Five students from Météo France visited IMKTRO for their research internships

During this summer, five students from the French National School of Meteorology (L'École Nationale de la Météorologie, ENM) at Météo-France in Toulouse, France, joined IMKTRO for three-month research internships, which is integrated into their study programme. During their research visit, the five students were hosted across Campus North and Campus South and gained insight in recent research topics in the research groups Atmospheric Risk, Tropical Meteorology, and Mesoscale Processes and Predictability (Fig. 1). Each student worked on a specific research project, gaining hands-on experience while obtaining insights into the diverse research activities at IMKTRO.

The project topics varied considerably, reflecting the broad range of research questions, data sources, and methods used at the institute. One intern project focused on evaluating subseasonal ensemble precipitation forecasts for Southern Africa using three different forecasting models. Two other projects addressed hail-related research: one investigated local trends in hailstorm activity, while the other explored the link between overshooting tops identified in satellite imagery and hail- and thunderstorm activity. Two further projects combined lidar measurements from KITcube obtained during the NAWDIC campaign with operational model data. They focused on characterizing vertical profiles of wind speed as well as specific humidity along a transect extending from the ocean to land and evaluated model data. The interns also had the opportunity to explore the KITcube measurement infrastructure and participate in storm-chasing activities in the field (Fig. 2).

The internships provided the students with an opportunity to apply and expand their meteorological knowledge and technical skills in an international research environment and to exchange with researchers from different fields. At the same time, we benefited from their perspectives, experiences, their enthusiasm about weather, and the stimulating discussions with them. Beyond their research projects, the students also participated in institute seminars, weekly weather discussions, and joined the IMKTRO summer party (Fig. 1), providing opportunities to meet colleagues in a more informal setting and experience the social side of life at IMKTRO.

The three-month stay highlighted the value of international exchange and collaboration in meteorological education and research and for further strengthening the connections between weather services and research institutes. The visit was a very enriching and enjoyable experience for both the students and their hosts, and we hope it will provide a foundation for further exchange in the future.

Annika Oertel, Jannick Fischer, Andreas Fink, Michael Kunz, and Marlon Maranan