EUMeTrain Forest Fires online event week – Save the date!

Between 1^st and 3^rd June 2026, EUMeTrain will be organising a satellite training event week on Forest Fires. In this event, you will be able to know more about the most recent developments on forest fire monitoring with satellite data, namely from the Flexible Combined Imager(FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI) on-board the Meteosat Third Generation satellite.

During the week, there will be both plenary sessions on more in-depth topics, as well as show casing sessions on more specific applications. The sessions will address the whole life cycle regarding forest fires, such as vegetation status and forest fire risk, hots-spots and fire smoke detection, and burnt area monitoring.

For more details, stay tuned on the EUMeTrain webpage, where the full agenda of the event will be released shortly on www.eumetrain.org.

8^th Joint Training on Atmospheric Composition

Registration is now open for the Eighth Joint Training Course on Atmospheric Composition, organised by the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), with the support of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The course will take place from 19 to 23 October 2026 and will provide advanced training on atmospheric composition monitoring and modelling using satellite observations and numerical services.

The training will be delivered in a hybrid format, combining online preparatory lectures with four-and-a-half days of in-person sessions, hosted by the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, School of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The programme will cover theoretical aspects and practical applications, offering participants the opportunity to work directly with operational data, products, and tools used within the Copernicus and European meteorological satellite framework.

The course is intended for PhD students, early-career scientists, researchers from academia and research institutes, industry professionals, and anyone interested in atmospheric composition. On-site participation is limited and selection is competitive, with priority given to applicants from ESA, EUMETSAT, and ECMWF Member States, although applications from all countries are welcome. Online lectures will be accessible to a wider audience.

Register.

International Summer School on Applications with the Newest Multi-spectral Environmental Satellites

This Summer School offers an in-depth exploration of remote sensing methods and techniques used to extract information from environmental satellite data, with a strong focus on the latest observing technologies, particularly the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) mission.

Designed for experienced professionals, the course combines theoretical lectures with hands-on practical sessions, allowing participants to apply concepts using tools such as McIDAS-V or similar data processing and visualisation software. The programme provides a comprehensive overview of modern remote sensing applications, supporting participants in strengthening their technical understanding and practical skills.

The training is tailored for forecasters, researchers, and postgraduate students working with environmental satellite data, who wish to update their knowledge and stay aligned with the latest developments in the field. Participants will engage with expert instructors, and benefit from an interactive learning environment that encourages discussion and exchange of experience.

Applicants are expected to have a relevant academic background in meteorology, physics, environmental sciences, or environmental engineering.

Applications are based on the nominations by the heads of delegations of EUMETSAT members. Nominated candidates can apply at Eumetsat Classroom.

Join the EUMETCAL Winter Weather Hackathon

If you work with winter weather — forecasting it, researching it, or teaching it — you know how complex these phenomena can be. Translating that expertise into clear and practical training for forecasters is an equally demanding task.

The upcoming EUMETCAL Hackathon on Winter Weather offers the opportunity to tackle that challenge, together with colleagues across the community.

From 7–11 September 2026, forecasters, researchers, trainers and instructional designers will meet at SMHI in Norrköping, Sweden, to collaboratively develop online learning modules on winter weather topics. These may include freezing rain, snow, icing, lake and sea effects, road winter weather, or other winter weather topics that are relevant to you.

The hackathon format has already proven its value. Previous EUMETCAL hackathons resulted in highly interactive training modules on topics such as radar meteorology, satellite meteorology, optical phenomena, mountain waves, and impact-based forecasting. These resources are now published and used across the community to support the training of new and experienced forecasters.

By joining the hackathon, you will contribute your expertise to the development of new learning materials, while experiencing a collaborative and creative approach to course design. The result: practical training resources that benefit the entire forecasting community.

If you would like to help shape the next generation of winter weather training, we invite you to take part. More detailed information can be found in the in the invitation.

Advanced Satellite Course 2026: Focus on MTG, NWP and Weather Forecasting

The Advanced Satellite Course 2026 (ASC 2026) is a blended training program designed for experienced forecasters in aviation or general meteorology. It runs from 16th November to 11th December 2026, with an online phase from 16th November to 4th December followed by a final classroom phase from 7th December to 11th December at the DWD Campus in Offenbach am Main.

The course focuses on deepening specialist knowledge of satellite meteorology, particularly the use of Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) imagery and products in combination with numerical weather prediction (NWP) and other meteorological data.

Key subject areas include weather phenomena over the Mediterranean, the westerly wind zone, and Northern Europe, with case studies on wild fires, Storm Amy, and polar lows. Participants will engage in three hours of online work per week, including brief playground sessions, and will attend a four‑day in‑person block to consolidate learning. Learning objectives are to enhance satellite meteorology expertise, improve practical application of MTG data in operational forecasting, and exchange of working methods across weather services.

Prerequisites are basic synoptic meteorology, hands‑on forecasting experience, and familiarity with MTG images; technical equipment is not mandatory, though bringing a notebook or tablet is advisable.

The invitation letter will be published in April with a deadline of 26th June 2026. For all information follow the EUMeTrain website.

High Impact Weather webinars

The HIW EUMETCAL online course will focus on the use of a particular forecasting method based on Doswell’s ingredient-based forecasting method IBM (1996). This method assumes that three ingredients are needed for convection: moisture, lift, instability (and vertical wind shear to take the modes in convection into account).

These convection modes each have their own distinctive characteristics in relation to duration, radar images and hazardous weather phenomena, such as lightning, wind gusts, hail, and heavy precipitation. This method has been incorporated into a convection scheme that is currently used at the KNMI forecasting office. It leads, via a few steps, to one of four convection modes. The course will explain the method and describe several typically synoptic situations that regularly yield severe convection.

You can find more information at the EUMETCAL Portal.

As a part of this course, Rob Groenland (KNMI) will present two webinars:

1. High Impact Weather webinar 1: 7 Apr 2026 09:00 UTC (11:00 CEST)
2. High Impact Weather webinar 2: 4 May 2026 09:00 UTC (11:00 CEST)

Recordings and slides from webinars will be available in the course environment.

Convection Working Group and 3T Forum meeting in October

The next Convection Working Group (CWG) meeting, jointly organised with the Expert Forum for Preparing Meteorological Applications and Training (3T Forum), will be held 19-23 October 2026, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain.

In recent years, convection monitoring through satellites has seen big improvements, through the capabilities the new satellites and instruments provide us. The meeting in Spain will provide an opportunity to gather and exchange the latest progress in research and operations for convection monitoring.

The week will consist of presentations, discussions, and application demonstrations. The meeting venue at Colegio de San Ildefonso of the University of Alcalá should provide a conducive environment for the meeting.

The Convection Working Group consists of 100 remote sensing and forecasting experts on convection.

More information of the group can be found at the CWG website.

FMI-EUMETSAT Aviation Forecaster Testbeds 2026

In partnership with the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), EUMETSAT will offer the second Aviation Testbed of 2026, aimed at preparing aviation forecasters for the operational use of Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) data and products. Aviation Testbeds simulate a real-time forecasting environment, enabling participants to further develop their skills in applying advanced satellite information in aviation services.

Delivered through FMI’s GEOWEB platform, the training provides access to a comprehensive range of meteorological data, including models and observations, with particular emphasis on satellite-based products such as icing potential, fog and low clouds, visibility, turbulence, volcanic ash, and lightning.

The programme integrates theoretical input with hands-on forecasting activities. Participants will work through selected case studies, generating forecasts and nowcasts using modern tools, followed by verification and interactive discussion sessions. A key focus will be on the use of MTG-I1 Flexible Combined Imager(FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI) data and products.

Applications to this course are based on the nominations by the heads of delegations of EUMETSAT members.

Nominated candidates can apply at Eumetsat Classroom.