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The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
(ECMWF, the Centre) is an international organisation supported by twentyone European
States. Its member states are:
Belgium, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Yugoslavia*, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden,
Turkey, United Kingdom.
* inactive since 5 June 1992
The Centre has concluded co-operation agreements with Croatia, Iceland, Hungary,
and Slovenia, and has working arrangements with the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the African Centre for Meteorological
Applications for Development (ACMAD).
Originally a COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) project, the Centre
was established in 1973 by a Convention.
The first real-time medium-range forecasts were made in June 1979. The Centre has been
producing operational medium-range weather forecasts since 1 August 1979.
The objectives of the centre
The principal objectives of the Centre are:
- the development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting;
- the preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts for distribution
to the meteorological services of the Member States;
- scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts;
- collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data.
In addition, the Centre:
- makes available a proportion of its computing facilities to its Member States for their
research;
- assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation;
- provides advanced training to the scientific staff of the Member States in the field of
numerical weather prediction;
- makes the data in its extensive archives available to outside bodies.
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