The ESSL: Europe’s Centre of Competence on severe convective storms approaches its 20 year anniversary

When, before its founding in 2006, the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) was conceived by its initiator, Dr. Nikolai Dotzek, he had the vision of it becoming a leading “Center of Competence” on convective storms in Europe. Since its inception, the Laboratory has gradually expanded and now employs 15 staff members, including part-time personnel.

ESSL’s main activities include the development and maintenance of the European Severe Weather Database, conducting comprehensive research on severe weather phenomena, including the assessment of new forecasting tools, organizing the European Conferences on Severe Storms, and providing training for weather forecasters. These efforts are made possible through the support of institutional and individual members, funding from international, national and regional agencies, and the valuable contributions of volunteers who report severe weather events to ESSL.

Over time, ESSL has also built strong, long-term collaborations with organizations such as ECMWF, EUMETSAT, and various national weather services. Since 2024, the two legal entities in Germany and Austria responsible for ESSL’s operations, together with its employees, have co-owned a commercial venture that facilitates the use of ESSL’s hazard models and the popular online Weather Data Displayer by members and others.

Some of ESSL’s other current developments include the organization of the field campaign on Thunderstorm Intensification from Mountains to plains (TIM) and leveraging several new avenues in research and education enabled by the classification of ever more European meteorological data as “Open data”.
In our presentation, we will reflect on ESSL’s achievements over the years, highlight key milestones and events, anticipate the celebration of its 20th anniversary in 2026, and share a forward-looking perspective on the Laboratory’s future development.