EUMETNET OPERA: Achievements of OPERA-3 and challenges ahead
Asko Huuskonen, Laurent Delobbe, Bernard Urban · 2012
The OPERA programme (Operational Programme for the Exchange of weather Radar information) is the Weather Radar programme of EIG EUMETNET, the Network of the European Meteorological Services. The programme is a joint effort of 30 European countries and is coordinated by Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut (KNMI). The scope of OPERA covers weather radar matters at large including studies on merits of radar hardware and software solutions, radar data information models with associated data format and software, creation of European wide radar composites, and distribution of data and composites, both for operational applications and research. Another important role of OPERA is that it provides a forum to exchange information and experience on operational weather radars, on radar data and products and on their uses. In June 2011, OPERA entered into a new stage when the OPERA Data Center, Odyssey, started operations. Odyssey collects radar polar volume data of more than 100 radars and produces 2-D composites of maximum reflectivity, rain intensity and accumulation. The time resolution is 15 minutes, and products are made at 2 km x 2 km horizontal resolution. Odyssey thus replaces the OPERA pilot hub, which had operated since 2005, and provides a better resolution, and significantly more homogeneous processing of the data than its predecessor. In the presentation we will give a summary on the outcome of the third phase of OPERA (2007-2012) and on the challenges ahead for the coming years, with emphasis on the development of the OPERA data center. 2. OPERA programme