COST733 (already finished)

The main objective of the Action is to achieve a general numerical method for assessing, comparing and classifying typical weather situations in European regions. The method will have the following features:

• Scalable to any European (sub)region with time scales between 12 h and 3 days and spatial scales of ca. 200 to 2000 km,
• applicable for:
  • frequency analysis of extreme weather events
  • local climate assessment (e.g. fog/snow cover/sunshine duration)
  • human biometeorology and impacts on ecosystems
  • climate monitoring
  • assessment of impaired air quality episodes
  • medium range weather forecast and climate characteristics of the forecast period (e.g. by mapping of climate parameters related to historic weather types and application to the forecast meteorological situations)
  • verification of numerical weather forecast models (by checking the forecast weather type

• to enhance our knowledge on linkages between the atmospheric circulation, weather, climate and environmental variables
• to have an up-to-date overview of existing weather types classification methods
• to identify suitable criteria/indicators to weather types
• to identify a set of useful applications of weather types classifications
• to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the methods for different applications
• to establish a (new) scientific cooperation forum in synoptic climatology in Europe
• to provide tools for comparison and evaluation of different weather types classifications
• to assess different methodologies for the comparison of weather types classifications.