RODEO Project launched – bringing meteorological high-value datasets available for all

In the summer of 2019, the European Commission issued a revised directive on open data (1024/2019/EU) which aims to harmonize and enhance regulation related to the opening of public sector data reserves. The Implementing Regulation of the Directive defines High Value Datasets (HVD), (EU) 2023/138, and the technical requirements for each of the data category. One of which concerns meteorological data.

The regulation defines requirements for parameters of surface weather observations, climate time series, warnings, weather radar data, and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data. Furthermore, the regulation specifies general requirements for the distribution of data - they shall be available under an open license, in a machine-readable format using Application Programming Interfaces (API) and bulk downloadable, if possible, free of charge and following the FAIR principles (usability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability). The RODEO project responds to the requirements of the HVD Implementing Regulation by making meteorological High Value Datasets easily available and bringing new data to businesses, public administrations and citizens.

The project is co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) and by the network of 31 European National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (EUMETNET). The project partners consist of 11 European meteorological institutions, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and EUMETNET, listed below.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) leads the RODEO project which strengthens institution’s active role in the meteorological community. The project results foster and enhance the 10-years-old FMI Open Data Service and the international data exchange where more frequent and real-time data can be made available through the harmonized European data interface.

The project strengthens the capacity of the European meteorological data providers to comply with the HVD Implementing Regulation by:

• Developing a user interface

• Developing APIs for accessing weather observation data, climate data, weather radar data, warnings, and AI datasets

• Developing a data catalogue for making data discoverable

• Engaging with the data owners and user communities

• Supporting the deployment of national data portals and APIs

• Making HVDs available from the project partners

Through the three-year RODEO project, the project partners design and implement harmonised technical solutions supporting the European meteorological institutions to meet the HVD requirements. This will increase the usability of public sector meteorological data and boost entrepreneurship, improve and develop digital products and services and support climate research.

In a big picture, better data availability leads to better weather warnings, forecasts, and services to the public and weather-critical industries, and contributes to the safe and efficient functioning of society with multiple benefits across the European economy, industry, and society.

More information

The RODEO website rodeo-project.eu

RODEO-project manager Minna Huuskonen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Tel. +358 29 539 5768

The Project Partners are:

• Ilmatieteen laitos, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)

• Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut, Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI)

• European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

• Orszagos Meteorologiai Szolgalat, Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ)

• Bundesanstalt für Geologie, Geophysik, Klimatologie und Meteorologie, GeoSphere Austria

• Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Institutt, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)

• Latvijas Vides, Geologijas un Meteorologijas Centrs Sia, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVGMC)

• EUMETNET Groupement D’Interet Economique, EUMETNET

• Meteorologisk Institutt, Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Met Norway)

• Administratia Nationala De Meteorologie R.A., National Administration of Meteorology of Romania (ANM)

• Vedurstofa Islands, Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO)

• Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy,Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute of Poland (IMGW-PIB)

• Institut Royal Meteorologique de Belgique, NSTITUT ROYAL METEOROLOGIQUE DE Belgique, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM)