Meteomatics' soil moisture index indicates the wetness of the soil (SMI). This index is computed using the permanent wilting point and the field capacity, which both depend on the geographical location (soil type). Meteomatics calculate our soil moisture index by using data from ECMWFโs atmospheric model, which brings a number of benefits, including a high spatial resolution (10km), the frequency of data updates, with high temporal resolution; four model runs with hourly timesteps. Plus, the advanced soil type scheme derived from the root zone data (30-100 cm below the surface) of the FAO/UNESCO Digital Soil Map of the World, DSMW (FAO, 2003), which exists at a resolution of 5' X 5' (about 10 km). The SMI can be very helpful in several situations, such as estimating the drought risk, so an extensive history of soil moisture conditions in the upper soil layers is essential. Plus it can also be used in hydrological applications such as flooding and runoff forecasts, where a detailed knowledge of both upper and lower soil layers is indispensable. Meteomatics soil moisture index includes four discrete layers (-150cm / -50cm / -15cm / -5cm below ground level) based on the model data within ECMWF atmospheric model. The index is 0 if the permanent wilting point is reached and 1 at field capacity. Note that the index can exceed 1 after rainfall events. The soil moisture index is available for 4 depth levels.