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GCRF African-SWIFT is a £9m programme of research and capability building, led by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), and funded by UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The project aims to deliver a step change in African weather forecasting capability from hourly to seasonal timescales, and build research capability to continue forecasting improvements in Africa for the foreseeable future.The GCRF African-SWIFT team works with forecast users across sectors from aviation to agriculture, energy, water and emergency response to understand how to tailor the provision and delivery of weather forecasts and to ensure improved response to high-impact events (e.g. onset of rains, heat-waves, dry spells, strong winds); rapid emergency response to extreme events, such as urban flooding and prolonged droughts; and increased resilience, through integration of weather prediction into strategies for response to climate change.

The GCRF African-SWIFT consortium builds upon existing partnerships between forecasting centres and universities in four African partner countries – Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya – bringing together 5 UK partners:

(1) National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS);

(2) University of Leeds (UoL);

(3) University of Reading (UoR);

(4) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH); and

(5) United KingdomMeteteorological Office (UKMO),

with 10 African Partners:

(1) African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD);

(2) Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction & Adaptation Centre; (ICPAC);

(3) Agence Nationale de l’Aviation Civile et de la Meteorologie (ANACIM);

(4) Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD);

(5) Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet);

(6) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST);

(7) Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet);

(8) Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA);

(9) Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD); and

(10) University of NairobiUoN)

and the United Nation World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) as an advisory partner.

The project is led and implemented by ACMAD from the African side,

GCRF African-SWIFT aims to:

• Build capacity within African forecasting agencies and improve communication links to forecast users
• Improve tropical forecasting ability on hourly and seasonal timescales
• Assist African partners to develop capacity for sustained training of weather forecasters
• Translate results to the wider developing world
• Benefit African populations, public and private sector organisations