Vol 42, No 7 (2017)

The main stages are considered of the process of Roshydromet forecast technologies modernization that started in the 1990s, especially those related to the use of supercomputers for operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) and to the development of supercomputer technologies for NWP with different lead times. Some outcomes of the modernization are presented.

Two important areas of Roshydromet activity are considered: the development of the space observation system and the creation of the system of ground-, air-, and space-based geophysical monitoring. The investigation, monitoring, and forecasting of the state of the Earth, its climate, severe weather events, catastrophes, and emergencies requires the extended usage of space observation methods. The current state is considered of hydrometeorological space system included in the Roshydromet space observation system. The space- and ground-based segments of this system are briefly described. The ground segment is based on the national space monitoring system which was developed in 1992—2010 and is geographically distributed. The works are reviewed on the formation of the Roshydromet geophysical monitoring system using ground-based, airborne, and space-based observations.

The spatiotemporal variability of surface air pressure and surface air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere troposphere in 1990-2014 is described. In 2005 the low-frequency component (LFC) of average air temperature in January averaged over the latitude zone of 32.5°-67.5° N has stopped its increase that lasted for 35 years (from 1970). The LFC of air temperature in July has continued growing since 1975 (for 39 years). The anomalies of air pressure and air temperature for thirty-year periods and the dynamics of LFC of air temperature and air pressure in the atmospheric centers of action are analyzed.

The estimates are presented of the possible level of environmental pollution with reagents resulting from precipitation modification by cloud seeding. It is demonstrated that the amount of reagents (crystallizing reagents based on silver iodide (AgI), cooling reagents, and powder reagents) injected to the clouds does not exceed the level of inflow of these chemicals to the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources. These data and the data on the pollution level in the areas where AgI is actively used, allow stating the extremely low impact of cloud seeding on the environmental pollution. No change in the precipitation regime was detected in the regions adjoining the areas where weather modification experiments on the meteorological protection of megalopolises were conducted.