Seasonal to interannual climate prediction and application - the CLIPS perspective (Invited Presentation)

CLIPS is the Climate Information and Prediction Services Project, operating within the World Climate Programme of WMO. The four prime objectives of CLIPS are to:

- Demonstrate the value and eventual socio-economic benefits of climate information and prediction services - Provide an international framework to enhance and promote climate information and prediction, including the establishment of criteria to measure forecast quality and to permit model intercomparison - Encourage the development of operational climate prediction - Facilitate the definition, the development and the strengthening of a global network of regional/national climate centres.

Recent activities of CLIPS within these major project areas will be discussed, with particular focus on the Southern Hemisphere. Amongst the topics to be included are:

- Progress with Showcase Projects designed to examine the socio-economic value of climate predictions - Development of an international framework encompassing seasonal to interannual prediction services, with particular attention to the development of standardised verification systems designed to provide common information to model developers, forecast producers and end users of the forecast information - Progress with Regional Climate Outlook Fora, including review of the methodology employed in these Fora to improve the focus of the Fora and to reduce costs - Developments concerning regional climate centres

Plans for future activities will also be outlined, including those related to training activities and cooperation with other organisations.