dataset · Europe

EFAS (EWDS)

EFAS (EWDS) (Copernicus CEMS). Access: CDS API. Formats: GRIB, NetCDF. Resolution: 1 arcmin. Coverage: Europe. Pricing/licence: free (CC BY 4.0).

Source details

Licence: free (CC BY 4.0)

Evidence quality: 38.5

Verified 2026-10-16 (curl HTTP 200).

Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z

Data offered docs-verified: river discharge · river discharge in the last 24 hours · river discharge in the last 6 hours · runoff water equivalent (surface plus subsurface) · snow depth water equivalent · soil wetness index (root zone) · volumetric soil moisture (3 soil layers) · auxiliary: upstream area, elevation, soil depth, field capacity, wilting point
Coverage docs-verified: Europe (EFAS domain, from northern Africa beyond the northern tip of Scandinavia, west into the Atlantic, east to the Caspian Sea) · 1 January 1992 to near real time (6 day delay) for version 5.0; various dates for previous versions
Resolution docs-verified: 1x1 arcminute (~1.5 km at EFAS latitudes) for version 5.0; 5x5 km for older versions. Temporal: 6-hourly from version 4, 24-hourly for previous versions
Update frequency docs-verified: New data added continuously, with a minimum 1 month lag for the latest version; near real time with 6 day delay (real-time data restricted to EFAS partners)
Formats docs-verified: GRIB2 · NetCDF-4
Access llm-inferred: Free per entry metadata, via EWDS (CDS API per entry metadata). Licence per docs: CEMS-FLOODS datasets licence. Entry metadata states CC BY 4.0, which conflicts with the docs and should be checked before publishing

Use cases llm-inferred: Long-term (1992 onward) discharge series for flood frequency screening on European catchments · Historical soil moisture and runoff context for drainage and SuDS rainfall-runoff sense-checks · Snow water equivalent and discharge inputs for snowmelt-driven flood risk review · Auxiliary upstream area and elevation layers to interpret gridded discharge on river reaches
Audience llm-inferred: hydrologists · flood consultants · drainage engineers · water resources engineers · GIS analysts

Constraints docs-verified: Real-time data is only available to EFAS partners · Latest data has a 6 day delay (near real time) and a minimum 1 month lag for the latest version · Gridded modelled output (LISFLOOD forced by observed precipitation and temperature), not direct gauge observations · Older versions have 5x5 km resolution and will be discontinued when a new version is released · Version 5.0 uses a regular lat-lon grid; older versions use ETRS-LAEA projection · Licence conflict: entry says CC BY 4.0, docs say CEMS-FLOODS datasets licence

Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.