JRA‐25: Japanese 25‐year re‐analysis project—progress and status

The progress and status of a new atmospheric re‐analysis, JRA‐25 the Japanese 25‐year Re‐analysis which covers the 26 years from 1979 to 2004, are introduced. Observational data include some newly produced for JRA‐25 and advantages and drawbacks of performance are briefly described. JRA‐25 has many advantages such as its handling of precipitation amounts, tropical cyclone analysis, and the extent of low‐level cloud along western continents that are among the best compared to other re‐analyses. The snow analysis is also good and stable. JRA‐25 outputs analysis products every 6 hours. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society