Global Producing Centres for Seasonal Prediction (GPCs-SP)
In 2007, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) began designating centres that produce seasonal prediction as Global Producing Centres for Seasonal Prediction (GPCs-SP) (previously known as WMO Global Producing Centres for Long-Range Forecasts). In addition to the GPCs-SP, WMO has also designated the WMO Lead Centre for Seasonal Prediction Multi-Model Ensemble (LC-SPMME) in 2008. These Centres form an integral part of the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS).
Through the designation, GPCs-SP adhere to defined standards, which helps enhance the consistency and usability of:
- fixed forecast production cycles
- standard sets of forecast products
Standard verification of retrospective forecasts from GPCs-SP products is carried out by the LC-SPMME. A comprehensive set of standard verification metrics has been established and is referred to as the WMO Standard Verification System for Seasonal Prediction (SVSSP).
At minimum, the following are required from GPCs-SP:
- Predictions for average over one month or longer periods (seasons) (typically anomalies in 3-month-averaged quantities are the standard format for seasonal prediction, and predictions are usually expressed probabilistically)
- Lead time: Minimum of the three months following the month of submission to LC-SPMME
- Issue frequency: monthly
- Delivery: graphical images are made available on WMO Information System (WIS) and digital products are provided to the LC-SPMME for multi-model ensemble. Graphical images of each GPC-SP’s products, as well as multi-model ensemble products, are available for viewing and download from the LC-SPMME website.
- Variables: 2 m temperature, precipitation, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Mean Sea Level Pressure (MSLP), 500 hPa height, 850 hPa temperature, 850 hPa zonal and meridional wind.
WMO Global Producing Centres for Seasonal Prediction
WMO has designated 15 GPCs-SP:
- GPC Beijing: China Meteorological Administration (CMA) / Beijing Climate Center (BCC), China
- GPC CMCC: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Italy
- GPC CPTEC: Centro de Previsao de Tempo e Estudos Climaticos (CPTEC)/ National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil
- GPC ECMWF: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
- GPC Exeter: Met Office, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- GPC Melbourne: Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Australia
- GPC Montreal: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Canada
- GPC Moscow: Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (ROSHYDROMET), Russia
- GPC Offenbach: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany
- GPC Pretoria: South African Weather Services (SAWS), South Africa
- GPC Pune: India Meteorological Department (IMD), India
- GPC Seoul: Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Republic of Korea
- GPC Tokyo: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Japan
- GPC Toulouse: Météo-France, France
- GPC Washington: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States of America
WMO has also designated an LC-SPMME, jointly hosted by KMA and NOAA.
Learn more about GPCs-SP and LC-SPMME on the WMO WIPPS Web Portal.