High performance computing and networking for numerical weather prediction

Abstract

The size of computer acquired for numerical weather prediction is dependant on the intended use of the forecast. For short- and medium-range weather forecasts, the real-time requirements enforce the use of supercomputers, while for seasonal and climate predictions the requirement for reasonable problem solution times leads to the same conclusion. Having established the requirement for high speed computing, the relationship to networking is considered, taking into account the intended use of the supercomputers and the international cooperation of the meteorological community. The current situation of European networking will be confronted with the expectations the weather community harbours, and a wish-list for the future development will be derived.