Nowcasting

The WMO define nowcasting as “forecasting with local detail, by any method, over a period from the present to six hours ahead, including a detailed description of the present weather”. 

The Nowcasting team at the Met Office use observations-driven methods to improve the accuracy, utility or timeliness of nowcasts, typically focussing on the 0-2 hour timescale. The team develop products and tools for Operational Meteorologists to aid situational awareness, particularly for impactful weather events.

Current projects

The team’s focus is currently on heavy rainfall and flooding impacts in the UK, including:

  • Evaluating and developing our radar-based cell tracking capability.
  • Developing a rapidly-updating mesoanalysis system using methods from Data Assimilation.
  • Understanding phenomena that drive flooding impacts in the UK.