This course provides a comprehensive overview of the usage of meteorological satellite observations in operational numerical weather prediction (NWP). It includes a series of lectures and practical sessions covering a range of topics from fundamental theoretical concepts through to detailed practical implementations in modern state-of-the-art data assimilation systems.

Applications for this course close on 25 Sept 2026.

For further information, please visit https://events.ecmwf.int/event/577/

Version 1.4 of the Infrared Sounder Pre-processor (IRSPP) has been released. This version is compatible with the in-orbit MTG-IRS data, as well as the final set of pre-launch test data. The update release includes a new test case (in-orbit data from November 2025), an option to perform spatial averaging, refinements to the output BUFR sequence, python tools for displaying the netCDF and BUFR data, and updates to the build scripts. Further details at https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/irspp/

Version 4 of the Cloud, Aerosol and Trace gas detection software (CATDS) has been released by the NWP-SAF. This package is used to identify channels in hyperspectral infrared spectra which are affected by atmospheric features that cannot be simulated accurately in a clear-sky assimilation framework for numerical weather prediction (NWP).

This latest version includes a new neural-network emulator of the cloud and aerosol capability for IASI, which requires only observations as input (i.e. no model information). Also, cloud detection for CrIS is possibly in the absence of a long-wave infrared band (such as for S-NPP). Finally, the numerical precision of the variables can now easily be set by users, which can help with computational savings.

For further information, please see: https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/cloud-and-aerosol-detection/

A new package AAPP-SG has been released. It processes level 1 data from the MWS and IASI-NG instruments on the Metop-SG-A satellite series. Its functions include netCDF ingest, BUFR ingest, spatial filtering, spectral manipulations and BUFR output. It can be used with direct broadcast data or global/regional data. For more information, see the AAPP-SG web page.

The NRT coverage and timeliness monitoring has been extended to now also include data from the MWR instrument on the Arctic Weather Satellite AWS and the lightning imager LI on MTG, based on the data reception monitoring at DWD. The new data have been included in the data status overviews: NRT availability status. Plots of data coverage as well as data delay information in the form of time series, PDF’s of data timeliness and geographical plots of data timeliness are accessible via the following link: NRT availability.