The NWP SAF has released the direct broadcast (DB) software packages for Metop-SG-A1 MWS and METimage. This allows users with a compatible DB reception system to process the raw data up to level 1B. The software packages have been procured from Industry by EUMETSAT, with the NWP SAF responsible for testing, release and user support. For details, please see the Metop-SG direct broadcast web page.

NWP SAF has released a new technical report assessing the radiance data quality from the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) microwave radiometer. The study evaluates AWS observations from an NWP perspective, using independent monitoring at the Met Office and DWD with RTTOV-simulated equivalents. Results show stable radiance behaviour, well-characterised scan-angle biases, and instrument noise levels suitable for operational data assimilation. The new 325 GHz sub-millimetre channels demonstrate strong sensitivity to ice cloud scattering, offering promising capabilities for all-sky assimilation. Data availability and timeliness via EUMETCast are shown to be excellent, meeting global NWP requirements. An initial assimilation trial at the Met Office indicates a statistically significant positive forecast impact. Overall, the results confirm AWS radiances as high-quality, operationally valuable observations and a strong precursor to future EPS‑Sterna missions.
The full report is available from the Publications page: https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/cdop4-reports-publications/#Technical_Reports

As part of the NRT data availability monitoring activities, a report has been compiled looking at the availability and timeliness of L2 products from the MTG imager FCI that are of high interest to operational usage in NWP. These include the widely assimilated atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) and all-sky radiances (ASR) derived from FCI observations as well as lightning flash products from the new lightning imager LI. The report is available under https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/cdop4-reports-publications/#Technical_Reports

Cloud and precipitation are some of the most important parameters in any forecast, yet they remain challenging to observe, model and predict. Our main source of observations is satellite measurements of the Earth’s thermal radiation, reflected sunlight, and backscattered radar and lidar. Cloud and precipitation particles interact with this radiation through thermal absorption and scattering, which is strongly dependent on the shape, size and composition of individual cloud particles, and varies strongly with frequency. From this highly indirect information, we can only infer profiles of cloud and precipitation by combining these observations with models of atmospheric dynamics, cloud, precipitation and radiative transfer. But these models remain simplified, incomplete, and prone to systematic error. If we could reduce these errors, cloud and precipitation forecasts could be much improved. Therefore, the challenge in using cloud and precipitation observations is not just to use them to initialise forecasts, but to use them to improve the models themselves.

Through a series of invited talks, this workshop will first review the state of the art in using cloud and precipitation observations, from the satellites to forecast and everything in between. Working group discussions will then try to inform future developments, considering questions such as:
– Which cloud and precipitation observation types need more development, considering both future missions and existing data that is insufficient or under-exploited?
– How can we combine information from active and passive observations, and from spectral regions from the microwave to the solar, to best effect?
– How do we start inferring not just cloud and precipitation parameters, but equations and even models, from the observations?
– What developments in physical modelling and data assimilation are needed to make better use of these observations?
– How can machine learning and AI help?

The workshop will take place on 9-12 November 2026 at ECMWF, Reading, UK, and will be held in-person only and attendance is by invitation. If you would like to be considered for an invitation, please see details on https://events.ecmwf.int/event/547/

RadSim v4.1 has been released. This has been updated to work with RTTOV v14.1. New features include: support for new RTTOV capabilities including MFASIS-NN aerosol simulations and new simulation options, option to specify a range of channels to simulate instead of an explicit channel list, and support for temporal interpolation between ECMWF GRIB fields at multiple analysis times (not only multiple forecast times). A full list of updates is here.