Introducing the ‘United Weather Centers West’ supercomputer, now operational in Iceland.
A Unique Collaboration Among Four Nations
In a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change, the National Meteorological Institutes of Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands have collaboratively launched a state-of-the-art weather forecasting supercomputer. This joint effort aims to enhance the accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasts, as extreme weather patterns become increasingly difficult to predict.
The collaborative venture, known as ‘United Weather Centers West’ (UWC-West), marks an important milestone as it transitions into an operational phase. Housed in Iceland, this new supercomputer enables the nations involved to deliver advanced forecasting services, adapting to a rapidly changing climate.
Over the past five years, the four meteorological services have pooled their expertise and resources, culminating in a powerful computational model that offers higher-resolution forecasts over an expansive area. Notably, the supercomputer is powered entirely by renewable energy sources—hydropower and geothermal energy—keeping operational costs and carbon emissions minimal in alignment with each institute’s commitment to sustainability.
Hildigunnur HH Thorsteinsson, Director General of the Icelandic Met Office, expressed enthusiasm about the collaborative achievement: “Coming together allows us to better prepare for the future. This operational forecasting system is the result of five years of dedicated teamwork on both models and computing capabilities. It’s a testament to what we can accomplish by merging our knowledge and experience. My fellow directors in Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands are in full agreement: through UWC-West, we are discovering new avenues for cooperation in weather services.”
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
The urgency to understand weather and climate dynamics has never been more pronounced. Recent assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlight an alarming trend: climate change is intensifying heatwaves, floods, and rainfall events globally. According to Hildigunnur, “The experts involved in this project recognize that by collaborating, our four national institutes can respond more effectively to these natural events, ultimately safeguarding lives and property and supporting informed decision-making as our climate evolves.”
While the supercomputer is now operational, the commitment of UWC-West extends far beyond mere functionality. The four National Meteorological Services are dedicated to continually refining their forecasting model, integrating new advancements as they arise.
“This robust collaboration is designed to be enduring,” Hildigunnur asserts. “With the rapid advancements in weather and climate research—particularly in AI, big data, and computational technology—our partnership is more essential than ever. Together, we will deepen our understanding, enhance our weather models, and share an unprecedented amount of data.”
Objectives of the UWC-West collaboration
Enhanced Forecasting Capabilities
The newly developed forecasting model significantly expands coverage from East Greenland to southern Italy, encompassing a grid composed of 2 km squares. This model offers vertical atmospheric representation at 90 levels, a leap from the previous model’s 65 levels. Such improvements in resolution facilitate a more accurate depiction of meteorological conditions across the region.
The UWC-West collaboration has introduced a new forecasting model with two distinct domains, meticulously designed for the areas of interest for all participating countries. The red area in the accompanying graphic illustrates the Iceland and Greenland domain, while the blue area encompasses Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
For the Icelandic Met Office, this means that the newly developed weather model will serve as the primary forecast for Iceland and Greenland, executed at a higher resolution both horizontally and vertically than previous iterations. Notably, forecast durations have increased to 72 hours with updates provided eight times a day.
The broader model run, covering the blue area, adopts an ensemble forecasting approach. This expansive run captures forecasts across all member nations using the same high-resolution parameters established for Iceland and Greenland. The system processes one main run plus five variations derived from slightly adjusted initial conditions every hour, consolidating these into ensemble forecasts every three to six hours to evaluate probabilities of key weather metrics, such as precipitation and wind speed.
Key Facts About Climate Modeling and Computational Capability
- Weather forecasts rely on extensive data collection from satellites, radars, weather balloons, ground sensors, and other crucial sources.
- Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models simulate atmospheric conditions through complex mathematical equations.
- NWP models utilize an Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) to understand prediction uncertainties by running multiple simulations with varied initial conditions.
- High computational power is integral for both weather forecasting and climate modeling.
Facts About the United Weather Centers West
- A collaboration among the National Meteorological Services of Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, and the Netherlands.
- Established in 2019.
- Procured a shared supercomputing system with two units: one for operational forecasting and another focused on climate research.
- Supercomputer located in Iceland.
- Energy sourced from renewable Icelandic hydropower and geothermal energy.
- Developed a unified Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model system.
- NWP model resolution: 2×2 km horizontally, featuring 90 vertical levels.
- NWP model updates occur hourly, supplemented by 30 EPS members running every six hours.
- The four meteorological services jointly operate and maintain the supercomputer and the modeling system.
UWC-West Supercomputer: Facts at a Glance