GRUAN ICM-16, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain, 17-21 November 2025
The 16th Implementation Coordination Meeting (ICM-16) of the GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) took place in Puerta de La Cruz, Tenerife, hosted by the Spanish Meteorological Service AEMET. During the meeting, the group visited the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC). Established in 1916 and situated on a mountain plateau, 15 km north-east of the volcano Teide (3718 m a.s.l.), the IARC has contributed to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme since its establishment in 1989. In this occasion, Tenerife-Guimar was certified as a GRUAN station.
The President of the Spanish National Meteorological Service, AEMET, Maria Jose Rolle, welcomed the experts of the GRUAN community and highlighted the strong commitment of AEMET to the work carried out by the GRUAN Network as part of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).
Her opening statement was as follows:
«Good morning everyone,
It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to greet you, as President of the Spanish National Meteorological Service, AEMET, and to welcome you to the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center—the first AEMET facility you will visit during this meeting, and a truly unique and emblematic centre for our institution, as you will hear shortly.
I am sure we all agree that the island of Tenerife is a wonderful venue for any international meeting, and I hope the environment contributes to a productive and enjoyable week.
And I was very pleased when I read that one of the objectives of this 16th Implementation and Coordination Meeting of the GRUAN Network is “to encourage collaboration among participants and strengthen the network spirit.”
I hope you are already advancing toward this goal, which is so important at a time when building alliances has become crucial.
From AEMET’s point of view, the island of Tenerife is also especially significant. It has a long history in the development of meteorology in Spain and stands out as a place of innovation and scientific progress.
In this context, AEMET is strongly committed to the work carried out by the GRUAN Network as part of the Global Climate Observing System of WMO. The organization of this meeting—and our keen interest in obtaining certification for our Güímar station—are two clear examples of this commitment.
The Güímar radiosonde station became Spain’s first fully automatic station in 2001. It has been part of GRUAN for eight years, and the experience gained is extremely valuable for AEMET as a whole, both scientifically and technologically.
GRUAN provides a reference framework for many national and international observation networks in which National Meteorological Services participate.
Today, this role is essential: we need institutions and experts who define standards and quality criteria to guide us all—especially when it comes to identifying climate trends in complex areas such as the upper atmosphere of subtropical regions. Tenerife is one of these rare and unique environments. We thank WMO for its continued support and leadership in strengthening the network.
Within AEMET, and under our Strategic Plan 2025–2029, we are strengthening our observational capacities—both organizationally and through significant investments. Upper-air observation activities will be an important part of this effort. In fact, the GRUAN programme is being fully integrated into AEMET’s long-term Observation Strategy.
Before closing, let me express my gratitude to the AEMET team who have worked tirelessly to support GRUAN activities and to prepare this special occasion.
Thank you very much for your attention. I wish you a fruitful and inspiring day.
Information on the meeting and on GRUAN can be found at https://www.gruan.org/.»
- WMO Member:
- Spain
- Region:
- Region VI: Europe