This dataset consists of high spatial resolution Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) drought dataset over the whole Africa at different time scales from 1 month to 48 months. It is calculated based on precipitation estimates from the satellite-based Climate Hazards group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and potential evaporation estimates by the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM). The SPEI dataset covers the whole of the African continent for a 36-year-long period (1981–2016) at a horizontal resolution of 5 km (0.05 deg) and a monthly time resolution. The dataset is provided in NetCDF format with in a Geographic Lat/Lon projection. Due to the lower reliability of SPEI over areas with low hydro-climatic variability, the areas with barren or sparsely vegetated areas in Africa were masked out based on data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface type product (MCD12Q1).

The Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, operated by EUMETSAT (The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), provide almost continuous imagery to meteorologists and researchers in Europe and around the world. These include visible, infra-red, water vapour, High Resolution Visible (HRV) images and derived cloud top height, cloud top temperature, fog, snow detection and volcanic ash products. These images are available for a range of geographical areas. This dataset contains infa-red images from MSG satellites over Africa. Imagery available from March 2005 onwards at a frequency of 15 minutes (some are hourly) and are at least 24 hours old. The geographic extent for images within this datasets is available via the linked documentation 'MSG satellite imagery product geographic area details'. Each MSG imagery product area can be referenced from the third and fourth character of the image product name giving in the filename. E.g. for EEAO11 the corresponding geographic details can be found under the entry for area code 'AO' (i.e West Africa).

Meteosat Second Generation is operated by The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and provides almost continuous images to meteorologists and researchers in Europe and around the world. This includes visible, infra-red, water vapour, High Resolution Visible (HRV) images and the derived cloud top height, cloud top temperature, fog, snow detection, and volcanic ash products. These images are available for a range of geographical areas. Images are available from March 2005 onwards at a frequency of 15 minutes (some are hourly) and are at least 24 hours old. This dataset contains RGB 'False Colour' 321 Product images from the MSG satellites over the Great Rift Valley, Africa. RGB images are composite images generated by combining two or more channels and displaying in colour. The naming convention describes which channel is assigned to the red, green and blue colours. For example RGB 321 means that channel 3 (1.6 micron) is on the red, channel 2 (0.8 micron) is on the green and channel 1 (0.6 micron) is on the blue. This combination can then highlight different physical features through the differing amounts of red, green and blue and hence give a unique colour to that feature. In this case, turquoise clouds contain ice crystals, whilst white clouds are water clouds (inc. fog). Vegetation creates a green signal and sandy areas are pink. Snow covered ground is turquoise. Note: a change in product can be seen from a change to software implemented on 25/11/2013 where the scaling and gamma correction of the R, G, and B channels were tuned to give an improved image, in effect lightening the brighter colours in the image image. The geographic extent for images within this datasets is available via the linked documentation 'MSG satellite imagery product geographic area details'. Each MSG imagery product area can be referenced from the third and fourth character of the image product name giving in the filename. E.g. for EEAO11 the corresponding geographic details can be found under the entry for area code 'AO' (i.e West Africa).

This dataset contains netcdf files produced from the output of UK Met Office Unified Model atmosphere-only simulations over West Africa for current vegetation and 1950s vegetation scenarios. The region covered is 20W to 20E, 0N-25N and simulations were run for 5 days from 1st June 2014 conditions using boundary conditions and sea surface temperature from ERA-Interim reanalysis. The files contain ensemble means (from 10 member ensembles) and the results of a paired Student's T-Test between the two scenarios. There are also files for specific longitude bands and some averaged over 16W-16E, 4N-15N for all land, deforested land and unchanged land. The data is mostly hourly and allows analysis of the impact of recent deforestation in this region. The simulations were run by Julia Crook (University of Leeds) on the ARCHER supercomputer. This data was collected as part of the NERC project 'Vegetation Effects on Rainfall in West Africa (VERA)'.

Co-Ordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) data for the Africa Domain (AFR) produced by the Met Office Hadley Centre. The CORDEX program is sponsored by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) to organise an internationally coordinated framework to produce improved regional climate change projections for all land regions world-wide. The CORDEX-results will serve as input for climate change impact and adaptation studies.

The UK SOLAS Dust Outflow and Deposition to the Ocean (DODO) project aimed at quantifying the chemical and microphysical properties of Saharan dust in the tropical Atlantic region. Case studies were conducted using in situ measurements made by the FAAM BAe-146 aircraft to predict dust deposition to the northern hemisphere Atlantic Ocean. These studies aimed at describing how changing chemical and physical properties in the dust affect its long range transport and also assessed the radiative impact of the dust and its effect on sea surface temperatures in nutrient rich waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The dust sources were fingerprinted using single particle characterisation and by assessing their main composition. The climatological representativeness of the studies will be assessed and used to predict the seasonal footprint of dust deposition to the north Atlantic Ocean. Two aircraft campaigns using the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) aircraft were conducted: - DODO 1 in association with the DABEX campaign from Dakar in Jan-Feb. 2006 - DODO2 in association with the AMMA campaign from Dakar in Sep-Oct. 2006. Measurements have included Chemical composition, microphysics and optical properties of aerosols, Radiative fluxes, Trace gas chemistry.

The UK SOLAS Chemical and Physical Structure of the Lower Atmosphere of the Tropical Eastern North Atlantic (SLATEA) campaign aimed at investigating the chemical structure of the lowermost atmosphere in remote marine boundary layer regions with high ocean productivity and at quantifying chemical gradients induced at the interfacial region. Fieldwork activities have included participation in the UK SOLAS RHaMBLe cruise (D319), and concurrent aircraft surveys using the NERC Dornier 228 (operated by ARSF) to determine the vertical distribution of reactive trace gases at Cape Verde and near to the RHaMBLe cruise paths. Resulting data have included trace gases such as ozone, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, halocarbons, and volatile organic compounds (microDiracFMW, TEI 49I UV ozone analyser, Aerolaser AL 5002 fast CO analyser onboard Dornier aircraft) and Fine aerosol particles

The Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, operated by EUMETSAT (The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), provide almost continuous imagery to meteorologists and researchers in Europe and around the world. These include visible, infra-red, water vapour, High Resolution Visible (HRV) images and derived cloud top height, cloud top temperature, fog, snow detection and volcanic ash products. These images are available for a range of geographical areas. This dataset contains volcanic ash product images from MSG satellites over Central Africa. Imagery available from March 2005 onwards at a frequency of 15 minutes (some are hourly) and are at least 24 hours old. The geographic extent for images within this datasets is available via the linked documentation 'MSG satellite imagery product geographic area details'. Each MSG imagery product area can be referenced from the third and fourth character of the image product name giving in the filename. E.g. for EEAO11 the corresponding geographic details can be found under the entry for area code 'AO' (i.e West Africa).

Co-Ordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) data for the Africa Domain (AFR-44). The data is produced by the MetOffice Hadley Centre regional model HadRM3P running at 0.44 degree resolution over the Africa CORDEX domain (AFR44). HadRM3P is a regional climate model based on the HadCM3 Coupled Climate Model. The HadRM3P model is driven by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim re-analysis data to run the CORDEX Evaluation experiment, representative of the period from 1990 to 2011. The model outputs are interpolated to a common latitude-longitude grid. The collection includes monthly averages and seasonal means. The CORDEX program is sponsored by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) to organise an internationally coordinated framework to produce improved regional climate change projections for all land regions world-wide. The CORDEX-results will serve as input for climate change impact and adaptation studies.

Co-Ordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) data for the Africa Domain (AFR-44). The data is produced by the MetOffice Hadley Centre regional models HadGEM3-RA and HadRM3P running at 0.44 degree resolution over the Africa CORDEX domain (AFR-44). HadGEM3-RA is a regional atmospheric model that is based on the atmospheric component of the HadGEM3 Global Environment Model. HadRM3P is a regional climate model based on the HadCM3 Coupled Climate Model. The HadGEM3-RA and HadRM3P models are driven by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalysis data to run the CORDEX Evaluation experiment, representative of the period from 1990 to 2010. The model outputs are stored on the native grid used for the simulation, which has a consistent spatial resolution across the simulation domain. Each variable is stored at the daily timescale. The collection also includes monthly and seasonal averages. In addition, the archive also includes sub-daily data. The CORDEX program is sponsored by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) to organise an internationally coordinated framework to produce improved regional climate change projections for all land regions world-wide. The CORDEX-results will serve as input for climate change impact and adaptation studies.