The High-Impact Weather Project (HIWeather)

HIWeather research is guided by the idea of an end-to-end approach for the provision and improvement of forecasts and warnings for high-impact weather events, from understanding, observing and predicting the phenomenon, to a appropriate communication of forecasts and warnings. Focus of research activities under HIWeather is put on the following five topics:

• Processes and Predictability
• Multi-scale Forecasting
• Vulnerability and Risk
• Communication
• Evaluation

The following steps have to be taken to close the gap in the application of scientific breakthroughs to the weather-related problems and are in the scope of HIWeather:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration between the research community, stakeholders and users of weather information is required to identify the gaps and address them
• Seamless prediction of high-impact weather events at a wide range of scales – from nowcasting to seasonal prediction – must be improved, with a particular focus on smaller scales
• Relevant and targeted communication of forecasts and warnings, including information on potential consequences of high-impact events, together with user-oriented verification, is crucial for capitalizing on the achievements made in the prediction of high-impact weather events.

The successful implementation of HIWeather activities is guided by several principles that ensure the relevance and applicability of the research outcomes

• Application in the operational forecasting process
• Observing networks that support small and large scale capability
• Uncertainty predictability from meteorology to hazards and the reaction of people
• Field campaigns and demonstration projects to build local capacity and understanding
• Knowledge transfer in the areas of forecasting, warnings and communication
• Verification to inform and evaluate research
• Impact forecasting that will mitigate weather-related hazard impacts
• Data management and archiving