diff --git a/climate_api/data/datasets/era5_land.yaml b/climate_api/data/datasets/era5_land.yaml
index 7f3b5a24..133d2a71 100644
--- a/climate_api/data/datasets/era5_land.yaml
+++ b/climate_api/data/datasets/era5_land.yaml
@@ -8,15 +8,20 @@
   sync_availability:
     latest_available_function: climate_api.providers.availability.lagged_latest_available
     lag_hours: 120
-  ingestion: 
+  ingestion:
     function: dhis2eo.data.destine.era5_land.hourly.download
     default_params:
       variables: ['t2m']
+  transforms:
+    - climate_api.transforms.convert_units
   units: kelvin
   convert_units: degC
   resolution: 9 km x 9 km
   source: ERA5-Land Reanalysis
   source_url: https://earthdatahub.destine.eu/collections/era5/datasets/reanalysis-era5-land
+  display:
+    colormap: rdbu_r
+    range: [15.0, 40.0]
 
 - id: era5land_precipitation_hourly
   name: Total precipitation (ERA5-Land)
@@ -32,12 +37,18 @@
     function: dhis2eo.data.destine.era5_land.hourly.download
     default_params:
       variables: ['tp']
-  pre_process: ['deaccumulate_era5']
+  transforms:
+    - climate_api.transforms.deaccumulate_era5
+    - climate_api.transforms.convert_units
   units: m
   convert_units: mm
   resolution: 9 km x 9 km
   source: ERA5-Land Reanalysis
   source_url: https://earthdatahub.destine.eu/collections/era5/datasets/reanalysis-era5-land
+  display:
+    colormap: blues
+    range: [0.0, 5.0]
+    nodata: 0.0
 
 - id: era5land_temperature_daily
   name: Daily mean 2m temperature (ERA5-Land)
diff --git a/climate_api/data_manager/services/downloader.py b/climate_api/data_manager/services/downloader.py
index 3c93772e..e294b144 100644
--- a/climate_api/data_manager/services/downloader.py
+++ b/climate_api/data_manager/services/downloader.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def build_dataset_zarr(dataset: dict[str, Any], *, start: str | None = None, end
     dims = [lon_dim, lat_dim]
 
     ds = _select_time_range(ds, dataset=dataset, start=start, end=end)
+    ds = _run_transforms(ds, dataset)
 
     xmin = ds[lon_dim].min().item()
     xmax = ds[lon_dim].max().item()
@@ -243,6 +244,16 @@ def _select_time_range(
     return selected
 
 
+def _run_transforms(ds: xr.Dataset, dataset: dict[str, Any]) -> xr.Dataset:
+    for entry in dataset.get("transforms", []):
+        func_path = entry if isinstance(entry, str) else entry["function"]
+        params = {} if isinstance(entry, str) else entry.get("params", {})
+        func = _get_dynamic_function(func_path)
+        logger.info("Applying transform %s to dataset %s", func_path, dataset.get("id", "?"))
+        ds = func(ds, dataset, **params)
+    return ds
+
+
 def _compute_time_space_chunks(
     ds: xr.Dataset,
     dataset: dict[str, Any],
diff --git a/src/climate_api/transforms/__init__.py b/src/climate_api/transforms/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e5988537
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/climate_api/transforms/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+"""Built-in dataset transform functions for the transforms pipeline.
+
+Each function has the signature:
+    (ds: xr.Dataset, dataset: dict[str, Any]) -> xr.Dataset
+
+Functions can be referenced by their dotted module path in the dataset YAML
+``transforms`` list, the same way ``ingestion.function`` works.
+"""
+
+from .deaccumulate import deaccumulate_era5
+from .unit_conversion import convert_units
+
+__all__ = ["convert_units", "deaccumulate_era5"]
diff --git a/src/climate_api/transforms/deaccumulate.py b/src/climate_api/transforms/deaccumulate.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd46dec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/climate_api/transforms/deaccumulate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+"""Deaccumulation transforms for ERA5 accumulated fields."""
+
+from typing import Any
+
+import xarray as xr
+
+
+def deaccumulate_era5(ds: xr.Dataset, dataset: dict[str, Any]) -> xr.Dataset:
+    """Convert ERA5 accumulated fields to per-step values by forward differencing.
+
+    ERA5 stores precipitation and other flux variables as accumulations from the
+    start of the forecast step. This subtracts consecutive steps so each value
+    represents the amount in that step alone, then clips negative artefacts.
+    """
+    varname = dataset["variable"]
+    da = ds[varname]
+    time_dim = next(d for d in da.dims if "time" in d)
+    diff = da.diff(dim=time_dim)
+    diff = diff.clip(min=0)
+    # Drop the first time step (no previous step to diff against) and reassign.
+    ds = ds.sel({time_dim: ds[time_dim][1:]})
+    return ds.assign({varname: diff.assign_attrs(da.attrs)})
diff --git a/src/climate_api/transforms/unit_conversion.py b/src/climate_api/transforms/unit_conversion.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..65045ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/climate_api/transforms/unit_conversion.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+"""Unit conversion transform: scale + offset applied to the dataset variable."""
+
+import logging
+from typing import Any
+
+import xarray as xr
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# (from_units, to_units) -> (display_label, scale, offset)
+# Applied as: converted = original * scale + offset
+_CONVERSIONS: dict[tuple[str, str], tuple[str, float, float]] = {
+    ("kelvin", "degc"): ("degC", 1.0, -273.15),
+    ("m", "mm"): ("mm", 1000.0, 0.0),
+}
+
+
+def convert_units(ds: xr.Dataset, dataset: dict[str, Any]) -> xr.Dataset:
+    """Convert the dataset variable from ``units`` to ``convert_units``.
+
+    Reads ``units`` and ``convert_units`` from the dataset template dict.
+    Returns the dataset unchanged if either field is absent or the conversion
+    is not registered in ``_CONVERSIONS``.
+    """
+    convert_to = dataset.get("convert_units")
+    if not convert_to:
+        return ds
+    units = dataset.get("units", "")
+    key = (units.lower(), convert_to.lower())
+    conversion = _CONVERSIONS.get(key)
+    if conversion is None:
+        logger.warning("No unit conversion registered for %s -> %s; skipping", units, convert_to)
+        return ds
+    label, scale, offset = conversion
+    varname = dataset["variable"]
+    logger.info("Converting %s from %s to %s", varname, units, label)
+    da = ds[varname]
+    converted = da * scale + offset if scale != 1.0 else da + offset
+    return ds.assign({varname: converted.assign_attrs({**da.attrs, "units": label})})
diff --git a/tests/test_transforms.py b/tests/test_transforms.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1ab1dd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_transforms.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import numpy as np
+import xarray as xr
+
+from climate_api.transforms import convert_units, deaccumulate_era5
+
+
+def _ds(varname: str, values: list[float], time_steps: int = 1) -> xr.Dataset:
+    if time_steps > 1:
+        data = np.array(values, dtype=float).reshape(time_steps, -1)
+        return xr.Dataset({varname: xr.DataArray(data, dims=["time", "x"])})
+    return xr.Dataset({varname: xr.DataArray(np.array(values, dtype=float))})
+
+
+class TestConvertUnits:
+    def test_kelvin_to_celsius(self):
+        ds = _ds("t2m", [273.15, 293.15, 313.15])
+        result = convert_units(ds, {"variable": "t2m", "units": "kelvin", "convert_units": "degC"})
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(result["t2m"].values, [0.0, 20.0, 40.0])
+        assert result["t2m"].attrs["units"] == "degC"
+
+    def test_metres_to_mm(self):
+        ds = _ds("tp", [0.001, 0.005])
+        result = convert_units(ds, {"variable": "tp", "units": "m", "convert_units": "mm"})
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(result["tp"].values, [1.0, 5.0])
+        assert result["tp"].attrs["units"] == "mm"
+
+    def test_no_convert_units_field_is_noop(self):
+        ds = _ds("t2m", [300.0])
+        result = convert_units(ds, {"variable": "t2m", "units": "kelvin"})
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(result["t2m"].values, ds["t2m"].values)
+
+    def test_unknown_conversion_is_noop(self):
+        ds = _ds("x", [1.0])
+        result = convert_units(ds, {"variable": "x", "units": "foo", "convert_units": "bar"})
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(result["x"].values, ds["x"].values)
+
+    def test_preserves_existing_attrs(self):
+        ds = xr.Dataset({"t2m": xr.DataArray([300.0], attrs={"long_name": "temperature", "units": "K"})})
+        result = convert_units(ds, {"variable": "t2m", "units": "kelvin", "convert_units": "degC"})
+        assert result["t2m"].attrs["long_name"] == "temperature"
+
+
+class TestDeaccumulateEra5:
+    def test_differences_along_time(self):
+        ds = _ds("tp", [0.0, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0], time_steps=4)
+        result = deaccumulate_era5(ds, {"variable": "tp"})
+        assert result.sizes["time"] == 3
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(result["tp"].values.flatten(), [1.0, 2.0, 3.0])
+
+    def test_clips_negative_values(self):
+        ds = _ds("tp", [3.0, 1.0, 4.0], time_steps=3)
+        result = deaccumulate_era5(ds, {"variable": "tp"})
+        assert (result["tp"].values >= 0).all()
+
+    def test_preserves_attrs(self):
+        data = np.array([[0.0], [1.0]])
+        ds = xr.Dataset({"tp": xr.DataArray(data, dims=["time", "x"], attrs={"units": "m"})})
+        result = deaccumulate_era5(ds, {"variable": "tp"})
+        assert result["tp"].attrs["units"] == "m"
+
+
+class TestRunTransformsPipeline:
+    def test_pipeline_via_dotted_path(self):
+        ds = _ds("t2m", [273.15])
+        dataset = {
+            "variable": "t2m",
+            "units": "kelvin",
+            "convert_units": "degC",
+            "transforms": ["climate_api.transforms.convert_units"],
+        }
+        from climate_api.data_manager.services.downloader import _run_transforms
+
+        result = _run_transforms(ds, dataset)
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(result["t2m"].values, [0.0])
+
+    def test_empty_transforms_is_noop(self):
+        ds = _ds("x", [1.0, 2.0])
+        from climate_api.data_manager.services.downloader import _run_transforms
+
+        result = _run_transforms(ds, {"variable": "x", "transforms": []})
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(result["x"].values, ds["x"].values)
+
+    def test_no_transforms_key_is_noop(self):
+        ds = _ds("x", [1.0])
+        from climate_api.data_manager.services.downloader import _run_transforms
+
+        result = _run_transforms(ds, {"variable": "x"})
+        np.testing.assert_array_equal(result["x"].values, ds["x"].values)
+
+    def test_dict_entry_with_params(self):
+        ds = _ds("t2m", [273.15])
+        dataset = {
+            "variable": "t2m",
+            "units": "kelvin",
+            "convert_units": "degC",
+            "transforms": [{"function": "climate_api.transforms.convert_units"}],
+        }
+        from climate_api.data_manager.services.downloader import _run_transforms
+
+        result = _run_transforms(ds, dataset)
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(result["t2m"].values, [0.0])