This dataset contains the input data (initial conditions, boundary conditions, initial perturbations) for Met Office Unified Model simulations performed during the PRESTO (PREcipitation STructures over Orography) project. It also contains the 2D and 3D output files from these simulations.

The PRESTO project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) with the grant references - NE/I024984/1 and NE/I026545/1 - led by Professor Suzanne Gray (University of Reading) and Professor David Schultz (University of Manchester).

PRESTO provided a leap forward in the understanding and prediction of quasi-stationary orographic convection in the UK and beyond. This was achieved through an intensive climatological analysis over several regions of the globe where continuous radar data was available, which identified the environmental conditions that support the bands and their characteristic locations and morphologies. Complementary high-resolution numerical simulations pinpointed the underlying mechanisms behind the bands and their predictability in numerical weather prediction models. This work provides positive impacts for the forecasting community, general public, and other academics in the field. Forecasters benefit from the identification of simple diagnostics that can be used operationally to predict these events based on available model forecasts and/or upstream soundings. A series of activities were used to directly engage with forecasters to effectively disseminate our findings. The public benefit from this improved forecasting of potentially hazardous precipitation events. The academic community benefit from the advanced physical understanding (which was disseminated through conferences, workshops, and peer-reviewed publications) and the numerous international collaborations associated with this project.