Tuesday 23 June:
Bart Somers (Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure)
Title: Maintaining performance in high-speed microwave links
Abstract: Where fibre-optics are not available, microwave-links are, worldwide, heavily used as backhaul and fronthaul connections to provide high-speed and low-latency data in, i.e., current 4G and 5G networks, for public safety and energy production facilities. The ever-increasing demand for higher capacity stretches the technical limits for these links and several technical methods are implemented to guarantee 99.995% availability, or better. Using strict planning- and licensing schemes we guarantee flawless operation of these networks. In this talk I will cover the best practices used to operate these links, as well as the underlaying principles.
Biography: Bart Somers is a senior network specialist at the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI) and specializes on microwave links, both technical and procedural. RDI is the Dutch regulatory office for spectrum usage. After working working 17 years in law-enforcement as a special agent, specialized in wireless observation and interception methods, he gained his MSc in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigations at the University of Dublin, with a specialisation in SDR-spectrum monitoring and outlier detection using machine learning. Bart is also an amateur-radio operator with the callsign PE1RIK.
Eoin Burke (water authority Rijn & IJssel)
Title: From backyard rain gauges to flood forecasts: using PWS in operational hydrology
Abstract: Reliable rainfall observations are essential for flood forecasting, particularly in small and medium-sized catchments where localized convective storms strongly influence runoff generation. However, estimating rainfall accurately remains challenging. Weather radar provides valuable spatial coverage but is known to contain systematic biases. In the eastern part of the Netherlands, radar products often underestimate rainfall totals, which can lead rainfall-runoff models to start from catchment conditions that are too dry and consequently underestimate forecast discharge peaks.
At Waterschap Rijn en IJssel, we have explored how opportunistic rainfall observations from personal weather stations - particularly Netatmo sensors - can complement existing monitoring systems. What began as a small pilot project to increase the spatial density of rainfall observations has gradually evolved into a reliable component of the operational measurement network. After implementing filtering and quality control procedures, the Netatmo observations are now integrated into the WRIJ data infrastructure alongside traditional rain gauges and radar data.
In this keynote we present operational experiences with integrating crowdsourced rainfall observations into hydrological forecasting workflows. We show how dense ground-based observations help capture the strong spatial variability of convective rainfall and provide an independent reference that helps identify and compensate for radar underestimation. Improved rainfall observations lead to better estimates of catchment wetness prior to forecasting and ultimately to more reliable discharge and water level forecasts.
The presentation highlights both the opportunities and practical challenges of using opportunistic sensing in operational water management and discusses the potential role of dense citizen-observation networks as a permanent complement to traditional monitoring systems.
Biography: Eoin Burke is a hydrologist at Waterschap Rijn en IJssel in the Netherlands, where he works on operational flood forecasting and hydrological modelling. His work focuses on improving the reliability of real-time forecasts by integrating new data sources into operational hydrological systems.
In recent years he has been involved in developing methods to incorporate opportunistic rainfall observations - such as data from personal weather stations - into operational monitoring networks. At Waterschap Rijn en IJssel, he helped implement a system in which crowdsourced rainfall observations are filtered, quality-controlled, and integrated alongside radar and traditional rain gauge measurements to improve rainfall estimates for flood forecasting.
Eoin has a background in hydrological modelling and data assimilation and works extensively with rainfall-runoff models and forecasting systems used in operational water management. His interests include improving rainfall observations for hydrology, understanding spatial variability in convective precipitation, and bridging the gap between research innovations and practical forecasting systems used by water authorities.
Wednesday 24 June:
Irene Garcia-Martí (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute)
Title: Advancing a European social digital infrastructure through crowdsourced weather observations
Abstract: Over the past decade, KNMI has built substantial experience in the use of personal weather stations (PWS) and other third‑party observations, moving from early national‑scale experiments to the development of high‑resolution European temperature products. In this talk, Irene will provide a detailed overview of this journey, which entails the development of some foundational aspects in the organization (e.g. governance, infrastructure) parallel to multiple innovative research lines with crowdsourced weather observations at the core.
As coordinator of EUMETNET’s Expert Team on IoT Observations, she will provide a high‑level overview of current themes and emerging activities within the European community, highlighting how KNMI’s national efforts align with and contribute to these broader developments. Building on this perspective, Irene will outline KNMI’s plans to further institutionalize the use of third‑party data, including new collaborations with Dutch public agencies to strengthen citizen participation and accelerate the adoption of crowdsourced observations. These efforts contribute to a social digital infrastructure where public institutions, researchers, and citizens jointly shape the next generation of society‑driven services.
Biography: Irene is a data scientist at KNMI and holds a PhD from the ITC Faculty of the University of Twente. She brings 15 years of experience working with crowdsourced observations across ecology and meteorology, and she currently serves as the coordinator of EUMETNET’s Expert Team on Internet of Things (IoT) Observations, where she is an active and engaged contributor. At KNMI, her work with personal weather stations (PWS) has given her a broad and deep perspective on the entire chain: from quality control and integration into the digital infrastructure, to governance organization, and more recently to innovative contributions to data assimilation and verification for NWP. She also works on AI/ML approaches for impact‑based forecasting, modelling damage observations from external partners to estimate the risk of severe‑weather impacts. Across all these activities, Irene aims to strengthen the tissue between the public sector and society, co‑designing more society‑driven, society‑oriented climate services that support informed decision‑making.