The Effect of “Aeolus” Data on the Accumulated Precipitation Associated with a Severe Storm Event over Greece

The limited availability of wind profile measurements has long hindered advancements in atmospheric modeling and our understanding of climate systems. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) “Aeolus” mission encountered this challenge with the groundbreaking introduction of space-based Doppler wind lidar technology, capable of providing Near-Real-Time wind profile data. The regional COSMO NWP model was utilized to demonstrate the potential of “Aeolus” in improving NWP model capabilities. The research focuses on analyzing the precipitation of the severe Hephaestion storm, which struck Greece in early January 2020, by comparing the performance of the NWP model with and without the assimilation of “Aeolus” data.