Observation services 

The Observation services unit produces observation data of weather, the physical state of the oceans, air quality and the Earth's magnetic activity. The unit maintains and develops the necessary observation stations, station networks, laboratories, quality control methods and data systems in order to fulfill its tasks, and also handles the developing, purchasing and maintaining of necessary observation instruments. The unit invests heavily in the development of new observation methods and obtains observation materials both from national and international partners. The most important users of the observations besides residents are civil- and military aviation, seafaring, weather services, numerical weather modelling and the research of meteorology, oceans and the climate.

The staff at the Observation services include engineers and other employees with a technical education, employees with a background of various fields of natural sciences, software and system developers and observers at airports. The Observation services unit is a part of the Observing and Information Systems branch of activity and the unit is divided into six different groups:

• Operative Observation Service

• Operational Surface Observation Networks 

• Aviation Observation Network

• Weather Radars and Atmospheric Profile Measurements

• Research and Special Measurements

• Observation systems 

ICT and data production

The unit is responsible for maintaining, developing and monitoring centred data repositories. The unit acquires the institutes basic information technology and infrastructure services and is also responsible for the development of the information security.

The unit is divided into four groups:

• Production System Monitoring

• Data Production and Applications

• Production Infrastructure and Production Systems

• Production Networks and Customer Support 

Service development

The Service development unit is responsible for the Finnish Meteorological Institute's non-commercial customer products and for the further processing of meteorological data needed for these products. The unit's tasks include the development of tools and methods for meteorologists on duty and the quality control of weather service products.

Development of Services is divided into four groups:

• Development of Meteorological and Oceanographic Workstations

• Development of Aviation Weather and Web Applications

• Research Applications

• Development of Software for Meteorological and Oceanographic data