Today more attention has been devoted to nowcasting products. Thomas Hengstebeck, our expert from DWD, presented remotely how mesocyclones can be detected with radar data. Since this year’s Testbed display offers experimental mesocyclone detection algorithms, this topic was important for our participants. In the afternoon, Pieter Groenemeijer also presented how these products could be used by showing a situation from 23rd May, when large hail up to 4.5cm was reported in Poland.

Nowcasting composite of METEOSAT Rapid Scan E-View product, EuRadCOM radar reflectivity of the lowest level (pseudo-CAPPI), GFS 700hPa wind barbs and geopotential contours and mesocyclone detection algorithm (circles: see operations plan for description).

In the late afternoon, group with Georg Pistotnik prepared day3-5 forecast, while group of Christoph Gatzen was doing nowcasting. Today’s analysis also included good old style map drawing based on measurement data!

The day began with the verification session of yesterdays ¨day1-forecast¨. As it can be seen on the attached figure, Warsaw domain team managed to forecast lightning probability areas quite well. Highest activity of thunderstorms was observed along the cold front in central part of the Ukraine and parts of Belarus, Latvia and Russia where team issued level 1 threat.

Now, teams changed their tasks and work on day 1 and day 2 forecasts.

We are also looking forward to check the forecast of yesterdays day 2 team tomorrow morning. They issued level 1 for parts of eastern Europe. Will severe weather occur in that area? We will see. 

In this first week participants from 7 different countries are on site (Austria, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Latvia, Switzerland and Poland).

In the morning Pieter Gronemeijer discussed all the available products in the Testbed display and outlined new nowcasting and NWP tools at this Testbed edition. A “roaming sounding” tool allows for model sounding analyses “on the fly”.

Like last year, with support of EUMETCAL remote participants are able to attend the Testbed’s online weather briefings and expert presentations. The first lecture was given by Prof. David Schulz from Manchester University: “Scientific Forecasting: How to Be a Better Forecaster?”.

Then the daily weather briefing was conducted by Georg Pistotnik. The atmosphere did not know any mercy and confronted the participants of the first Testbed week with a challenging start: no obvious hot spot for severe storms. However, participants managed to find places where deep moist convection is likely to occur. A level 1 was issued! How good were these predictions? It will turn out tomorrow in the verification session.

First interesting day in ESSL Science and Training Centre ended at 17:30. In the evening participants were given the opportunity to discover Wiener Neustadt on the guided tour.

Today the first participants of the third edition of the ESSL Testbed arrive in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The testbed team is very much looking forward to the upcoming four weeks.