The NOMEK course (NOrdisk MEteorologisk Kompetensutveckling = Nordic Meteorological Competency Training) has been developed jointly by the Education and Training Managers of FMI, MET Norway, SMHI, DMI and IMO. The program started in 1995, and this year the 22nd course will be hosted by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre and held in Riga, Latvia on 25-29 April.
This annual training event aims to increase the knowledge and capacity of operational forecasters working in the northern part of Europe, who, on many occasions, face similar weather and technology-related issues.
The main topics for the five day course are the operational use of satellite, radar and NWP data, with a focus on the conceptual model approach, and forecast communication to the general public and mass media. Each year a different ‘red thread’ — a topical extreme weather event or phenomenon — is kept and analysed throughout the course. Following the feedback of participants from past events, the format of the course remains practical, with interactions, simulations and workshops.