The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has launched a new forum for its users to discuss weather- and forecasting-related topics and provide feedback to the center. Feedback received may be used in ECMWF’s ongoing research and diagnostics work.
The Forecast User Forum complements ECMWF’s existing forecast user pages, such as the Forecast User Guide and Severe Event Catalogue. According to the center, the forum has been designed to provide a space where users of ECMWF forecasts can interact with other users as well as ECMWF experts.
“We are always interested in the experiences and feedback of our forecast users,” said Rebecca Emerton, scientist – diagnostics at ECMWF. “We will be monitoring discussions, joining the conversations and considering feedback and comments in our work.”
The Forecast User Forum is divided into three categories: current and recent weather; featured feedback topics; and Using ECMWF’s Forecasts (UEF) events and training.
The current and recent weather category is intended for the discussion of ongoing or recent weather events and their forecasts that are of interest to ECMWF’s forecast user community.
Featured feedback topics will include discussion topics that ECMWF would like to receive feedback on from forecast users. It may include questions on specific aspects of ECMWF’s forecasts, or topics related to ongoing research and model development work at ECMWF.
Meanwhile the UEF events and training category is for discussions related to recent, ongoing or upcoming Using ECMWF’s Forecasts events, and for suggestions and ideas related to future training courses.