So that no one would be caught out by the weather
Photo: Shutterstock.Many of us have occasionally come across headlines like the following: Winter once again takes motorists by surprise. Of course, the headlines are meant to attract attention, but there is also a grain of truth in them – sometimes we are indeed caught out by the weather.
Both at work and in everyday life, we constantly make decisions that depend on the weather conditions: whether it's a matter of choosing an aircraft’s route considering both safety and efficiency, deciding when to put on winter tyres, or picking our child’s clothes before taking them to day care. Fortunately, many of these decisions are not of great consequence, but if the decision relates to safety or our finances, we cannot afford to be caught out by the weather.
If the decision relates to safety or our finances, we cannot afford to be caught out by the weather.
The vision of the Finnish Meteorological Institute reads as follows: We are an international pioneer in our field. We provide information for a safe tomorrow, so that no one would be caught out by the weather. Is it really possible that no one would be caught out by the weather? Is it even possible to prepare for everything? Not perfectly, at least, but towards this goal our Finnish Meteorological Institute has good reason to keep on striving.
The best Nordic data on weather conditions
The aim of the Finnish Meteorological Institute is to produce the best Nordic data on weather conditions. This means continuous research and development in all the areas that comprise a high-quality weather conditions service. Accurate and up-to-date observations are the cornerstone of all forecasting. We strive to produce ever more accurate forecasts for our customers’ needs and to enter into partnerships so that we can combine data from different sources.
The requirements for the quality and availability of forecasting conditions are increasing, whether it be weather forecasts ranging from the next few hours up to several weeks or months, sea forecasts at the coastal or port level, adaptation to climate change or even a better understanding of space weather. It is not enough simply that the forecast data is the best possible; it must also be possible to communicate to customers the uncertainty associated with the forecast, such as how many days ahead a forecast made today can be considered reliable for the customer’s own operations and decisions.
Will we continue to be caught out by the weather? We at the Finnish Meteorological Institute are doing our utmost to ensure that, if we are, it won’t be because of a lack of high-quality data.
Sami Niemelä
The author is Director of the Meteorological and Marine Science Research Programme at the Finnish Meteorological Institute
