Research and development within hydrology
SMHI has a long tradition of operational hydrological modelling including forecasts of water discharge, fire hazard, design of dams and dam regulation routines, flood risk, water quality and substance transport and the effects of climate change on hydrology and water quality.
The hydrological research unit is engaged in numerous research projects, commissioned work and continuous development of the SMHI work-flow for hydrological forecasts and assessments. The work is often user-driven and performed in collaboration with external partners in Sweden, Europe or other parts of the world.
In addition, we produce open data from our computational systems and open source codes for hydrological modelling. The unit also has a number of specific scientific focus.
The hydrological research unit has commissions at national and international levels, including IAHS, International Association of Hydrological Sciences, NHF, Nordic Association of Hydrology and SHR, The Swedish Hydrological Council.
Open data – World wide hydrological predictions
Scientific publications from SMHIs hydrological research unit
We publish our research in international peer-reviewed journals and in SMHI reports. The two most recent publications are shown below.
Future projections of wet and dry spells in southern Sweden
Dong An, Jonas Olsson, Du Yiheng, Johanna Sorensen, Cintia B. Uvo, Peter Berg
The 2022 drought needs to be a turning point for European drought risk management
Riccardo Biella, Anastasiya Shyrokaya, Monica Ionita, Raffaele Vignola, Samuel J. Sutanto, Andrijana Todorovic, Claudia Teutschbein, Daniela Cid, Maria Carmen Llasat, Pedro Alencar, Alessia Matano, Elena Ridolfi, Benedetta Moccia, Ilias Pechlivanidis, Anne van Loon, Doris E. Wendt, Elin Stenfors, Fabio Russo, Jean-Philippe Vidal, Lucy Barker, Mariana Madruga de Brito, Marleen Lam, Monika Blahova, Patricia Trambauer, Raed Hamed, Scott J. McGrane, Serena Ceola, Sigrid J. Bakke, Svitlana Krakovska, Viorica Nagavciuc, Faranak Tootoonchi, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Sandra Hauswirth, Shreedhar Maskey, Svitlana Zubkovych, Marthe Wens, Lena M. Tallaksen
Research news
Satellites and drones contribute to new hydrological data – from the Arctic to Africa
During a week in May hydrologists from SMHI exchanged the Swedish landscapes for African ones, for field work by the Ogun river in Nigeria. The reason was an ongoing research project which develops new methods for hydrological observations in inaccessible areas, with the help of drones and satellites.
WMO: Global challenges with the water cycle
The hydrological cycle is spinning out of balance as a result of climate change and human activities, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which provides an extensive assessment of global water resources 2022. SMHI has contributed to the report – among other things by sharing data...
SMHI's research at EGU 2023
SMHI will participate in the annual research conference European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna. This year SMHI's researchers will participate in various events within our disciplines of meteorology, hydrology, oceanography and climate.