The African-SWIFT sub-seasonal testbed was a two-year process where national meteorological services, universities and forecast users are worked together to improve forecasts on sub-seasonal timescales – one to four weeks into the future.
Launched in November 2019 in Ngong, Kenya, the testbed took a unique approach by bringing African SWIFT scientists and the users of forecast information together to co-create better forecast products.
Users groups – including an energy company, agricultural agencies and health organisations – provide insight on their needs and feedback on forecast products. Through this close collaboration, African SWIFT scientists are able to better understand users’ needs and can produce useful forecast products to inform decision making in tropical Africa.
Testbed Archives
Using co-production to improve the appropriate use of sub-seasonal forecasts in Africa
Having accurate sub-seasonal forecasts for Africa (2-4 weeks ahead) has huge potential to improve the early warning of extreme, high-impact weather events. Such warnings could support crucial preparedness action in weather-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, energy, food security and disaster risk reduction. However, realising this potential not only requires accurate forecasts, but forecasts that can…
Real-time access to sub-seasonal forecasts in Africa
In this ECWMF newsletter article, Dr Linda Hirons writes about Testbed 2 and the importance of access to data. Enjoy this short excerpt or follow the link below to read the full article. Having real-time access to sub-seasonal forecast data from ECMWF has been transformational for African meteorological agencies. It has enabled the co-production of…
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Weather forecasts prevent Kenya’s electricity blackouts
Scientists are developing custom weather forecasts for Kenya’s energy sector, keeping the lights on and generators off. GCRF African SWIFT meteorologists are producing new sub-seasonal forecast products for the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), responsible for supplying more than 70% of Kenya’s electricity. Created using data supplied by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather…
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Weather forecasts advance Nigeria’s fight for food security
Scientists are developing custom weather forecasts for Nigeria’s agriculture sector, equipping farmers to feed the country’s growing population. Meteorologists at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) are independently developing their own sub-seasonal forecast products for the first time through the GCRF-African SWIFT programme. The result is a critical step towards achieving food security and improving livelihoods…
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How skilful are sub-seasonal precipitation forecasts for Africa?
By Dr Felipe M. de Andrade for GCRF-African SWIFT Demands for accurate sub-seasonal forecasts with intervals from weeks to months into the future are increasing across Africa. Such forecasts in particular may support decision makers to take preparedness actions for preventing or reducing the impacts of severe weather conditions on lives, properties and economic activities.…
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Weather forecasts signal meningitis outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa
Scientists are using weather forecasts to predict the location and scale of impending meningitis outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa. It is part of an early-warning system being piloted with the aim of giving health agencies more time to activate emergency response plans. The approach – pioneered by ACMAD, the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development, and…
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Partnership improves weather and climate services across Central Africa
By Joshua Talib (UKCEH), Cheikh Dione (ACMAD) and Pascal Moudi Igri (CACP-AC) for African SWIFT In May 2015 the Central African Climate Application and Prediction Centre (CACP-AC) was formed in Cameroon to provide the latest weather forecast products and climate services to countries in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). ECCAS contains eleven…
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Hackathon improves sub-seasonal forecasting, vital to livelihoods in East Africa
By Lauren Phillips, University of Leeds Scientists from Kenya and the UK joined forces for an intensive week of programming to improve sub-seasonal forecasting in East Africa. Hosted in February 2020 by the GCRF African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT) and ForPAc research programmes, the East Africa Hackathon brought forecasters and researchers…
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The African-SWIFT Project embarks on a two-year co-production journey for sub-seasonal forecasting
Prepared by Elisabeth Thompson, Linda Hirons, Felipe Andrade and Steven Woolnough From the 18th to the 22nd November, 32 people from more than 20 organisations came together at the new headquarters of the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre in Ngong Town, Nairobi for the Kick-off meeting of a two year Sub-seasonal to Seasonal (S2S)…
The African-SWIFT project launches the sub-seasonal testbed with a kick-off event in Ngong, Kenya
Next week, 18th to 22nd November 2019, Scientists and Forecasters from SWIFT partner Universities, and National and Regional Meteorological Services will gather in Ngong, Kenya for the start of the sub-seasonal testbed. During the week Scientists and Forecasters from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and the UK, together with the Forecast Users from Cameron, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria,…