It gives me great pleasure to present to you the Météo-France Activity Report for 2019 which traces, in 5 main areas, the drivers behind our activities.

In it, you will find the highlights that left their mark on this year and which form part of a dynamic of constant anticipation and adaptation to meet the challenges of our clients and the general public.

Anticipation first, because the whole issue of forecasting, whether in terms of weather or climate, is to use science to anticipate events and thus prepare to make the right decisions in terms of safety of people and possessions along with the impact of climate change.

Secondly, adaptation, since offering ever better targeted weather and climate services implies a detailed understanding of the expectations and needs of our end users and translating them into appropriate technological developments.

Because this is our ultimate purpose: to produce knowledge to the highest scientific standards on meteorological phenomena and climate change, design diagnostic tools and new solutions, and provide information and services to public authorities, citizens and businesses alike to help them better understand and manage their sensitivity to weather and climate.

2019 marks important milestones right along the forecasting chain. First of all, in terms of observation, with major changes in the precision of our digital weather prediction models and integration of new satellite data which improves their quality. Progress in anticipating extreme phenomena and climate projections also largely depends on the computing power available to the establishment, which conditions the transition to operational use of innovations resulting from research in digital modelling of weather and climate. The preparatory work carried out throughout this year for the commissioning of our new supercomputer at the end of 2020 will further improve the prediction of dangerous phenomena with a gain of 1 to 2 hours, as well as greater geographical precision.

Another structuring element: the density of our interactions and work with our national and international partners. These are structuring partnerships supporting our missions to strengthen our complementarities and our collective effectiveness to ensure safety and business continuity, such as the strengthened collaborations in 2019 with Civil Security or the Military Staff. It also provides strategic support for European and international cooperation on weather and climate, contributing to the work of the IPCC to simulate the future climate or build European cooperation in the field of observation systems.

Because our usefulness also depends on our ability to promote to everyone - public and private decision-makers, elected officials, civil society and citizens - a better understanding of the phenomena and issues of the climate as well as its changes, Météo-France has this year further expanded the tools it makes available to them. Alongside Cerema and Ademe, we are helping build the Resource Centre on Adaptation to Climate Change (CRACC), as well as enriching the ClimatHD and Drias climate simulation portals with more comprehensive, regionalised data.

By highlighting the flagship achievements of the past year, this report is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the passion that drives and has always driven the women and men of Météo-France in their daily commitment to meet the major challenges that face us, with an ambition that I hope will prove lasting, responsible and exemplary, to the benefit of all.

Virginie Schwarz
Chairman and CEO of Météo-France