The OpenSense project, part of COST Action, recently held a two-day meeting for its Working Group 3 (WG3) in Norrköping, Sweden, on October 16 and 17, 2024. The event brought together researchers and experts from across Europe, representing countries such as Germany, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, and Serbia. Hosted at the main office of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), the meeting aimed to advance WG3’s research agenda on merging and applying opportunistic sensing (OS) data.
WG3 focuses on the integration of various OS data types with traditional observations. The group is working on creating OS precipitation products in both historical and operational modes, and applying these products in weather and hydrological forecasts.
Key Topics Discussed: Participants worked intensively on several priority topics, including:
- WG3 Training School on Merging and Application – Planning for the upcoming training school to be held in spring 2025.
- Paper on OS Rainfall Data Applications – Led by Jonas, the group continued progress on a paper that explores the applications of OS rainfall data.
- Mergeplg Package Development – Christian led coding sessions and discussions on mergeplg, a package designed to merge point, line, and grid rainfall data. The tool, available on GitHub, is central to WG3’s efforts in integrating OS data for better weather forecasting.
- OS Rainfall Products Discussion – Remco and Aart facilitated discussions on creating open, operational, and transboundary OS rainfall products.
- WG3 Deliverables – Progress on WG3 deliverables was reviewed, with Max, Remco, and Jonas coordinating efforts to ensure the timely completion of key project outputs.
The meeting was productive, with fruitful discussions and tangible progress made on multiple deliverables. Participants also laid the groundwork for future activities, including the 2025 WG3 training school, which will continue to expand the skills of researchers working with OS data.
As OpenSense continues to push the boundaries of OS data integration, these collaborations are crucial for advancing our understanding of weather and hydrological systems and improving the accuracy of forecasts.
Stay tuned for more updates on OpenSense’s upcoming events and outputs.