Weather forecasts and warnings are the result of a complex process chain consisting of closely interlinked components. At the beginning of this chain worldwide observations of the atmosphere and oceans are collected in real time. These observations are used in the numerical models and meteorological applications to determine the initial state for the forecast calculations. The information content of the forecast data is extracted, condensed and visualized to be used by meteorologists and weather advisers. The final products in the form of weather forecasts and warnings are then distributed to the various customers in Germany and worldwide.