Open data

A subset of ECMWF real-time forecast data are made available to the public free of charge. Their use is governed by the Creative Commons CC-4.0-BY licence and the ECMWF Terms of Use. This means that the data may be redistributed and used commercially, subject to appropriate attribution.

For some users, these open data can also be delivered via the ECPDS platform to a nominated FTP server, in this case they may be subject to service charges.

Additional data, including higher resolutions and more parameters, can be obtained from the ECMWF Product Requirements Catalogue or by contacting a Catalogue contact point for more information. Charges and licence conditions apply.

How to access real-time open data

For more information on accessing these products, please see user documentation or visit the ECMWF Support Portal.

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Product description

These products are a subset of the full Catalogue of ECMWF Real-time Products and are based on the medium-range (high-resolution and ensemble) and seasonal forecast models.

The data are released 1 hour after the real-time dissemination schedule

Products are produced at 0.25 degrees resolution in GRIB2 format unless stated otherwise. Since July 2023, the encoding of products in GRIB2 has changed to use CCSDS compression.

Products produced at 0.4 degrees under the 'beta' folder will be retired in May 2024. We advise all users to move to the 0.25 degree resolution data.

Important: higher resolution versions of the same products are available via the Product Requirements Catalogue and are subject to the ECMWF Standard Licence Agreement.

 

High-resolution products:

Steps:

  • For times 00z &12z: 0 to 144 by 3, 150 to 240 by 6.
  • For times 06z & 18z: 0 to 90 by 3.

Single and Pressure Levels (hPa): 1000, 925, 850, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50

Parameters: as described below

Short name Long name ID Level
10u 10 metre U wind component 165 Single
10v 10 metre V wind component 166 Single
100u 100 metre U wind component 228246 Single
100v 100 metre V wind component 228247 Single
2t 2 metre temperature 167 Single
2d 2 metre dewpoint temperature 168 Single
msl Mean sea level pressure 151 Single
mp2 Mean zero-crossing wave period 140221 Single
mwd Mean wave direction 140230 Single
mwp Mean wave period 140232 Single
pp1d Peak wave period 140231 Single
swh Significant height of combined wind waves and swell 140229 Single
ro Runoff 205 Single
tp Total Precipitation 228 Single
sp Surface pressure 134 Single
st Soil temperature 228139 Single
tcwv Total column vertically-integrated water vapour 137 Single
lsm Land Sea Mask 172 Single
swvl1 Volumetric soil water layer 1 39 Single
swvl2 Volumetric soil water layer 2 40 Single
swvl3 Volumetric soil water layer 3 41 Single
swvl4 Volumetric soil water layer 4 42 Single
stl1 Soil temperature level 1 139 Single
stl2 Soil temperature level 2 170 Single
stl3 Soil temperature level 3 183 Single
stl4 Soil temperature level 4 236 Single
cape Convective available potential energy 59 Single
asn Snow albedo 32 Single
mn2t3 Minimum temperature at 2 metres in the last 3 hours - currently unavailable (11/03/2024) 228027 Single
mx2t3 Maximum temperature at 2 metres in the last 3 hours - currently unavailable (11/03/2024) 228026 Single
ttr Top net long-wave (thermal) radiation 179 Single
str Surface net long-wave (thermal) radiation 177 Single
ssr Surface net short-wave (solar) radiation 176 Single
ssrd Surface net short-wave (solar) radiation downwards 169 Single
strd Surface net long-wave (thermal) radiation downwards 175 Single
nsss Time-integrated northward turbulent surface stress - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ewss Time-integrated eastward turbulent surface stress - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
t20d Depth of 20C isotherm - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
sav300 Average salinity in the upper 300m - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ocu Eastward sea water velocity - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ocv Northward sea water velocity - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
sithick Sea ice thickness - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
zos Sea surface height - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
d Divergence 155 Pressure
gh Geopotential height 156 Pressure
q Specific humidity 133 Pressure
r Relative humidity 157 Pressure
t Temperature 130 Pressure
u U component of wind 131 Pressure
v V component of wind 132 Pressure
w Vertical velocity 135 Pressure
vo Vorticity (relative) 138 Pressure

Tropical cyclone tracks - high-resolution products

Long name Format Level Steps for times 00 &12 Steps for times 06 &18

Tropical Cyclone Trajectory (TC track including genesis)

BUFR surface  up to step 240 up to step 90

Ensemble products

Steps:

  • For times 00z &12z: 0 to 144 by 3, 150 to 360 by 6.
  • For times 06z & 18z: 0 to 144 by 3.

Single and Pressure Levels (hPa): 1000, 925, 850, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50

Short name Long name ID Level
10u 10 metre U wind component 165 Single
10v 10 metre V wind component 166 Single
100u 100 metre U wind component 228246 Single
100v 100 metre V wind component 228247 Single
2t 2 metre temperature 167 Single
2d 2 metre dewpoint temperature 168 Single
msl Mean sea level pressure 151 Single
mp2 Mean zero-crossing wave period 140221 Single
mwd Mean wave direction 140230 Single
mwp Mean wave period 140232 Single
pp1d Peak wave period 140231 Single
swh Significant height of combined wind waves and swell 140229 Single
ro Runoff 205 Single
tp Total Precipitation 228 Single
sp Surface pressure 134 Single
st Soil temperature 228139 Single
tcwv Total column vertically-integrated water vapour 137 Single
lsm Land Sea Mask 172 Single
swvl1 Volumetric soil water layer 1 39 Single
swvl2 Volumetric soil water layer 2 40 Single
swvl3 Volumetric soil water layer 3 41 Single
swvl4 Volumetric soil water layer 4 42 Single
stl1 Soil temperature level 1  139 Single
stl2 Soil temperature level 2 170 Single
stl3 Soil temperature level 3 183 Single
stl4 Soil temperature level 4 236 Single
cape Convective available potential energy 59 Single
asn Snow albedo 32 Single
mn2t3 Minimum temperature at 2 metres in the last 3 hours - currently unavailable (11/03/2024) 228027 Single
mx2t3 Maximum temperature at 2 metres in the last 3 hours - currently unavailable (11/03/2024) 228026 Single
ttr Top net long-wave (thermal) radiation 179 Single
str Surface net long-wave (thermal) radiation 177 Single
ssr Surface net short-wave (solar) radiation 176 Single
ssrd Surface net short-wave (solar) radiation downwards 169 Single
strd Surface net long-wave (thermal) radiation downwards 175 Single
nsss Time-integrated northward turbulent surface stress - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ewss Time-integrated eastward turbulent surface stress - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
t20d Depth of 20C isotherm - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
sav300 Average salinity in the upper 300m  - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ocu Eastward sea water velocity - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
ocv Northward sea water velocity - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
sithick Sea ice thickness - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
zos Sea surface height - currently unavailable (11/03/2024)   Single
d Divergence 155 Pressure
gh Geopotential height 156 Pressure
q Specific humidity 133 Pressure
r Relative humidity 157 Pressure
t Temperature 130 Pressure
u U component of wind 131 Pressure
v V component of wind 132 Pressure
w Vertical velocity 135 Pressure
vo Vorticity (relative) 138 Pressure

Tropical cyclone tracks - ensemble products

The tropical cyclone trajectories are computed independently for each ensemble member; a given tropical cyclone may dissipate at different times in different members so the number of members predicting a given tropical cyclone may vary through the forecast.

Long name Format Level Steps for times 00 &12 Steps for times 06 &18

Tropical Cyclone Trajectory (TC track including genesis)

BUFR surface  up to step 360 up to step 144

Ensemble means and standard deviations 

​​Steps for times 00z &12z: 0 to 144 by 3, 150 to 360 by 6.

Short Name Long Name ID Level
gh Geopotential height 156 300, 500, 1000
t Temperature 130 250, 500, 850
ws Wind speed 10 250, 850
msl Mean sea level pressure 151 Single

Probabilities, daily weather events 

Ranges for times 00z &12z: 0-24 to 336-360 by 12​

Short Name Long Name ID Threshold Level
tpg1 Total precipitation of at least 1 mm 131060 >1mm Single
tpg5 Total precipitation of at least 5 mm 131061 >5mm Single
tpg10 Total precipitation of at least 10 mm 131062 >10mm Single
tpg20 Total precipitation of at least 20 mm 131063 >20mm Single
tpg25 Total precipitation of at least 25 mm 131098 >25mm Single
tpg50 Total precipitation of at least 50 mm 131099 >50mm Single
tpg100 Total precipitation of at least 100 mm 131085 >100mm Single
10fgg10 10 metre wind gusts of at least 10 m/s 131100 >10m/s Single
10fgg15 10 metre wind gusts of at least 15 m/s 131070 >15m/s Single
10fgg25 10 metre wind gusts of at least 25 m/s 131072 >25m/s Single

Probabilities, instantaneous weather events - atmosphere

Steps for times 00z &12z: 12 to 360 by 12​

Level: 850 hPa

Short Name Long Name Level
ptsa_gt _1stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly greater than 1 standard deviation Pressure
ptsa_gt _1p5stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly greater than 1.5 standard deviation Pressure
ptsa_gt _2stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly greater than 2 standard deviation Pressure
ptsa_lt _1stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly less than -1 standard deviation Pressure
ptsa_lt _1p5stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly less than -1.5 standard deviation Pressure
ptsa_lt _2stdev Probability of temperature standardized anomaly less than -2 standard deviation Pressure

Probabilities, instantaneous weather events - wave

​Steps for times 00z &12z: 12 to 360 by 12

Short Name Long Name ID Threshold Level
swhg2   Significant wave height of at least 2 m 131074 >2 m Single
swhg4 Significant wave height of at least 4 m 131075 >4 m Single
swhg6 Significant wave height of at least 6 m 131076 >6 m Single
swhg8 Significant wave height of at least 8 m 131077 >8 m Single

Seasonal products - Not yet available (as of 01/03/2024)

Short Name Long Name ID Level Steps for time 00
sst Sea Surface Temperature 34 Single 1 to 6 months
Type:
Real-time
Range:
Medium (15 days)
Long (Months)
Provided by: ECMWF