Keraunos

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Keraunos
Observatoire Français des Tornades et des Orages Violents
Named afterΚεραυνός (Greek word for thunderbolt)
Established2006  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg (19 years ago)
FoundersPierre Mahieu, Emmanuel Wesolek
Legal status société par actions simplifiée   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Focus Meteorology
Headquarters Wattignies   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
CountryFrance  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Official Languages French language   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Website keraunos.org  

Keraunos, (sometimes written as KERAUNOS, in all caps) or the Tornadoes and Severe Storms French Observatory, [1] is a French meteorological organization specializing in severe weather. It operates a free website that allows the public to access a considerable amount of information on these climatic phenomena thanks to real-time data, analytical articles, etc. It is also a consultancy firm that sells its expertise to companies and institutions that need forecasts or more detailed information.

Contents

History

The company was founded in 2006 by two self-taught meteorologists, Pierre Mahieu and Emmanuel Wesolek, who felt that France lacked an organization specializing in the detection and study of thunderstorms. [2] The owners of the Keraunos research office use the North American method of approaching this subject and have already published several articles in world-renowned meteorology journals. [3] Keraunos became a simplified joint-stock company on September 6, 2010. [4]

Mission

Keraunos employs multidisciplinary experts, some with over 20 years of experience, in meteorology, climatology, hydrology, and risk management. Its activities include weather forecasting, weather warnings, and expertise for hail, tornadoes, lightning, severe gusts, and torrential rains. [2] [3]

Keraunos provides the general public with free, high-quality information on storm events affecting the population, as well as a range of paid services for businesses and communities. Keraunos consultants frequently provide media input on both weather news and scientific documentaries on the subject. [3] [5] [6]

Services

Keraunos has its own autonomous forecasting center, specialized in the field of violent phenomena. It runs numerical weather prediction models at variable resolutions, up to 0.9 km, over France. Some models are deterministic and others probabilistic to increase the reliability of forecasts. [3]

Website

The free website offers: [2] [7]

Consulting Services

The services provided for a fee are tailored to meet each need in three areas: [2] [8]

Other Activities

Keraunos experts participate in various international conferences on severe thunderstorms. The organization also organizes seminars for enthusiasts, researchers, professionals, and storm chasers. [7] Some publications by KERAUNOS members are:

References

    1. Pierre Mahieu; Emmanuel Wesolek. "Tornado Rating in Europe with the EF-scale" (PDF). Keraunos.
    2. 1 2 3 4 "Qu'est-ce que Keraunos, ce bureau d'étude qui gère l'observatoire français des tornades et orages violents ?". www.lamontagne.fr (in French). 1 June 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
    3. 1 2 3 4 "Qui sommes-nous?". KERAUNOS (in French).
    4. "Identité de l'entreprise: KERAUNOS". www.societe.com (in French). 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
    5. Romain Lescuieux (21 July 2014). "Intempéries: «Une mini-tornade est une invention des médias»". 20 Minutes (in French). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
    6. Laurent Foreau (21 May 2018). "Risque de violents orages sur la côte vendéenne". Les Sables d'Olonne (in French). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
    7. 1 2 "Observatoire français des tornades et des orages violents France et Europe Kéraunos". debussy.eu (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-11.
    8. "Services d'études de risques et d'expertise". www.keraunos.org (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-10.