Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia

The Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia (Russian: Гидрометцентр России, Gidrometcentr Rossii) is the national meteorological service in Russia, part of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring.

Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia

Гидрометцентр России
Agency overview
Formed	1921
Jurisdiction	Russia
Headquarters	Moscow
Agency executive	Roman Wilfand
Parent agency	Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Website	www.meteoinfo.ru (in English and Russian)

History

It was founded in June 1921 as the Meteorological Service of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.^[1]

In 1929 it joined the Hydrometeorological Centre of the USSR. In accordance with Government Decree on the establishment of a single hydrometeorological service of January 1, 1930 was organized by the Central Weather Bureau,^[1] converted in 1936 into the Central Weather Institute (since 1943 - Central Institute of Forecasting).

In September 1935, the journal "Meteorology and Hydrology" began publication. The creation of the world's first drifting ice station "North Pole" (1937-1938) was of great importance for the further development of the meteorological service.^[1]

During the Axis military invasion, some meteorological facilities in the western regions of the USSR were destroyed, but they were restored after the end of the Great Patriotic War. In the mid-1950s, the first Soviet stations were established in Antarctica.^[1]

After the creation of the World Weather Information Service in 1963, the Soviet Meteorological Service became one of three world meteorological centers in the World Weather Information Service system.^[2][1]

In 1965, the Central Institute of forecasts and the Joint Centre of the Academy of Sciences and the Main Directorate of Hydrometeorological Service were merged into one institution: Hydrometeorological Research Center of the USSR.^[2][1]

In 1967, this organization was awarded the Order of Lenin.^[2] In the late 1960s, the Soviet space meteorological system began to function.^[1]

From 1992 it is called Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia. An important event, largely determined the fate of research at the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, was giving it the Government Decree №1167 of October 14, 1994 the status of the State Scientific Center of Russian Federation. In January 2007, by decision of the Government of Russia, this status has been saved.

Duties and functions

In the system of the World Weather Watch of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia provides the fulfillment of international obligations of the Russian Federation on the international exchange of information and data forecasting meteorological observations, and functions as:

• World Meteorological Centre (WMC-Moscow);
• Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in the European region;
• National Centre for weather forecasts.

The main tasks of Russian Hydrometeorological Center are:

• Obtaining new knowledge about the processes of weather in the system "atmosphere-ocean-land".
• Operational support of the country, state and economic structures of hydro-meteorological information, including warnings of adverse weather and dangerous phenomena.

Structure

The structure of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia has 17 departments and independent laboratories and 11 auxiliary and administrative divisions, and there is a postgraduate school. The total number is 410 people.

Director

• Borsch Sergey Vasilyevich (since 2020)
• Alexander E. Snytko (2019)^[3]
• Kiktev Dmitry Borisovich (2018—2019)
• Roman Mendelevich Vilfand (2001-2018 and 2019-2020)
• Frolov, Alexander Vasilyevich (1999—2001)
• Vasiliev Alexander Alexandrovich (1981—1999)
• Petrosyants, Mikhail Aramaisovich (1973—1981)
• Bugaev Viktor Antonovich (1959—1973)
• Kashin Kensorin Ivanovich (1950—1959)
• Drogaytsev Dmitry Andrianovich (1948—1950)
• Yushchak Anatoly Anatolyevich (1944—1948)
• The hero Timofey Kirillovich (1943—1944)
• Tikhomirov Evgeny Ivanovich (1930—1943)

Main research directions

The main research areas of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia include:

• Fundamental and applied research of hydrometeorological processes of various spatial and temporal scales, interaction of the atmosphere with the ocean, hydrological processes on continents, cryosphere and biosphere;
• Development and development of physical and mathematical models of the natural environment (atmosphere, ocean, inland waters, etc.);
• The study of the predictability of hydrometeorological processes and the development of methods for hydrometeorological forecasts of various timescales, including forecasts of dangerous and hydrometeorological phenomena;
• Creation of modern information technologies for the collection, control, and processing of hydrometeorological data (terrestrial, aerological, aeroplane, marine, and satellite) and the production of predictive and analytical products.

The research conducted by the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia is linked in a single research—development—development chain from the creation of a theoretical basis for hydrometeorological forecasting to the development of forecasting methods and technologies and operational hydrometeorological support. The Hydrometeorological Center of Russia has the country's leading scientific school of hydrometeorology. The research is conducted within the framework of the priority area of science, technology and engineering of the Russian Federation "Ecology and rational use of natural resources" and critical technologies of the Russian Federation "Environmental monitoring", "Risk reduction and mitigation of consequences of natural and man-made disasters", "Computer modeling", and since 2006 in the priority area of science, technology and technology development Russian Federation "Rational Use of natural resources" and critical technology "Technologies for monitoring and forecasting the state of the atmosphere and hydrosphere".

International cooperation

The Russian Hydrometeorological Center conducts scientific research in close cooperation with foreign meteorological organizations within the framework of the World Weather Service and other programs of the World Meteorological Organization (World Meteorological Research Program, World Climate Research Program, International Polar Year, etc.), on the basis of Agreements on bilateral scientific and technical cooperation with the meteorological services of Great Britain, Germany, USA, China, Mongolia, Poland, Finland, France, Yugoslavia, South Korea, Vietnam, India, as well as within the framework of the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the CIS countries. 11 employees of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia are members of various expert groups of the WMO.