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Severe weather safety in Europe: ECSS conference 2025 in Utrecht is coming up!
The 2025 ECSS conference in Utrecht discusses severe weather research and forecasting. Participation of the DWD and international cooperation.
Severe weather safety in Europe: ECSS conference 2025 in Utrecht is coming up!
Today, November 11, 2025, we look at the development of the European Severe Storms Conference (ECSS), which was launched 25 years ago. This conference took place for the first time in Toulouse in 2000, initiated by European meteorologists and scientists from Météo-France. At that time, 120 participants from over 20 countries took part to exchange information about the latest findings in meteorology. An important milestone was the second conference in Prague in 2002, which led to the discussion and definition of uniform definitions for severe weather in Europe.
The ECSS has developed rapidly since then. In 2004, the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) was presented at the conference in León, which was developed by Dr. Nikolai Dotzek was developed at DLR. This database collects storm reports from Europe and now contains over 200,000 entries. Another significant event was the founding of the European Severe Weather Laboratory (ESSL) at the same conference, which was officially registered on September 13, 2006 in Munich.
Research and predictions
The ESSL aims to improve the understanding and forecasting of severe thunderstorms. In collaboration with European weather services, the ESSL conducts research on severe weather phenomena and opened a Research and Training Center in Wiener Neustadt in June 2012, which focuses on training forecast meteorologists.
The ECSS, in turn, has organized numerous conferences, including in Landshut (2009), Palma de Mallorca (2011) and Krakow (2019). The last ECSS conference took place in Bucharest in 2023. However, the big highlight for this year is still to come: the next conference will take place in Utrecht from November 17th to 21st, 2025. The focus here will be on current topics such as observation and remote sensing systems, model forecasts and studies on severe weather events. The German Weather Service (DWD) will take part in the conference and make valuable contributions.
The ECSS and ESSL have not only gained a foothold in the academic world, but also provide insights into modern, innovative approaches to science. This is also expressed within the central themes of the association's goals of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS). This organization supports members in their careers and advances sports science by disseminating high-quality, innovative science, building an engaged community, and developing strong partnerships in the private and public sectors. Members benefit from job offers, events and an extensive congress abstract database. The membership process has been simplified since 2023, as there is now an automatic annual renewal unless you want to opt in instead.
This commitment to the development of young scholars and meaningful exchange within the community reflects a larger goal: creating a dynamic and supportive learning environment for all. The aim is not only to expand the knowledge and skills of members, but also to promote the social and emotional aspect of development, which implies responsible and engaged citizenship.