GeoWeb is an web-based integrated system that is currently being developed at KNMI to realize the next generation tooling for monitoring the atmosphere by forecasters, scientists and developpers.
The GeoWeb system is an integrated system that will provide all functionality for: real time and archived monitoring of meteorological phenomena; analyzing related georeferenced data; producing warnings and forecasts in the forecasting office (and in the near future in the Early Warning Centre) . Work processes and tasks are leading in the development omitting the reuse of the (numerous) current applications. GeoWeb’s key advantage is its applicability for both operations and research, enabling fast deployment of research results into meteorological operations.
GeoWeb will have software development opportunities for both internal and external users, which makes it flexible to quick adjustments and which makes it futureproof.
Application
GeoWeb is a web-based application for the realization of current and future services from the operational weather department; it provides a clear view on the state of the atmosphere, on-the-fly tailor-made products, easy extendable to incorporate geophysical innovations, a well-designed codebase that can be easily shared with other parties and has operational value for the comings years. Those interface are different from the current tooling as they are now task-oriented instead of application-oriented. Due to the used datatechnologie it is easy to insert external georeferenced data into the system. As KNMI has both scientific and operational tasks it is required that GeoWeb can be used for both, and that scientific results can easily and in a controllable manner be transferred to an operational status.
Development
GeoWeb is in a continuous development phase. It is developed in an Agile/Scrum-way with end-users (forecasters from the forecasting office) as product-owners. There are biweekly demos, specific user interaction sessions to try out concepts of novel user interfaces. Development of GeoWeb will continue in the coming years and by working Agile/Scrum and by investigating possible cooperations with industry and colleague institutes we aim to fulfill our goal for innovation.
Future
GeoWeb will be the central tool that is in use during the operational shifts of meteorologists, accessible either from an expert working place using multiple high resolution screens or on-site, to - for example- a standard laptop with internet at an external crisis centre. GeoWeb development fits in the KNMI ambition to serve as an Early Warning Centre that can deal with geophysical hazards including the diverse multidisciplinary datasets that might come in need.
