FOEN is using the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) with the hydrological model HBV for operational flood forecasts in the swiss part of the Rhine basin. With respect to MAP D-PHASE FEWS has been extended to use COSMOCH2, COCH7COR, CLEPS and PEPS. COSMOCH7 and ECMWF have been used already before for operational flood forecasting.

Forecasts are issued normally during working days from Monday to Friday with t0 at 05 UTC.

Updating of HBV up to time t0 (normally at 05 UTC) is done with meteorological data from MeteoSwiss (ANETZ, 1h resolution) and hydrological data from FOEN for 60 subbasins. After t0 HBV is driven by the meteorological models mentioned above. Forecasts for 12 selected hydrological stations are provided for MAP D-Phase.

For MAP D-Phase, the model update of HBV based on meteorological station data is compared with an update driven by radar precipitation. The initial states for the hydrological forecasts are always based on the update driven by meteorological station data.

Data providers:

Observed meteorology (1h-resolution): MeteoSwiss (ANETZ data, Areal radar precipitation)

CLEPS, COSMOCH2, COSMOCH7, COCH7COR and ECMWF: MeteoSwiss

PEPS: DWD

Observed discharge and waterstage (1h-resolution): Swiss Federal Office for Environment FOEN, Landesanstalt fuer Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Wuerttemberg LUBW (for german tributaries), Abteilung Wasserwirtschaft Vorarlberg (for austrian tributaries)

Basins:

Aare-Brugg, Aare-Murgenthal, Emme-Emmenmatt, Kleine Emme-Littau, Limmat-Baden, Reuss-Mellingen, Rhein-Basel, Rhein-Diepoldsau, Rhein-Rekingen, Rhein-Rheinfelden, Thur-Andelfingen, Thur-Halden