The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UHMC) have launched a joint development project to modernize Ukraine’s weather observation and forecasting capabilities.
Funded by Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), the four-year UHMC-FMI meteorology project (UFIM) aims at partially automating weather monitoring, forecasting and early warning services throughout the country.
During the project, 10 new automated meteorological stations will replace non-automated weather stations in different regions of Ukraine. HMC has chosen locations to best represent the different areas of the country. The project will also install open-source software applications SmartMet and SmartMet Alert developed by FMI.
The project will enhance accessibility to weather services through existing social media channels and a new mobile phone application. It will also assess the future needs for upgrading hydrometeorological infrastructure. FMI will work with UHMC staff throughout the project and will provide training where required.
It is hoped that the project will reduce the vulnerability of Ukraine citizens to extreme weather events and natural disasters, as well as adding value to situational awareness, planning and decision making for natural disaster agencies.