Cyprus Ionospheric Forecasting Service over Cyprus

The primary objective of this project was to establish a High Frequency (HF) operational service for real-time specification (now-casting) and short-term forecasting of the state of the ionosphere over the eastern Mediterranean region. This real-time service is based on ionosonde measurements from Cyprus and involves the application of existing modelling techniques and the development of mathematical methods and visualisation tools for the forecasting and regional mapping of ionospheric characteristics and provision of associated warning information to enhance HF communication systems operating in the region. The forecasts generated by this HF operational service involved the use of additional space weather data sources that have become available through the space weather community. The forecasts were linked directly to HF sky-wave prediction programmes so that HF frequency managers and users will benefit from near real-time updates of environmental conditions as they develop. This enabled users to adapt to periods of adverse propagation conditions.