Background of SMUFF
HAREN - Hazard Assessment based on Rainfall European Nowcasts
The HAREN EU Civil Protection Prevention project (230301/2011/614151/SUB/A5-HAREN) improved the algorithms previously developed in the FP7 project IMPRINTS and developed its adaptation to provide European-wide high-resolution rainfall nowcastings (every 15 minutes with lead times up to 8 hours) using the European radar composites provided by EUMETNET OPERA. Also, within the project, a prototype of hazard identification system has been developed showing the potential added value of the radar nowcasts to the anticipation of hazards induced by precipitation at local scale and over Europe.
EDHIT - European Demonstration of an enhanced rainfall and lightning induced Hazard Identification nowcasting Tool
As the follow-up of HAREN, the EDHIT project (ECHO/SUB/2013/661005) accomplished to enhance algorithms for rainfall and lightning induced Hazard Identification nowcasting and developed a robust demonstration tool in real-time able to support the emergency management of disaster events caused by heavy rainfalls.
This work inspired the current project ERICHA to follow its legacy and to anticipate further integration of these high added-value products into the real-time operational platform of the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), which provides direct support to the European Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the DG ECHO.
ERICHA
ERICHA was the third project of successful EC Civil Protection Prevention projects focusing on assessing and anticipating hazards triggered by intense precipitation. Previously, HAREN (2012-2013) established the proof of concept of radar-based preciptation nowcasting at European scale using the EUMETNET OPERA rainfall mosaics. And EDHIT (2014-2015) performed a European demonstration of the 24/7 products developed within HAREN.
The success story they represent is the follow up of the RTD FP7 project IMPRINTS (FP7-ENV-2008-1-226555), in which the basic knowledge and the algorithms applied in HAREN-EDHIT-ERICHA were developed. All together represent ten years of continuous research and developments oriented to support the implementation of advanced tools for Flash Flood Early Warnings in Europe.
The inclusion of the ERICHA rainfall radar nowcastings and the FF-EWS hazard indicators in the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), complements the Flash Flood warning tools presently available in EFAS (based in Numerical Weather Prediction models, which were developed in the IMPRINTS project too), and extend its capabilities to the short range forecasts providing new high resolution forecasts and warnings up to the next 6 hours.
More details can be found in the ERICHA website.
