The World Weather Open Science Conference -- August 2014

infrastructure – in telecommunications, computerization and observation systems – predictive skill now extends, in some cases, beyond 10 days. Warnings of severe weather events are now issued many days in advance. Partly due to these advances, the needs of the users have simultaneously diversified, and now routinely encompass 'environmental' prediction products related to air quality or hydrological processes.Over the last few decades a number of major international research programmes have been critical in fostering the necessary collaboration for the progress we are observing – most notably, the WMO World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) and THORPEX. As science is advancing critical questions are arising such as the possible sources of predictability on weekly, monthly and longer time-scales; seamless prediction; and the effective utilization of massively-parallel supercomputers.The World Weather Open Science Conference will examine the rapidly changing scientific and socio-economic drivers of weather science with as objectives [1] To review the state of knowledge in weather and weather prediction science and thereby confirm a roadmap for the legacy of THORPEX; [2] To explore the many applications of weather prediction to the natural environment; [3] to encourage a new generation of research scientists who can contribute to new and advanced earth system prediction models; [4]  To raise the visibility and importance of a strong and vibrant world weather science research activity, in harmony with the needs of operational weather services and their stakeholders, in the public and the private sectors ..."