WISER-EWSA Testbeds information

Testbed 1  – 29 January – 09 February 2024 – Lusaka, ZAMBIA

Testbed 2 – Kingsize – 01 October 2024 – 30 April 2025

Testbed 2 – Intensive – 27 January – 07 February 2025 – Lusaka, ZAMBIA

Testbed 2 – Intensive – 22 – 27 March 2025 – Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE

A weather forecast Testbed is a short event (2 weeks) to bring forecasting stakeholders together to trial new models and methods

Testbeds have been run annually in the USA for a number of years, to improve the forecasting of severe storms and tornados, bridging the gap between research and operations.

The GCRF African-SWIFT project (2017 – 2022) introduced the first testbeds to Africa (2019 and 2021 in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya) bringing together researchers, forecasters and users:

https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0156.1

The testbeds created and shared forecasts of severe and high-impact weather in the Southern African region. They were conducted as a co-production and evaluation exercise in partnership with a selected group of forecast users. The activity did not replace or duplicate any mandated weather services and early warning systems.

We performed testing in real time of the current forecasting and nowcasting capability. Forecasters, researchers and users co-produced solutions, in preparation for the events.

• Forecasters and researchers jointly created forecasts.
• Using real-time observations and explore their value.
• Evaluating models from a user perspective, and create an environment for model intercomparison.
• Generating new Standard Operating Procedures for user-focussed forecasting and nowcasting.

Project contact email: wiser-ewsa@ncas.ac.uk