Project Overview

The Cyprus GNSS Meteorology Enhancement (CYGMEN) project aims to establish a unique and comprehensive meteorological infrastructure (CyMETEO) in Cyprus, capable of producing heterogeneous weather observations and significantly enhancing the monitoring of severe weather events.

CyMETEO will strategically augment the existing infrastructure of the Frederick Research Center (FRC) and the Cyprus Department of Meteorology (DoM) through the integration of advanced observational systems, including a lightning detection network, a dense GNSS network for atmospheric water vapor estimation, a Radar Wind Profiler (RWP), and a Microwave Radiometer (MWR) for thermodynamical profiling.

This enhanced infrastructure will support the assimilation of high-quality meteorological datasets into Numerical Weather Prediction systems, enabling the development of a near real-time local weather service. This will provide a more comprehensive framework for nowcasting and short-term forecasting of fast-developing and intense storms over the Eastern Mediterranean region.

In the long term, the project is expected to strengthen scientific excellence in operational weather prediction, unlock the research potential of the participating institutions, and foster collaboration with European and neighboring countries with complementary meteorological monitoring capabilities.

PROJECT STRUCTURE

“The work plan of the CYGMEN project is structured into seven Work Packages (WP), which collectively support the implementation and development of the project:

WP1 – Project Management
Ensures the coordination and overall management of the project.

WP2 – Dissemination and Exploitation Activities
Focuses on the dissemination of results and the exploitation of project outcomes.

WP3 – Equipment Infrastructure
Involves the installation and operation of the meteorological infrastructure and systems.

WP4 – CyMETEO Observational Analysis Component
Supports the analysis of observational data produced by the infrastructure.

WP5 – CyMETEO Simulation Analysis Component
Focuses on simulation and modeling activities for atmospheric processes.

WP6 – CyMETEO Service Development
Aims at the development of meteorological services based on the collected data.

WP7 – CyMETEO Service Products Validation
Ensures the validation and quality assessment of the developed services and products.”

GENERAL PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of the Cyprus GNSS Meteorology Enhancement (CYGMEN) project is to establish a Cyprus Meteorological cluster (CyMETEO) to promote scientific excellence in the field of operational weather prediction and meteorology in Cyprus.

CyMETEO will strategically augment the existing infrastructure of the Frederick Research Center (FRC) and the Cyprus Department of Meteorology (DoM) through the introduction of a lightning detection network, a dense GNSS network for atmospheric water vapor estimation, a Radar Wind Profiler (RWP), and a Microwave Radiometer (MWR) for thermodynamical profiling.

This strategic infrastructure enhancement will enrich severe weather monitoring through the assimilation of relevant datasets in Numerical Weather Prediction, in the context of a near real-time local weather service. This will support a more comprehensive nowcasting and short-term forecasting of intense storms over the Eastern Mediterranean region.

In the long term, this infrastructure will unlock and intensify the scientific potential of the CyMETEO participants and encourage future collaborations with European and neighboring countries with compatible or complementary weather monitoring capabilities.

RESEARCHERS

• Christina Oikonomou – Frederick Research Center (HO)
• Haris Haralambous – Frederick Research Center (HO)
• Avinash N. Parde – Frederick Research Center (HO)
• Filippos Tymvios – Department of Meteorology (PA2)
• Giorgos Charalambous – Department of Meteorology (PA2)
• Eleftherios Loizou – Nicosia Development Agency (PA3)
• Vassiliki Kotroni – National Observatory of Athens (FRO)
• Konstantinos (Kostas) Lagouvardos – National Observatory of Athens (FRO)
• Theodore Giannaros – National Observatory of Athens (FRO)
• Athanasios Karagiannidis – National Observatory of Athens (FRO)
• Stavros Dafis – National Observatory of Athens (FRO)