Simple function for reading data copied from the Gaussian grid descriptions on http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/manuals/libraries/interpolation/gaussianGridsFIS.html

gaussian_grid_ecmwf.py

def gaussian_grid_from_ecmwf_data(fname,name=None):
    """Read data copied from the Gaussian grid descriptions on
    http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/manuals/libraries/interpolation/gaussianGridsFIS.html
    
    Returns
    -------
    lon,lat : 1D arrays
    """

    dtype = np.dtype(dict(names=['latnr','nreduced','nregular','lat'],formats=['i4','i4','i4','f8']))
    data = np.genfromtxt(fname,dtype=dtype,skiprows=3)
    lat = data['lat']
    nlon = data['nregular'][0]
    lon = np.linspace(0,360,nlon+1)[:-1]
    if name is None:
        name = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(fname))[0]
    return lon,lat,name