La Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is much more than the weather predictions that we see daily on weather maps. Behind every storm warning, every rain forecast, or every piece of information about wind gusts, there is a complex network of professionals, observation systems, and numerical models working tirelessly to provide reliable and useful data to the public, government agencies, and key economic sectors.
In Spain, when we look at the sky and wonder if it will rain, if there will be extreme temperatures or adverse phenomenaWe almost always rely, directly or indirectly, on information from AEMET. This state agency, successor to the historic National Institute of Meteorology, has adapted to new climatic, technological, and social challenges, integrating advanced prediction tools and expanding its services to cover everything from aviation to civil protection, including research and scientific dissemination.
Legal origin and creation of the State Meteorological Agency
The creation of AEMET is based on a significant regulatory change within the General State Administration. With the entry into force of Law 28/2006, of July 18Regarding State Agencies for the improvement of public services, the door was opened to the transformation of the former National Meteorological Institute (INM) into a state agency with a more modern and results-oriented management model.
Pursuant to that law, the Government was authorized to establish the new entity, which took concrete legal form through the Royal Decree 186/2008, of February 8Royal Decree 142008, which approves the Statute of the State Meteorological Agency, was published in the Official State Gazette on February 14, 2008, marking the official transition from the National Meteorological Institute (INM) to the current AEMET, with a structure and organization adapted to the needs of the 21st century.
The transformation did not involve starting from scratch, but rather integrating all the experience of the previous organization into a new framework. The old National Institute of MeteorologyA management center with over 140 years of history transferred all its powers, human resources, and accumulated experience to the Agency. Thus, AEMET was born with a solid historical foundation but with a renewed approach to management, planning, and results evaluation.
This change aimed to improve the quality of meteorological services, ensure greater efficiency in the use of public resources, and strengthen Spain's role within the international meteorological community, both in Europe and within the framework of the World Meteorological Organization.
Administrative dependency and institutional role
AEMET is a state agency that is attached to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic ChallengeSpecifically, it reports to the State Secretariat for the Environment, which reflects the close relationship between meteorology, climate change, water management, ecosystem protection, and environmental planning.
This affiliation allows it to coordinate smoothly with other public policies related to adaptation to climate change, natural disaster prevention (such as floods or storms at sea) and energy or agricultural planning. Meteorological data is a key element in understanding and anticipating many of these phenomena, which is why meteorology is fully integrated into the State's environmental strategy.
In addition to its technical role, AEMET is officially the National Metereological Service of Spain. This means it acts as the country's official reference for everything related to meteorological observation, forecasting, and communication, both domestically and internationally. It is the authoritative voice when Warnings are issued for adverse weather phenomena and responsible for coordinating with other national meteorological services and supranational bodies.
The Agency also holds the status of State meteorological authorityThis status means that its criteria and data are considered official for the purposes of safety, accountability, and administrative decision-making. In sensitive areas such as air navigation and maritime safety, having a single, recognized authority reduces risks and avoids contradictions between different sources.
In this context, AEMET also performs the function of aeronautical meteorological authorityIt provides the necessary meteorological services for civil and military aviation in Spanish territory, including specialized forecasts, storm warnings, wind shear, heavy fog or any phenomenon that may compromise the safety of air operations.
Purpose and main functions of the State Meteorological Agency
The core of AEMET's mission revolves around providing state-run meteorological servicesThis ranges from general predictions disseminated in the media to highly specific products aimed at professional users, public institutions, and economic sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport, or tourism.
Its fundamental objectives include the development, implementation, and provision of meteorological services that contribute to the safety of people and propertyWarnings about adverse weather phenomena (heavy rain, heavy snowfall, heat waves or cold spells, windstorms, thunderstorms, etc.) are essential so that Civil Protection, emergency services and the public can anticipate and reduce damage.
Another key focus is supporting the exercise of other public policies and private activitiesAEMET's data and predictions are used to plan agricultural campaigns, design infrastructure, manage reservoirs, scheduling maintenance operations on electrical networks, organizing large outdoor events or planning transport routes, among many other uses.
The Agency contributes directly to well-being and sustainable development of Spanish society. A detailed understanding of the state of the atmosphere, the climate, and its medium- and long-term trends is essential for adapting to a context of climate change, in which extreme events may become more frequent or intense. AEMET provides valuable information both in the short term (operational forecasting) and over longer time horizons, relevant for strategic planning.
In addition to forecasts, AEMET is responsible for tasks such as systematic observation of the atmosphere through network of weather stationsradars, satellites and other instruments, the collection and management of historical data series, the preparation of climate studies and participation in international research and cooperation projects.
Weather forecasts in 8124 municipalities in Spain
One of AEMET's most visible and frequently consulted services is the local weather forecast. Currently, the following services are offered: predictions for 8124 municipalities in SpainThese forecasts are designed to represent the most likely trend in weather patterns over the next seven days, providing the public with a practical tool for planning their daily lives.
These municipal predictions should be interpreted as a probabilistic trend And not as an absolute guarantee. The atmosphere is a very complex, chaotic system, and although numerical models have advanced spectacularly, there is always a margin of uncertainty, especially as the prediction time horizon expands.
The information is selected by municipality, but the prediction shown refers to the capital of the municipal districtIn Spain, there are municipalities with large land areas and significant variations in altitude between different zones (valleys, upper neighborhoods, mountain areas, etc.). This means that some of the expected parameters (temperature, precipitation, wind, snow) can vary considerably between different points within the same municipality.
For that reason, although the municipal forecast offers a fairly representative view, it must be taken into account that in areas with complex orography or strong contrast in altitudesActual conditions may differ from those shown in the information sheet for the municipal capital. This warning is especially relevant in mountain municipalities, inland areas with nearby mountain ranges, or coastal municipalities with differences between coastal and inland zones.
In any case, having predictions structured by municipalities and not just by large geographical areas allows the user to obtain information much closer to their immediate surroundings, which is very useful for everyday activities such as planning journeys, outdoor work or sports activities.
Difference between hourly forecast and 7-day forecast
Within the Agency's service offering, the municipal forecasts include two distinct formats: the "Hourly prediction" and "7-Day Prediction"Each one responds to different needs and is based on different time horizons and resolutions.
The hourly forecast shows the evolution of the weather. from hour to hour, up to 48 hours after the nominal update time of the numerical models. These reference times are usually 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). From each update, maps and time series are generated that allow for fairly detailed monitoring of the expected evolution of variables such as temperature, cloud cover, wind, and probability of precipitation.
For its part, the 7-day forecast It covers a broader period, encompassing the entire following week. In this format, the information is usually summarized in intervals of several hours or by day, allowing the general trend to be seen: whether several days of stable weather are expected, a succession of rain fronts, a significant drop in temperatures, or the arrival of an intense heat wave.
In the "timeline" of these predictions, the local time associated with each data point is the reference for instantaneous variables (for example, the temperature at a specific time or the wind speed at that time). For variables accumulated in one hour, such as maximum gust, precipitation or snow, that hour marks the beginning of the accumulation period, which extends over the following hour.
For example, if the forecast shows a precipitation value at 09:00, that data refers to the accumulated rainfall between the 09:00 and 10:00The same applies to snow or maximum wind gust: the value shown reflects what happens from the moment indicated in the graph or table until the next hour of the record.
Time interpretation and use of UTC in forecasts
An important aspect for correctly interpreting AEMET information is the distinction between the local time and UTC timeMost of the variables that appear in time format are already adapted to the local time of the area where the prediction is made, which is the one shown on the timeline visible to the user.
However, when working with intervals six-hour or longer durationThe Agency uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) as a reference. In these cases, to know the actual local time, it is necessary to apply the relevant correction according to the time of year: one hour is added during winter time and two hours during summer time (when the seasonal time change is in effect in Spain).
This means that if a time interval is indicated in UTC, this difference must be taken into account. For example, a time interval from 00 to 06 UTC during winter will be equivalent, in peninsular official time, to the period between 01:00 and 07:00 hrs.In summer, however, the same UTC interval would correspond to 02:00-08:00 in peninsular local time.
This way of working with UTC in certain meteorological products responds to the need to have a unified international time referenceThis facilitates data comparison, information exchange between meteorological services, and the correct interpretation of numerical model fields, which are usually generated on that standard time scale.
For the average user, the most important thing to note is whether the displayed times are converted to local time or expressed in UTC. AEMET usually indicates this on the forecast and warning pages themselves, but it's worth keeping in mind to avoid confusion, especially when consulting specialized maps or technical reports.
How predictions are generated: numerical models and statistical treatment
The forecasts we see already processed and ready for consultation on the AEMET website or other platforms don't appear out of thin air. They are obtained from numerical weather prediction modelswhich are very complex computer programs that simulate the behavior of the atmosphere by solving physical equations with huge amounts of input data.
In the specific case of municipal forecasts, these are generated automatically by the statistical treatment of the results of these models. From the output fields (temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, precipitation, etc.) post-processing methods are applied that adapt the raw information of the model to each location, taking into account factors such as altitude, local climatology and other adjustments necessary to make the prediction more realistic.
Due to this automated approach, there may be differences between these predictions and others made directly by the Agency through its human forecasting teams. In many cases, the Professional predictors interpret and correct The results of the models compare different sources of information and consider elements that are not always well reflected in the numerical data, such as certain cloud configurations, local phenomena, or infrequent situations.
Thus, automatically generated predictions offer broad and detailed coverage for thousands of municipalities, but there are specific products, such as some official notices or special bulletins, where the criteria of the specialized AEMET personnel It has a very significant impact, especially in adverse weather situations or when unusual phenomena are predicted.
The combined use of numerical models and advanced prediction techniquesAdvanced statistical techniques and expert supervision allow for progressively improving the quality of predictions, something crucial in an environment where citizens and institutions increasingly depend on accurate weather information.
AEMET's main locations, directory, and contacts
The headquarters and several key services of the State Meteorological Agency are located in Madrid, at a single site well-known within the Spanish meteorological field. Presidency of AEMET It is located at Calle Leonardo Prieto Castro number 8, with postal code 28040, in the city of Madrid.
Several key agency offices are also located at this address. Among them is the Production and Infrastructure DepartmentThis department, responsible for many of the technical operations, shares the same physical location: Calle Leonardo Prieto Castro nº 8, 28040 Madrid. The contact telephone number for this department is 91 581 96 78, and the fax number is 91 581 98 45.
In the same direction is the AEMET Administration DepartmentThis unit manages financial, human resources, and other internal aspects necessary for the Agency's daily operations. Its contact telephone number is 91 581 98 83 and the fax number associated with this address is 91 581 98 47. Its headquarters are located at Calle Leonardo Prieto Castro nº 8, in Madrid.
Another strategic unit that shares a location is the Planning, Strategy and Business Development DepartmentFrom here, much of the Agency's medium- and long-term strategy is coordinated, as well as business relationships and the adaptation of services to the needs of different users. The contact telephone number for this office is 91 581 98 80, and the fax number is again 91 581 98 45, all with the same postal address in the capital.
Finally, and also at that location, AEMET offers a service of User supportIts address is also Calle Leonardo Prieto Castro nº 8, 28040 Madrid, and the general telephone contact number for inquiries is 060, where numerous requests for information, questions about services and other issues related to the Agency and its meteorological products are channeled.
The AEMET library: a fundamental resource for the scientific community
Within the structure of AEMET, the existence of a library specializing in atmospheric scienceswhich has become a reference for researchers, weather and climate professionals, as well as for citizens interested in meteorology.
According to information prepared by the AEMET Library itself, the Agency, in its capacity as the National Meteorological Service and State Meteorological Authority, houses a very valuable documentary collection. This library brings together scientific publications, technical reports, specialized books, journals, historical bulletins, and other materials that document the development of the meteorological and climatological knowledge both in Spain and internationally.
The function of the library is not only to preserve documents, but also preserve documentary heritage in the field of atmospheric sciences. This includes historical materials, data series, old maps, observational records, and publications of great relevance to reconstructing and understanding the evolution of climate and meteorology in our country.
Furthermore, this library acts as a powerful tool for dissemination of meteorological knowledge In Spain, it offers resources to researchers studying climate change, extreme weather events, numerical weather prediction, atmospheric dynamics, and other related fields. It serves as a support platform for the scientific community, university students, and professionals in meteorological or climate services.
In short, the AEMET Library is consolidating its position as a key resource to ensure that meteorological knowledge is not only generated and used in operational forecasting, but also archived, studied, and made available to those who need to delve deeper into the subject. history and science of the atmosphere.
The State Meteorological Agency brings together in one institution the official authority on weather and climate in Spain, a forecasting network that reaches thousands of municipalities, critical services for sectors such as aviation or civil protection, and an important documentary heritage through its specialized library; all of this supported by a solid legal framework, a well-defined organizational structure and the combined use of advanced numerical models and the experience of its forecasters, which makes it an essential actor to understand and face the meteorological and climatic challenges of the country.
