News and Media

New ECMWF headquarters at the University of Reading approved

NCEO welcome the announcement that planning permission has been granted to develop a new headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts at the University of Reading.

The Government has been granted planning permission to develop a new cutting-edge headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) at the University of Reading, with an anticipated completion date in 2026.

The new facility, designed to be at the forefront of technology and sustainability, will house around 300 scientists and professionals dedicated to advancing weather prediction and climate research. Leveraging techniques such as data assimilation and earth system modelling, the centre aims to refine forecasting accuracy and deepen our understanding of climate change dynamics.

The University is already home to it’s world renowned Department of Meteorology, the National Centre for Earth Observation, National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences and parts of the UK Met Office. The addition of the new ECMWF HQ will secure one of the largest clusters of weather and climate research and operational forecasting facilities in the world at the University of Reading.

We are delighted to hear that the plans for ECMWF’s new building on the University of Reading campus has been approved. We already work closely with ECMWF colleagues and this development will further boost our opportunities for collaboration.

Professor Sarah Dance, NCEO Divisional Director at the University of Reading.