Abstract
AbstractTotal cloud amount and cloud‐base height are two quantities diagnosed from the vertical distribution of cloud in a model grid column. Together they form the basis of many cloud‐based forecast products. Forecasts from four Met Office Unified Model (MetUM) horizontal resolution configurations are compared against manual and automated conventional synoptic (SYNOP) observations. The analysis shows that observation‐type‐dependent characteristics feed through to model forecast biases and skill scores, where manual and automated cloud observations produce biases of opposite kind. The mixing of observation types is therefore not recommended, as the ability to interpret results is compromised. This is especially relevant when tuning model physics. The effect of horizontal grid resolution is mixed on both bias and skill. Copyright © 2012 British Crown copyright, the Met Office Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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