SMUFF: new instruments to better predict the impact of intense rain
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November 20, 2019Losses due to the hazards associated with heavy rainfall and storms are the largest social risk associated with natural phenomena. The capability of monitoring and predicting such events and their impacts accurately is crucial for decision-making and preparedness in emergency operations. The Centre of Applied Research in Hydrometeorology (CRAHI UPC) has participated in the Seamless Probabilistic Multi-Source Forecasting of Heavy Rainfall Hazards for European Flood Awareness SMUFF project, contributing its expertise to advance the state-of-the-art of prediction techniques, based on projects that were developed previously (HAREN, EDHIT and ERICHA).
The objective of the SMUFF project is to develop better instruments for assessing and predicting the hazards and risks induced by intense rainfall and severe storms (e.g. flash floods, urban floods and landslides) at scales from individual towns to pan-European. This was achieved by combining observations of precipitations in Europe (based on data provided by the European network of meteorological radars, OPERA among others) together with multiple state-of-the-art instruments and scientific methods for prediction. The output of the project was a set of tools and products for seamless, probabilistic high-resolution hazard and risk forecasting, for lead times from 15 minutes to 5 days.
The output was disseminated by integrating the methods into the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) platform, which is the reference system for flood monitoring and forecasting used by civilian protection systems and emergency management and response agents. In this way, the project provided highly useful real-time tools to support decision-making in emergency management centres, including the ERCC (Emergency Response Coordination Centre, Brussels), which acts as the central point of coordination between the various European civil protection systems of member states.
The project, which lasted two years and was completed in 2019, was coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). Other organisations involved in its development included the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ECMWF. Civil protection organisations that participated were the Catalan civil protection centre and the Rescue Department of the Finnish region Etelä-Savo ESPL, as well as technological stakeholders, including the company Vaisala as well as technological stakeholders, including the company EUMETSAT.
Related Projects
- The Centre for Sensors, Instruments and Systems Development (CD6) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is taking part in PhotonHub Europe. This is a European project to establish a single pan-European hub for innovation in photonics as a one-stop shop solution that brings together the pioneering photonics solutions, facilities, knowledge and experience of 53 European partners.
- The research group Barcelona Fluids & Energy Lab (IFLUIDS) and the Centre for Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives (CITCEA) of the UPC participate in the European project H-HOPE, which is focused on the development of solutions to produce clean energy based on water sources that have still not been exploited, such as pipes and water channels.
- Combining agricultural activity and the production of solar energy by means of photovoltaic panels is the aim of SYMBIOSYST, a project promoted by a consortium of 16 European partners including the UPC. As part of this project, technological tools will be developed to contribute to generating clean energy for the agricultural sector in Europe.
- The production of biogas through anaerobic digestion has been increasing exponentially in Europe in recent years. This is because it can be produced locally and has a clear positive effect on waste recycling, the generation of clean energy, sustainable development or climate action. In this context, the FertiLab project was launched, with the participation of researchers from the Department of Agri Food Engineering and Biotechnology (DEAB) of the UPC.
