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| Russian Meteorological Service (Roshydromet) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Russian Meteorological Service (Roshydromet) |
| Nativename | Федеральная служба по гидрометеорологии и мониторингу окружающей среды |
| Formed | 1929 (predecessors since 19th century) |
| Preceding1 | Main Physical Observatory |
| Jurisdiction | Russian Federation |
| Headquarters | Moscow |
| Chief1 name | (See organizational section) |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation |
Russian Meteorological Service (Roshydromet) is the federal agency responsible for hydrometeorological services, environmental monitoring, and climate science in the Russian Federation, providing operational weather forecasting, climate assessment, and hazard warnings. The agency traces institutional roots to imperial and Soviet-era institutions and operates a nationwide network integrating surface, upper-air, oceanographic, and satellite observations to support aviation, maritime, agriculture, and civil protection sectors.
Roshydromet's antecedents include the Main Physical Observatory founded in the late 19th century, the Imperial Russian Navy's hydrographic services, and Soviet-era bodies such as the Hydrometeorological Service of the USSR, which were reorganized after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. During the early 20th century, figures associated with the observatory collaborated with institutions like the Saint Petersburg State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the All-Union Geographical Society to expand synoptic meteorology, polar research, and aerological studies. The Cold War era linked Roshydromet's predecessors to programs with the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, the Black Sea Hydrometeorological Research Institute, and military-linked forecasting for the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Navy. Post-Soviet reforms positioned the agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation while maintaining ties with legacy centers such as the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics and the Russian State Hydrometeorological University.
The agency is organized into regional hydrometeorological centers in administrative units like Moscow Oblast, Saint Petersburg, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Krasnoyarsk Krai, and Primorsky Krai, and specialized institutes including the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory. Leadership interacts with the Government of Russia and ministries such as the Ministry of Defence (Russian Federation) and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation to coordinate aviation meteorology for carriers like Aeroflot and maritime forecasts for fleets operating from ports such as Murmansk. Research divisions collaborate with academic bodies including the Russian Academy of Sciences, the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, and universities like Lomonosov Moscow State University. Operational centers provide services to stakeholders including the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport, and disaster response agencies like the Emergencies Ministry of Russia.
Roshydromet issues operational forecasts, warnings for extreme events, and climate monitoring products for sectors including aviation, shipping, agriculture, and energy. It maintains hydrological services for river systems such as the Volga River, Ob River, Amur River, and Yenisey River, and provides sea-ice analyses for the Northern Sea Route. The agency contributes to national climate assessments aligned with global syntheses like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and supplies data used by ministries including the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft. It also supports scientific expeditions to polar stations like Mirny Station and coordinates tsunami and storm-surge warnings with maritime authorities for the Barents Sea and Sea of Okhotsk.
Roshydromet operates surface synoptic stations, radiosonde launch sites, radar installations, oceanographic buoys, and a network of meteorological satellites in cooperation with Roscosmos, the Meteor-M satellite series, and international platforms like NOAA and EUMETSAT. The land network includes historic observatories such as the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory and stations across regions including Khabarovsk Krai and Kaliningrad Oblast. Sea observations derive from collaborations with the Russian Navy, research vessels from the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, and installations on Arctic drifting stations connected to International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere. Upper-air data are collected jointly with the World Meteorological Organization frameworks and shared through systems like the Global Telecommunication System. Numerical weather prediction runs on supercomputing resources linked to national centers and interfaces with models such as the Global Forecast System and regional models used by neighboring services like Met Office and Deutscher Wetterdienst.
Roshydromet houses research institutes engaged in atmospheric physics, climatology, oceanography, and cryospheric science, cooperating with the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, and university departments at Saint Petersburg State University and Moscow State University. Projects address climate change impacts in the Arctic Council region, permafrost thaw in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), and aerosol–cloud interactions relevant to air quality in Novosibirsk and Chelyabinsk. The service contributes to international assessments like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, participates in field campaigns with institutions such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and develops applied tools for sectors including Russian Railways and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Roshydromet is a member of the World Meteorological Organization and participates in multilateral frameworks including the Arctic Council, bilateral exchanges with agencies like NOAA, Met Office, Deutscher Wetterdienst, and cooperation with EUMETSAT and WMO World Weather Watch. It signs technical agreements with national institutions such as the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia's counterparts and takes part in scientific collaborations with the International Arctic Science Committee and the Group on Earth Observations. International exercises and data-sharing arrangements involve partners including the International Maritime Organization, the European Commission's Copernicus programme, and research collaborations with the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Roshydromet has faced criticism over data transparency, modernization pace, and resource allocation, with debates involving stakeholders such as the Russian Academy of Sciences and regional administrations in Siberia and the Far East. Accusations have arisen concerning timeliness of warnings during extreme events affecting cities like Krasnoyarsk and regions including Khabarovsk Krai, and scrutiny over cooperation with extractive companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft regarding environmental monitoring. Internationally, tensions over data sharing have appeared within forums like the World Meteorological Organization, and domestic reforms have prompted discussion in the State Duma and among scientific unions including the Russian Geographical Society. Efforts to address shortcomings involve investment in satellites via Roscosmos, upgrades to supercomputing, and partnerships with foreign agencies including NOAA and EUMETSAT to improve forecasting and observational coverage.
Category:Science and technology in Russia Category:Meteorology organizations Category:Organizations based in Moscow