The transition to open data access is meticulously engineered to follow FAIR principles — ensuring data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. ECMWF’s decision to implement a “no latency – no delay” model for open forecast data at a 25-kilometer resolution from October onwards marks a significant leap. Beyond the raw data, ECMWF facilitates user accessibility and usability through enhanced interfacing and tooling. Significantly, ECMWF highlights the importance of attribution under its CC-BY-4.0 open data license, a legal imperative that benefits both the data users and ECMWF itself. To conclude, ECMWF’s open data policy represents a paradigm shift in meteorology, driven by a vision of transparency, equity, and technological advancement.