The project aims to leverage the new operational meteorological products developed within the ECMWF Digital Twin (DT) Extremes framework to support decision-making in the assessment of extreme weather impacts, with a particular focus on flood events. It is planned to develop a Pilot Service to provide early flood indicators, improve the accuracy and effectiveness of severe weather forecasts in Italy, and enhance operational modeling systems. The three main activities are:
- Use of Extremes DT products: develop indicators based on high-resolution precipitation forecasts to promote an anticipatory and preventive approach to flood events
- Integration with Hydrological Model: combine Extremes DT meteorological forecast products with the national hydrological model Continuum, as part of the FloodPROOFS system
- Activation of High-Resolution Forecasts: enable, on demand, very high-resolution forecasts using the ICON meteorological model in selected areas of Italy, integrating them with the FloodPROOFS system
Goals and expected results
The objective of the new Pilot Service is to enhance flood forecasting at the national scale by integrating Extremes Digital Twin (DT) operational products into the Italian forecasting chain, and by establishing an on-demand, high-resolution meteorological forecasting system dynamically coupled with hydrological modelling.
CIMA Research Foundation’s contribution
CIMA Research Foundation is responsible for the integration of operational meteorological products from the Extremes DT framework into FloodPROOFS, and the management of on-demand runs of the ICON model. It also takes charge of users training on the newly developed tools.
