 delegates, 22 directors of meteorological intstitutes attended, as well as directors of the largest co-operative bodies within meteorology, i.e. ECMWF and EUMETSAT, which deal with forecasting, modelling and satellite information.
In Reykjavik, the status and funding of various projects will be discussed. Future guidelines and organization of the weather community in Europe will, however, be the main topic of discussion.
In fact, EUMETNET is often seen as a fine example of international co-operation. Members intend to develop their collective capability to serve environmental management and climate monitoring and to bring to all European users the best available meteorological information.
