Ventusky Expands Forecast Accuracy with the HARMONIE Weather Model

Today, we have added a new weather model to Ventusky: HARMONIE, operated by the Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in collaboration with several countries, including Denmark, Ireland and Iceland. This model provides weather forecasts for key regions. On Ventusky, you can find it under the name HARMONIE EU for Western and Central Europe and HARMONIE CAR for the Caribbean.

HARMONIE stands for HIRLAM ALADIN Research towards Mesoscale Operational NWP in Europe. It is one of the most frequently updated European weather models, refreshing every hour. This ensures that it always delivers the most up-to-date forecasts. The model's resolution is approximately 7 km for Europe and 5 km for the Caribbean. Model allowing detailed simulations of atmospheric processes such as vertical air movements, cloud formation, and precipitation. High resolution enables the model to accurately capture small-scale weather phenomena, including extreme precipitation events like cloudbursts and rapidly developing storm systems.

Designed for short-term forecasting, HARMONIE provides predictions up to 60 hours ahead and ranks among the most accurate models in Europe. Thanks to its frequent updates, it is particularly well-suited for tracking storm developments. In the Caribbean, it significantly improves forecasts for wind conditions and tropical cyclones. Its higher resolution compared to global models allows for better representation of airflow around the region’s many islands.

By incorporating the HARMONIE model, Ventusky continues to expand its suite of high-precision numerical weather prediction tools, providing users with more detailed and accurate forecasts across critical regions.