AN ADVANCE party for a two-month international scientific weather experiment which begins at Shannon Airport tomorrow began to arrive at the airport yesterday.
Shannon was chosen as the operational headquarters for a field phase of the experiment "because climatological studies show it to be the best place from which research aircraft can reach the relevant developing Atlantic weather systems".
Met Eireann is supporting the experiment by providing forecasts, meteorological support and communications systems in accommodation provided under contract by Aer Rianta.
A large international team of meteorologists and research scientists will be based at Shannon, along with research aircraft from France, the UK Met Office and the USA.
A spokesman for Met Eireann said weather forecasters were aware that the theory of "warm" and "cold" fronts - developed early this century - "is not sufficiently detailed for today's demanding customers".
With the ever-increasing resolution of computer models of the atmosphere "it is recognised that finer detail of the structure of fronts is required in order to more accurately predict the development of storms and associated rain bands".
An official at Shannon said the experiment, called Fastex, should improve weather forecasting.