Abstract
The general features of the new french operational spectral model are presented with emphasis on the initialization of the surface variables. By using zonal mean diagnostics, several shortcomings of the original formulations were detected. The use of corrected fields near the equator, of the increment method for vertical interpolation as well as improvements in the physics contributed to the production of better forecasts. These progresses are also documented by the informative method of the zonal mean diagnostics. Results of the screen level data assimilation in an operational framework are presented.
