Sääpalvelut

Sääpalvelut, Finnish for weather services, denote the institutions, systems and activities that collect meteorological data, produce forecasts and warnings, and deliver weather information to the public, businesses, and government agencies. They encompass routine weather forecasts, severe weather alerts, climate data products, and specialized services for sectors such as maritime, aviation and agriculture. The term can refer to both national meteorological services and commercial providers that offer weather information.

Sääpalvelut rely on observation networks that include surface weather stations, upper-air measurements, radar and satellites, as well as maritime buoys. They use numerical weather prediction models run on high-performance computers, along with data assimilation and post-processing to generate forecast products. Forecasts cover multiple timescales, from hours to days, and often include probabilistic or ensemble information to express uncertainty.

Dissemination channels include official websites and mobile apps, push notifications, public broadcasters, and partnerships with media outlets. Weather warnings, alerts for severe events, and utilitarian products for aviation, shipping, energy, agriculture and outdoor activities are distributed through these channels. Open data and application programming interfaces may be provided to researchers and developers for broader use.

In Finland, Sääpalvelut are provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (Ilmatieteen laitos), the national weather service. The institute participates in international networks coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization and European partners, sharing data and products to improve forecasts and public safety.