World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Forecast Demonstration Project (FDP) Sydney 2000: review of the performance of the Met Office's Nimrod system, UK

The WWRP FDP Sydney 2000 was held in Sydney, Australia between September and November 2000. The primary aim of this WMO sponsored event was to demonstrate the predictive capabilities of short-range weather forecasting (nowcasting) tools, including those either under development in research institutions, or in operational use in meteorological services around the world. Emphasis was placed upon the prediction of high impact weather including lightning, large hail, strong winds, and heavy rain. The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games offered participants in the FDP a unique opportunity to showcase their nowcasting systems and to demonstrate their value to weather forecasters and customers alike. Amongst the precipitation nowcasting systems participating in the FDP was the UK Meteorological Office's Nimrod system. This paper will review the rainfall nowcasting algorithms implemented within Nimrod, and present several case studies illustrating the performance of Nimrod in Sydney.