Virtual WMO Workshop on Core Satellite Data for Nowcasting

Virtual WMO Workshop on Core Satellite Data for Nowcasting (15-16 October 2025)

The Workshop will be held online via MS Teams, with daily sessions lasting two and a half hours.

Building on the outcomes of the 2023 WMO Core Satellite Data Workshop, which successfully defined core and recommended data for the global Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), at this Workshop WMO will be focusing on nowcasting application area.

The primary objective of the Workshop is to establish a list of core and recommended satellite data for the nowcasting application area. The target audience includes representatives from satellite operators and the nowcasting user community.

Expected outcomes of the Workshop are as follows:

  1. To get to know regional requirements for satellite data with regards to nowcasting;

  2. To address the main obstacles to increased exchange of satellite data and specific opportunities to overcome those challenges;

  3. To determine the initial sets of satellite data for nowcasting to be designated as “core” and “recommended” for formal inclusion in the Manual of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).

15 October 2025
CESTAgenda itemDocument
13:00Welcome address 
  13:10Introduction of the workshop agenda and the goals (WMO Secretariat) 
13:15WMO Data Policy - Moving Toward Earth System Monitoring and Prediction (WMO Secretariat) 
13:30Session 1: Satellite Data Requirements for Nowcasting
13:30Introduction to WMO Nowcasting position paper (Rainer Hollmann, DWD) 
13:45A regional perspective on global NWC from Africa (Morné Gijben, SAWS, Member of the WWRP Nowcasting and Mesoscale Research Working Group) 
14:00A regional perspective on global NWC from South America (Paola Salio, UBA, Argentina, Co-chair of the WWRP Nowcasting and Mesoscale Research Working Group) 
14:15A regional perspective on NWC from North America (Brian Gockel, NOAA/NWC) 
14:30A regional perspective on NWC from Asia-Oceania (Masaaki IKEGAMI, Forecast Division, Atmosphere and Ocean Department, JMA) 
14:45A regional perspective on NWC from Europe (Ulrich Hamann, MeteoSwiss) 
15:00A Polar regions’ perspective on NWC (Janne Kotro, FMI) 
15:15The outcomes of DAY 1 
   
15:30End of DAY 1 
16 October 2025
CESTAgenda itemDocument
13:00Introduction to parallel break out group discussion 
13:15Session 2:  Core satellite data for Nowcasting
13:15

Parallel break out group discussion – NWC user requirements for satellite data:

  • Does the satellite data in draft NWC paper reflect your needs accurately?
  • Which observations are most critical?
  • Which observations do you lack access to?
  • What’s your experience with observations that have been commercially acquired by space agencies?
  • To what extent do you rely on open data wrt your nowcasting products? 

Asia/Oceania

(WONG Wai Kin, HKO)

Africa/Europe

Thomas Blackmore 
(UK MetOffice, ET-SSU Member)

 

Americas

Diego Souza
(INPE, SDR-RA-III/V Co-Chair)

14:15Results from parallel break-out group discussion (Chairs of break out groups, 10’ for each group) 
14:45Review the statement of the Workshop (Heikki Pohjola, WMO Secretarait) 
15:10Agreeing on core and recommended satellite data for NWC 
15:20Outcomes of the meeting 
   
15:30End of the Workshop 

(Updated on 15 October 2025.)