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in ECMWF data

The ECMWF has announced that due to some fields not initialising properly all analysis total cloud cover data within the ECMWF operational data are unreliable. Therefore, the BADC has removed …

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in ECMWF data

We have recently added some additional forecast fields available to the ERA-40 dataset held at the BADC. Due to user demand additional single/surface level forecasts have been extracted as follows …

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in ECMWF data

New ECMWF Seasonal Forecast (hindcast) Ensemble dataset
=======================================================

In support of the COAPEC Thematic Programme the BADC has extracted 
ECMWF Seasonal Forecast ensemble data. These data are also known 
as "Hindcasts" as they are forecasts run retrospectively.

The dataset includes monthly means, maxima, minima and standard 
deviations for the available surface variables for the period 
1987-2001 (with 2002 onwards currently being extracted). Atmospheric 
variables are only currently available as monthly means. 

There are 33 parameters held on surface or single levels including 
winds, temperatures, heat fluxes, radiation, precipitation and soil 
moisture. Geopotential, Temperature, Specific Humidity, Relative 
Vorticity and Divergence are available on pressure levels.

The data is held on a regular 1.875 x 1.875 degree grid in GRIB format.

For each month there are six forecast months archived, with 5 ensemble 
members for 10 months of the year, and 40 ensemble members in May and 
November of each year.

The data is now available to BADC users as part of the main ECMWF 
Operational archive with documentation located at:

  http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ecmwf-op/seasonal_fcs.html

Further documentation on the seasonal forecasts is available at the 
following ECMWF links:

  http://www.ecmwf.int/products/forecasts/seasonal/documentation

  http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/newsletters/pdf/98.pdf


BADC Support.
12th March 2004.

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in ECMWF data

ERA-40 Live Access Server (LAS) Launched
========================================

The BADC is pleased to announce that we have launched the ERA-40 
Live Access Server (LAS). This service allows sub-sets, plots and 
animations to be created dynamically from the ERA-40 dataset. 

The BADC LAS provides a multi-functional web-interface to large 
geospatial datasets. It is particularly suited to global gridded 
data such as the ERA-40 Re-analyses. 

Users registered for the ERA-40 data held at the BADC can log in 
to the BADC LAS to extract subsets of the dataset. All level types 
and parameters are available and all data has been transformed to 
a 1° x 1° grid (this was the favoured resolution in a user 
questionnaire). The BADC LAS allows data sub-setting in latitude, 
longitude, altitude and time. The output can be obtained in a 
number of formats including gif and postscript image files, or 
NetCDF data files. A limited animation facility is also available. 

Please note the ERA-40 LAS is only available to users that are 
registered for access to ERA-40. Users must log-in to the usual 
BADC web site before entering the LAS, after which you can go 
directly to the LAS in any subsequent sessions. 

The LAS intended for users with low data volume requirements. If 
it receives large requests it will ignore them and inform you that 
it is doing so. Moderate to high data volume users should contact 
BADC Support (badc@rl.ac.uk). 

More information about the LAS is available on the ERA-40 Regular 
Gridded Data page:

http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ecmwf-e40/gridded_data.html#badc_las

BADC Support.
16 January 2004.

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in ECMWF data

Update on BADC archive of ERA-40 data: 6-hourly data and monthly means
======================================================================

1. The 6-hourly ERA-40 Re-analysis Dataset - is now complete.
2. The monthly means for the ERA-40 Re-analysis Dataset - are now available (Includes a special note about INCORRECT FILES during the extraction period).

More details follow:

==========================================
1. The 6-hourly ERA-40 Re-analysis Dataset
==========================================

The 6-hourly data for the ERA-40 dataset is NOW COMPLETE in the main BADC archive from 1958-2001. Details about the type of data available can be found at:

http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ecmwf-e40  and the links from that page. 

A parameters page provides a list of those available on each level type:

http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ecmwf-e40/params.html

=======================================================
2. The monthly means for the ERA-40 Re-analysis Dataset
=======================================================

Two types of monthly mean are now available for the ERA-40 dataset. These are the:

i. Monthly diurnal means (moda) - calculated from all time steps in a given month (i.e. one mean per month).
ii. Monthly synoptic (6-hourly) means (mm) - calculated from all values of a given time of day in a given month (i.e. 4 means exist per month, at 00, 06, 12 and 18UTC).

Details on these means are now available at:

http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/ecmwf-e40/means.html

SPECIAL NOTE FOR USERS ACCESSING ERA-40 MEANS DURING THE EXTRACTION PERIOD:
===========================================================================
Please note that during the extraction period (January - May 2003) some of the monthly mean files were incorrect. The means were not clearly visible and had not been advertised at this period so I am not aware of anyone having used them. 

However, if you did locate the means and you have used those located under one of the following directories then please obtain the new means as directed in the link above. The directories where errors occurred were /badc/ecmwf-e40/data/diags, /disks/tornado4/e40_means/mm and /disks/tornado4/e40_moda/moda. All the erroneous means were deleted on 20th June 2003.

BADC Support 03/07/03.

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