Barcelona Dust Forecast Center

In May 2013, in view of the demand of many national meteorological services and the good results obtained by the SDS-WAS, which proves the feasibility and the need to begin developing operational services beyond the scope of R&D, the Sixty-fifth Session of the WMO Executive Council (EC-65) designates the consortium formed by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) to create in Barcelona the first Regional Specialized Meteorological Center with activity specialization on Atmospheric Sand and Dust Forecast (RSMC-ASDF): doc EC-65-d04-3(1). The Center shall operationally generate and distribute predictions for Northern Africa (north of equator), Middle East and Europe.

 The Barcelona Dust Forecast Center has been created in February 2014 to be this RSMC-ASDF. It produces and distributes dust forecasts and complies with the mandatory functions listed in the mentioned document: doc EC-65-d04-3(1).

The Barcelona Dust Forecast Center is publicly presented on 10 June 2014. Dust forecasts will enable setting plans to mitigate the severe effects caused by high levels of particulate matter to lives and property.

Message by Michel Jarraud, WMO Secretary-General