North-West University -- operational research forecast · init 2026-08-23 06:00 UTC, GFS 06Z cycle · 72h forecast · cycle 20260823_06z · updated daily
A three-domain, two-way nested WRF-ARW forecast: an outer 18 km domain spanning Southern Africa provides lateral boundary forcing only; a 9 km domain covers South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini; and a 3 km, convection-permitting nest covers North West province and Gauteng. Initialized daily from NCEP GFS. This is a research forecast for demonstration and planning support -- SAWS is the only body authorized to issue official weather warnings in South Africa.
For additional or custom WRF forecasts, contact Dr Henno Havenga, henno.havenga@nwu.ac.za.
| Domain | Resolution | Grid | Extent | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| d01 (outer) | 18 km | 279x219 | 0.4-49.6E, 5.4-40.3S | Lateral boundary forcing only -- not published |
| d02 | 9 km | 214x200 | 15.9-34.8E, 21.2-36.5S | South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini |
| d03 (nest in d02) | 3 km | 246x156 | 22.0-29.2E, 24.1-28.2S | North West + Gauteng, convection-permitting |
| Model configuration | |
|---|---|
| Dynamical core | WRF-ARW v4.8.0, non-hydrostatic |
| Microphysics | Thompson (mp_physics=6) |
| Cumulus | Kain-Fritsch (d01/d02) -- OFF on d03 (3 km, convection resolved explicitly) |
| Longwave / shortwave radiation | RRTMG (ra_lw_physics=3 / ra_sw_physics=3) |
| Planetary boundary layer | YSU (bl_pbl_physics=1) |
| Surface layer | Revised MM5 Monin-Obukhov (sf_sfclay_physics=1) |
| Land surface | Unified Noah LSM (sf_surface_physics=2), 4 soil layers |
| Boundary/initial conditions | NCEP GFS 0.25deg, 3-hourly |