The main message here is that the meteorological research community is very active in trying to improve the prediction of severe weather events.

This paper tells about a very large field experiment in meteorology, called the Mesoscale Alpine Programme. This international program involves 14 countries and more than 100 Principal Investigators. The purpose of the program is to improve the understanding and prediction of extreme weather events in mountainous areas, such as severe rains, floods, strong winds, and turbulence. All sorts of atmospheric measurements with research instruments were realized in the European Alps during the fall of 1999. Altogether more than 500 people went out to participate in this field experiment. It is a peculiar strength of meteorology that the international community is able to assemble from time to time in such undertakings. The scientific results of the experiment are currently being published and it helps authors to refer to a general overview of the objectives and organization of the program.

The paper explains about the objectives of the program, the methodology in assembling various high technology instruments to reach a common goal, and the decision process to attribute resources to various sub-communities during the field experiment.

The main message here is that the meteorological research community is very active in trying to improve the prediction of severe weather events. During and after our field experiment, we experimented with a new generation of numerical prediction models, which have the capacity of representing the atmospheric processes with a much greater accuracy. Results of this experimentation are extremely encouraging. This work is showing that when computer and observational resources will have improved in routine, weather services will be able to supply society with extremely accurate forecasts, even for intense events.

As part of my job at the Centre National de Recherchés Meteorologiques of Meteo-France (the French Weather Service) I have had to coordinate similar projects in the past and I have developed a scientific background in mountain meteorology. I was elected chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Mesoscale Alpine Programme in 1995, and since then, I have played a leading role in the preparation and organization of the MAP field experiment.

Philippe Bougeault
Head, Research Department
ECMWF Reading Berkshire, UK