Seamless Forecasting for Latvian Seaports, Bridging the Gap Between Inner Ports and Open Seas

Latvian ports, ranging from large international hubs to local fishing harbors, require precise sea state information for safe navigation, particularly at their entrances where conditions can differ significantly from both inner port and open sea environments. Since 2020, the HywasPort service has been delivering modelled parameter forecasts in port aquatories; however, an information gap existed in port approaches for vessels entering or leaving ports. This gap resulted from inner port models not covering this area and open sea models lacking the expected spatial resolution. Recognizing the importance of closing this gap due to distinct variations in physical conditions at harbour entrances, the enhanced service now ensures continuous hydrodynamical and wave fields in both port aquatories and the outer coastal region. This solution (as single access point and decision support and planning tool) provides a important insight for users like port authorities, businesses, and sailors, ultimately improving decision-making, planning, and overall navigation safety. The service leverages data from Copernicus Marine Service and a University of Latvia model, and was developed by SIA 'Procesu analīzes un izpētes centrs'.

This Use Case was funded by the Copernicus Marine Service User Engagement Programme 2022-2028.