Surface Solar Radiation Downwards (ERA5) Variable: ssrd This parameter is accumulated over a particular time period which depends on the data extracted. The units are joules per square metre (J m-2). To convert to watts per square metre (W m-2), the accumulated values should be divided by the accumulation period expressed in seconds. The ECMWF convention for vertical fluxes is positive downwards. Ex: ssrd/86400 (Wm-2/day)