Numerical weather forecasting and satellite applications represent the most exciting advances in the field of modern meteorology since the introduction of the Norwegian theory of cyclone development. Progress in applied meteorology is then closely linked to the development of the most sophisticated radar, computer, and satellite technologies. In this respect, meteorology has rapidly evolved into an interdisciplinary field involving many different sciences, such as radar, computer and satellite engineering, and many others, including mathematics, biology, hydrology, agriculture, geophysics, and ecology.
The aim of the school is to provide experts from different fields with the opportunity to discuss typical problems in Mediterranean meteorology. It will promote a better understanding of regional and local atmospheric processes that need to be properly included in numerical models, together with the specific orography surrounding the area. The aim is to obtain better short-, medium- and long- range forecasts, with obvious benefits for the economy of all surrounding nations. Problems of common interest such as cyclogenesis, the development of desert depressions, cold air bursts, sandstorms, increased rainfall, and climate fluctuations will be analysed in detail. Based on international cooperation, further research studies on Mediterranean meteorology can be planned and developed, modelled on the framework of selected and existing projects such as GARP (Global Atmospheric Research Programme) under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organisation.
The school will organise courses and workshops dedicated to specific disciplines such as synoptic meteorology, numerical modelling, satellite data management, air-sea interaction, radar-detected mesoscale weather systems, as well as other aspects of Mediterranean weather within the overall global atmospheric circulation.