Testbed 3

Using positive land surface temperature anomalies to predict the location of convection in Niger

Patterns of soil moisture, observed by satellite, are helping us to pinpoint the locations where thunderstorms will form. Testbed 3 is pioneering the use of these land surface observations as part of the process of ‘nowcasting’ for the Sahel zone in Africa. Nowcasting refers to a forecasting process where we provide short-term predictions of severe … Continue Reading

Gravity waves, land surface and convective initiation

Close analysis of the weather situation among the researchers and forecasters in SWIFT Testbed 3 has been uncovering some of the processes and patterns controlling the development of thunderstorms in West Africa. By looking at the patterns of clouds and storms as they develop during the day, and relating these to patterns of soil moisture … Continue Reading

GCRF African SWIFT Testbed 1 Report

Testbed 1 was conducted in the first part of 2019, from an operational forecasting office at IMTR Nairobi, at the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). The Testbed was designed to support SWIFT’s programme of research capability-building in the science of weather prediction. New forecasting and evaluation products were tested. The outcomes of the Testbed will be … Continue Reading

Do convection-permitting ensembles lead to more skilful short-range probabilistic rainfall forecasts over tropical East Africa?

By Dr Carlo Cafaro for GCRF African SWIFT Most of the rainfall in the tropical Africa region comes from convective systems. Forecasting convection is both challenging and crucial – slight changes in surface temperatures, cloud amounts, or winds aloft can drastically affect the timing, location and intensity of the convection. Thus, convective rainfall forecasts can … Continue Reading