The main changes in IRSPP v1.3 are (i) to support the IRS test data released by EUMETSAT in July 2024, (ii) to remove obsolete HT-FRTC functionality (which is no longer supported in RTTOV) and substitute equivalent functionality for PC-RTTOV, (iii) to update the output BUFR sequence following user feedback. Further details at https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/irspp/

The near-real time data availability monitoring has been extended to also provide timeliness information displayed on a geographical map plot. This is available for each monitored instrument four times daily for data in 6 hour time windows around 00 UTC, 06 UTC, 12 UTC, 18 UTC. The plots are based on DWD’s timeliness information. The new display feature may be used. to judge the data coverage available for a certain geographical area within a needed timeliness threshold. Please visit the NRT availability monitoring / timeliness web page to access the plots.

Interface observations refer to observations that are sensitive to multiple Earth system components, including atmosphere, land, sea ice, snow, and the ocean. They are key for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and reanalysis. In a coupled data assimilation framework, used in Earth system approaches, satellite-sensed interface observations have the unique potential to simultaneously constrain the various Earth system components, providing consistent initial and boundary conditions to Earth system prediction models.

Topics:
– provide an overview of the various interface observations which are available to the NWP community as well as of the forward models which are being developed or are already in use to exploit this type of observations,
– assess the state-of-the-art on the use of interface observations both in retrievals and in coupled data assimilation systems and
– understand the direction in which the scientific community is taking this important and complex problem.

The workshop will take place at ECMWF, Reading, UK, on 19-22 November 2024. This is an in-person event and is by invitation only (if you have not been invited and wish to attend the event, please contact events@ecmwf.int).

For further details, please check https://events.ecmwf.int/event/420/

This includes a MAIA4 update for compatibility with CSPP v4.0, routine updates to AMSU-A gross limits (as previously posted on the AAPP Forum), removal of ATOVPP checks on some failing channels and a DBNet station update. For details, see the Release History.

The Cloud and Aerosol Detection Software has been updated to include support for the Chinese Hyperspectral Infrared Atmospheric Sounder-2, (HIRAS-2) which is flying on FY-3E and the Infra-Red Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) which flew on Nimbus-4 in the early 1970s. Also, support is provided for users to exploit the VIIRS clustering data which is now provided as part of the real-time CrIS stream.