Weather · Climate ·Water
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL CENTRE BEIJING
Global Monitoring, Global Forecasting and Global Services
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) hosts following Centres defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s Manual on WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) (WMO-No. 485). This portal summarizes activities to meet general requirements and standards for World Meteorological Centre (WMC) and Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) (more information on WMO website ).
As a World Meteorological Centre (WMC), WMC-Beijing provides WMO Members with a range of forecast products based on our global models. These include deterministic and ensemble medium-range forecasts and seasonal forecasts. Graphic products are available via the WMC Beijing website. A subset of products is available via the Beijing GISC (Global Information System Centre) for the WMO Information system (WIS).
Key Functions of WMC
l Data collection and quality control
Collection and quality control of the incoming observation that are used in the real-time operations of WIPPS.
l Provision of global forecast products
Provision of operational global deterministic numerical weather prediction (NWP)；Provision of global ensemble NWP；Provision of global numerical long-range prediction products；WMC-Beijing makes available some of the global forecast products via the WIS.
l Documentation on system and products
Documentation on the technical characteristics of the operational systems and on the products.
- Global deterministic NWP
- Global ensemble NWP
- Global numerical long-range predition
Model specification (pdf)
Products (pdf)
- Global sub-seasonal to seasonal predition
- Numerical ocean wave predition
Other Functions of WMC
l Verification of products
It is important to provide verification information on the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products for the benefit of operational forecasters and to help the centres improve their forecasts. The standard verification measures are defined in Manual on the WIPPS (WMO-No. 485). WMC-Beijing produces verification statistics and makes them available to the Lead Centres for verification as follows:
- WMO Lead Centre for Deterministic NWP Verification
https://confluence.ecmwf.int/display/WLD
- WMO Lead Centre for EPS Verification
http://epsv.kishou.go.jp/EPSv/
- WMO Lead Centre for Long-Range Forecast Verification
http://www.bom.gov.au/wmo/lrfvs/
- WMO Lead Centre for Sub-seasonal Predictions Multi-Model Ensemble
l Training
Conducting workshops and seminars on the preparation and use of WMC products.
l Long-term storage of data and products
Maintaining a continuously updated catalogue of data and products stored in the system.
l Reporting on compliance
Provision of information about the current implementation of the system.
CMA 2020 GDPFS/NWP Report
l Regional centre for Atmospheric Sand and Dust storm Forecasts (ASDF)
l Regional centre for marine meteorological services
l Regional centre for nuclear environmental emergency response
When was the current sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction system implemented? | Nov. 2019 |
Is it a coupled forecast system? | Yes |
Is it a Tier-2 forecast system? | No |
Atmospheric model resolution | T266 (about 45 km), 56 vertical levels and the top level at 0.1 hPa |
Ocean model (if applicable) | MOM5 with a 0.25° horizontal resolution, 50 vertical levels |
Source of atmospheric initial conditions | ERA atmospheric analysis |
Source of ocean initial conditions | CMA new coupled data assimilation (CDA) system |
If Tier-2, what is the source of SST predictions? | N/A |
Hindcast period | 2008-2022 |
Ensemble size for the hindcasts | 4 ensemble members |
How is the hindcast ensemble configured? | SPPT |
Ensemble size for the forecast | 4 ensemble members |
How is the forecast ensemble configured? | SPPT |
Length of forecasts | 60 days |
Data format | NetCDF |
The latest day of the week that forecast anomalies for the next weeks/months become available | Monday and Thursday |
Method of construction of the forecast anomalies | Remove the 15-yr weekly climatological mean |
URL where forecast is available | the website is under construction |
Point of contact |
Variable | Coverage | Forecast range or lead time | Temporal resolution | Output types | Issuance frequency |
2-m temperature | Global |
four weeks |
weekly |
1) Ensemble mean anomaly (2) Probabilities for tercile forecast categories |
weekly |
SST | Global oceans | ||||
Total precipitation | Global | ||||
500 hPa height |
Global
| ||||
MSLP | |||||
850 hPa temperature |
1. ATDM（Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion Modelling） | |
Name of ATDM model (Version) | HYSPLIT(5.2 2025) |
Horizontal grid spacing and extent | 0.125 degree range: global |
Number of vertical levels and type of vertical coordinates | Flexible vertical levels Pressure or hybrid vertical coordinates |
Model calculation time step(s) and model output time step(s) | Calculation time step:<5min, or dynamical time step Output time step: 1-24h |
Information on dry and wet scavenging schemes | Dry deposition: Yes Wet deposition: Yes |
Emission | Point source, line source, and area source |
Isotope | Cs-137, I-131, Sr-90, HTO |
Date of implementation | 17 June 2025 |
2. NWP data used for ATDM | |
Name of NWP system | CMA-GFS |
Horizontal resolution (Grid spacing) | 0.125 degree range: global |
Number of vertical levels and type of vertical coordinates (model top) | Vertical levels: 87 levels Type of vertical coordinates: hybrid vertical coordinates Model top: 0.1 hpa |
Forecast length (initial time) | 10 days |
Update frequency | 3 hourly |
3. Further information | |
URLs for system documentation | http://www.wmc-bj.net |
Point of contact | shengli@cma.gov.cn |
1. System | |
System name (Version) | CMA-GFS_WAVE |
Date of implementation | Dec. 2024 |
2. Configuration | |
Horizontal resolution of the model, with indication of grid spacing in km | 0.125o×0.125o (12.5km) |
Number of model frequency bands | 30 |
Number of model directional bands | 36 |
Forecast length and forecast step interval | 240hr/3hr |
Runs per day (times in UTC) | 00UTC,12UTC |
Is model coupled to ocean, atmosphere, sea-ice models? Specify which models | Not coupled |
Integration time step | 120s |
3. Initial conditions | |
Data assimilation method for control analysis | No wave data assimilation is performed, each run starts with 12-hour hindcasts. |
4. Surface boundary conditions | |
Surface forcing, briefly describe method(s) | The operational ocean wave predictions are based on the wave model WAVEWATCH III （version 6.07） using operational CMA-GFS products as input. |
Land boundary conditions (for example, sea-ice cover)? If yes, briefly describe method(s) | NSIDC monthly mean sea ice data is used |
5. Other details of model | |
What kind, if any, of sea-swell splitting scheme is in use? | The method of Hanson and Phillips(2001) is used, implemented as described in Tracy et al. (2007). |
Are wave observations, or spectra, assimilated? If so, describe method briefly | No wave data assimilation is performed |
Does the model contain shallow water physics? What bathymetry database is used for shallow water areas? | No shallow water physics is used. USE ETOPO-1 bathymetry database (Amante and Eakins, 2009). |
Verification approach? | The buoy data is used to verify the forecasting results of the wave model system. Bias，rsme and scatter index are calculated. |
6. Further information | |
Operational contact point | sunmh@cma.gov.cn |
URLs for system documentation | http://www.wmc-bj.net |
URL for list of products | http://www.wmc-bj.net |
1. System | |
System name (Version) | CMA_GFS4.2 |
Date of implementation | Dec 2024 |
2. Configuration | |
Horizontal resolution (Grid spacing) | 12.5 km |
Vertical resolution (model top) | 0.1 hpa |
Forecast length (initial time) | 10 days |
Coupling to ocean/wave/sea ice models | None |
Integration time step | 300 seconds |
3. Initial conditions | |
Data assimilation method | 4DVAR |
4. Surface boundary conditions | |
Treatment of SST | Use OSTIA daily sea surface temperature and sea ice concentration product |
Land surface analysis | None |
5. Other details | |
Soil scheme | CoLM |
Radiation | RRTMG |
Large-scale dynamics | Fully compressible, non-hydrostatic, SI-SL, lat-lon grid |
Boundary layer parameterization | MRF |
Convection parameterization | New Simplified Arakawa Schubert |
Cloud scheme | Prognostic cloud cover scheme, large scale microphysics cloud and double moment cloud microphysics scheme |
6. Further information | |
Operational contact point | hujk@cma.gov.cn |
URLs for system documentation | http://www.wmc-bj.net |
URL for list of products | |
1. System | |
System name (Version) | CMA-CW v1.0/DUST |
Date of implementation | 16 June 2025 |
2. Configuration | |
Horizontal resolution (Grid spacing) | 0.15°×0.15°(835x301 in grid) |
Vertical resolution (model top) | 49 levels, 35km |
Forecast length (initial time) | 168hours (7days), 0-72 1-hourly; 72-120 3-hourly |
Forced by Global model | NCEP-GFS、CMA-GFS |
Integration time step | 100 seconds |
3. Initial conditions | |
Data assimilation method | EnOI (PM10、PM2.5) |
4. Further information | |
Operational contact point | shengli@cma.gov.cn |
URLs for system documentation | http://www.asdf-bj.net |
URL for list of products | http://www.asdf-bj.net |
