SmartMet – Software Tool for Visualizing and Editing Meteorological Data

The purpose of the visualizing and editing software is to provide a tool that can be used to include the forecaster’s knowledge and expertise to the numerical weather forecast model so that this expertise is available for all weather information users. Finnish Meteorological Institute has built a best-of-breed application using Toolmaster to accomplish high throughput data processing.

When using SmartMet the forecaster can modify the numerical weather model output taking into account all the available observations and the meteorologist’s own expertise. Editor includes numerous features and options to facilitate forecaster’s daily work and to ensure that the weather forecasts and products, which are generated from the edited data, have the best quality.

What makes SmartMet unique is that it isn’t just a great viewing tool for all meteorological data but it gives the user the possibility to change the model data (i.e. improve data) and to bring out the improved data from parameter to parameter and/or layer to layer as grid formatted information. From these improved grid-files, which the forecaster has edited, it’s possible to create tailor-made weather forecasts for unlimited amount of users in the most economical and efficient way.

Leveraging Toolmaster, SmartMet is able to use all grid formatted data for example air quality data and numeric weather prediction models (all available levels) e.g. ECMWF-, HIRLAM- and GFS-data. The SmartMet program gives you the possibility to select which weather prediction model and what time step you are using as a base information on your editing table.

SmartMet can use different kinds of observations:
• satellite data from e.g. EUMETSAT and NOAA satellites,
• observation data like SYNOP, METAR and SHIP buoys messages and other data from observation systems including automatic weather stations, road weather stations, and precipitation stations,
• data from weather radars
• data from lightning detection network,
• data from radio soundings, wind profiles and airplane take off and landing profiles.

Using the powerful layout capabilities of Toolmaster, FMI is able to reproduce studies in their desktop application with remarkable accuracy in print. SmartMet NPS (Newspaper Production System) enables to provide automatically graphical and textual products for newspapers. NPS utilizes the ATG- and PPM-modules. The Products can be customized graphically and they are ready for printing for the customers.

Finnish Meteorological Institute has developed the system using Toolmaster and successfully operated it more than 10 years. FMI has even re-sold the SMARTMET also to other Institutes. Because FMI’s forecasters use SmartMet in every day work it is monitored 24/7 and it can be updated and improved according to forecasters needs.