Automatic cloud analysis - the Nowcasting SAF project

The SMHI meteorological group is involved in the Nowcasting Satellite Application Facilities (NWC SAF) initiated by EUMETSAT. The NWC SAF derive and develop products for nowcasting and very short range forecasting.

The general objective of the NWC SAF is to provide operational services to ensure the optimum use of meteorological data in nowcasting and very short range forecasting. At SMHI we are responsible for the development and maintenance of a software package (the PPS-package) to process the products from data gathered from NOAA and Metop satellites.

The NWC SAF products consist of three cloud and one precipitation product:

  • Cloud Mask (CMa)
  • Cloud Type (CTy)
  • Cloud Top Temperature & Height (CTTH)
  • Precipitation Clouds (PC)

The products are derived from data from the following instruments: 

  • Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, AVHRR
  • Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B, AMSU-B
  • Microwave Humidity Sensor, MHS

More detailed information, as well as examples of each product, can be found on the following sites:

SMHIs officiella NWCSAF-sida

NWCSAF