Are there any meteorologists on the forum?

[PickleB]

I've an interest in weather forecasting that comes from offshore sailing. The Met Office provides an excellent service (IMO) but it's still nice to have some understanding of what's behind the forecast. The Met Office's modelling has progressed significantly over the years (link) and their Unified Model is, I believe, a world leader.

However, the US uses their own models, link, and there are various options of medium to long term forecasting (eg ECMWF).

Earth Wind Map uses the GFS model (I believe), as well as others for sea temperature and wave forecasts. This forum led me to www.ventusky.com and now I've found www.windy.com. Those two allow the user to pick which model's data is displayed. And that's where I become unstuck.

I'm aware of ensemble forecasting and its basic concepts. I was fascinated by a lecture given by Jess Sweeney, the Chief Meteorologist at Land Rover BAR, on how they tried to forecast wind strength and wave height etc for Bermuda's Great Sound. The models and forecasts available to them used grid sizes that were not really suitable for a very local forecast. They ended up experimenting with an ensemble of ensemble forecasts...something like a weighted average of the various models...plus their own interpretations of the possibilities.

What I would appreciate, as I cannot seem to find it on the net, is a comparison table of the various models (global and local, where appropriate) giving their main features, strong points and weaknesses. Failing that, pointers as to which model to prefer and in which circumstances would be of helpful.

Many thanks...

[thieuster]

I think that Windfinder is worth a look as well: https://www.windfinder.com/#10/52.2206/6.0013 Nice thing about them is that they're client orientated. I sent them an email a while back about something on their website (the +/- buttons) and I got a reply asking if I wanted to talk to them on the phone about it. I gave them my number and Jan, one of Windfinder guys, and I had a nice conversation about the website, their forecast models etc. Recommended

Next to Windfinder, I tend to use Windguru as well: https://www.windguru.cz/48267

Menno

[PickleB]

Thanks, Menno.

There are many sites and apps that show you the data. It's then a matter of interpreting what you see and deciding how much you trust you put in it. Windfinder uses the GFS model and it's a better understanding of how to compare GFS data with the others, eg ICON and GEM, that I'm after.

[thieuster]

Try to contact these: https://www.meteogroup.com

Meteo Group is an (originally) Dutch company from Wageningen, with branches all over the world. They have one-day seminars for sailors, alpinists etc. Very interesting. When you contact them, I suppose they can come up with an answer or even have a fitting seminar for your specific question!

Menno

(Wageningen is well-known by a lot of Brits for two reasons: it's just West of the operation theatre of the WWII Market Garden assault done by allied commandos. And it is the town where Germany surrendered on May 5th 1945, signing a letter in front of the allied -Brits and Canadian- troops).

[33JS]

The met office are terrible. I've used them professionally - fail! When on a yachting course last year we were told that for the forecasting sessions we could use anyone except the met office.

Didn't they lost the contract with the BBC for being totally crap??

[PickleB]

The met office are terrible. I've used them professionally - fail! When on a yachting course last year we were told that for the forecasting sessions we could use anyone except the met office.

Didn't they lost the contract with the BBC for being totally crap??

So whose data do you prefer and which model do they use?

Out of interest, which yachting course and who was running it, please?

[jools]

The met office are terrible. I've used them professionally - fail! When on a yachting course last year we were told that for the forecasting sessions we could use anyone except the met office.

Didn't they lost the contract with the BBC for being totally crap??

They did lose, but I think it was a decision based on cost. Either way the Met's contract has been extended because the replacement company are not up to scratch yet.

[33JS]

So whose data do you prefer and which model do they use?

Out of interest, which yachting course and who was running it, please?

We were told 'anyone but the Met'! Was an RYA keelboat course near Edinburgh. Lately I've been using Accuweather, but living in Norway was yr.no