' World Meteorological Day 2024: March 24th.

FORUM: ''At the frontline of climate action.'' World Meteorological Day 2024. Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic unless we act now. The Sustainable Development Goal 13 commits us to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” Progress in this goal underpins progress in all the other Sustainable Development Goals. The work of the WMO community is indispensable to climate action and to the Sustainable Development Goals across the board. The work is of huge societal importance: reducing hunger and poverty; improving health and well-being; ensuring clean water and affordable and clean energy; protecting life below the water and life on land; and making our cities and communities more resilient to climate change. Weather and climate predictions help boost food production and move closer to zero hunger. Integrating epidemiology and climate information helps understand and manage diseases sensitive to climate. And early-warning systems help to reduce poverty by giving people the chance to prepare and limit the impact of extreme weather. The WMO, its Members, and its partners drive the full value cycle, from science to services to action for the good of society. It advances knowledge of our Earth system, monitors the state of the climate and water resources, provides scientific information to inform greenhouse gas emissions reductions and delivers climate services and early warnings to support climate adaptation. Science is central to solutions and can supercharge progress on the SDGs across the board. We are united in science. The WMO will remain at the Frontline of Climate Action as we embrace a journey of cooperation and innovation, leveraging collective expertise to overcome challenges and achieve our shared vision of a safer, more resilient world for future generations. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldMetDay, #ClimateAction, #23March, #Meteorology, #Climatology, #Hydrology, #weather.

STATEMENTS

Statement from the United Nations Secretary-General on World Meteorological Day 2023; March 23rd.

Statement from the WMO Secretary-General, on the occasion of the World Meteorological Day 2024; March 23rd.

EVENTS: On March 23rd from 16:00 to 16:50 P.M. (GMT); The World Meteorological Day 2024 High-level panel discussion will take place at the WMO HQ. Participants will debate on the theme “At the Frontline of Climate Action.” Join us for the celebration to spotlight climate action. The ceremony embraces all the key players involved in tackling the climate crisis: the UN family. National meteorological and hydrological services, youth and civil society, policymakers and the private sector. The panelists will present the Panel Discussion I - How the weather has changed – through a TV forecaster’s eyes; The Panel Discussion II - Zebraside Conversation: Storytelling and Science.; The Panel Discussion III - How to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive? - The Panel Discussion IV - Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services; Followed by a Q&A with the audience in the room. 

AGENDA PROGRAMME

15:00-15:25 - Welcome and introduction – by WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo and WMO President Abdulla Al Mandous and Agi Veres, Director, Geneva office, United Nations Development Programme, and launch of the UNDP climate action campaign.

15:25-15:30 - How the weather has changed – Philippe Jeanneret, Swiss television weather presenter

15:30-15:45 - Zebraside Conversation - Storytelling and Science. Boaz Paldi, UNDP Chief Creative Officer and Lauren Stuart, WMO Scientific Officer

15:45-16:25 - High-level panel discussion on "How to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive?" (see below)

Panelists: Marie-Claire Graf, Future Leaders Network (Moderator)
Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO
Agi Veres, Director, Geneva office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of Barbados
Rosa Sangiorgio, Head of ESG, Pictet Wealth Management

16:25-16:35 -  Q&A with the audience in the room

16:35-16:40 - Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services

16:40-16:50 - Concluding remarks

Watch the webcast! and Get the dates of the WMO Upcoming conferences, seminars and workshops!

UNDP’s newest climate action campaign

We can’t tell you what it is yet but we assure you the storyline will drive you to take action.  Join us to celebrate the 2024 World Meteorological Day as we launch UNDP’s newest climate action campaign!

Tune in on March 21, 2024 at 10:00 EDT - 14:00 UTC - 15:00 CET for a live broadcast launch from Geneva, Switzerland to find out!

OTHERS EVENTS

Programme

15:00 - 15:25: Introduction by WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo and Agi Veres, Director, Geneva Office, UNDP and launch of UNDP’s new climate action campaign

15:25 - 15:30: How the weather has changed – through a TV forecaster’s eyes: Philippe Jeanneret, Swiss television weather presenter

15:30 - 15:45: Zebraside Conversation: Storytelling and Science. Boaz Paldi, UNDP Chief Creative Officer and Lauren Stuart, WMO Scientific Officer

15:45 - 16:25: High-level panel discussion to discuss how to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive? (see below)

16:25 - 16:35: Q&A with the audience in the room

16: 35 - 16:40: Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services

16:40 - 16:50: Concluding remarks

How to keep the 1.5° goal alive?

The WMO State of Global Climate report reminds everyone of the urgency to tackle the climate crisis. Everywhere in the world, people are already suffering from the negative impact of climate change. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, ocean heat and acidification, ice and glacier retreat affects human health, economies and ecosystems. Science shows that negative impacts are increasing and some changes risk being irreversible. Climate action is essential to sustainable development, including good health, access to water and sanitation and freedom from poverty and hunger. There is no avenue for human development without prioritizing climate action. The Paris Agreement on climate change laid the ground to design robust climate action through the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the ratcheting mechanism that obliges governments to review and enhance their goals every five years.

Everyone agrees on the need to abide by the lower 1.5° target of the Paris ambitions. 

1. Can we still reach it and under which conditions?
2.  How is it that despite scientific evidences and a wealth of climate data, public policies are not going faster and wider?
3.  What is expected from the different actors – including the public, corporate and financial sector? 
4. How do young people have a say in increasing climate ambition and contribute to moving the needle?

Moderator: Marie-Claire Graf, Future Leaders Network
Speakers

• Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO
• Agi Veres, Director, Geneva Office, UNDP
• H.E. Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative and Ambassador, Barbados
• Rosa Sangiorgio, Head of Sustainability, Pictet Wealth Management

Read here the speakers' bios.

World Meteorological Day 2022; March 23rd.

FORUM: Hydrometeorological and Climate Information for Disaster Risk Reduction. World Meteorological Day 2022.

On World Meteorological Day; this 23 March; we will highlight the critical role of early warning systems and early action as an adaptive measure for climate change. Greater coordination between national meteorological and hydrological services, disaster management authorities and development agencies is fundamental to better prevention, preparedness and response. Join the conversation with the hastags #WorldMetDay, #Earlywarningearlyaction.

Statement by Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, on the occasion of the World Meteorological Day 2022; March 23rd.

Greetings from the World Meteorological Organization secretariat in Geneva. The top priority of WMO is to protect lives and livelihoods from weather, climate and water extremes. Every minute of every day of the year. I am therefore very happy that the theme of World Meteorological Day 2022 is “Early Warning and Early Action.” It celebrates the great achievements of national meteorological and hydrological services in improved early warning systems. It also highlights the vital work of the disaster risk reduction community in making sure that these early warnings lead to early action. But we cannot be complacent. We face many challenges, especially in making sure that early warnings reach the last mile to the most vulnerable who need them most. Climate change is already very visible through more extreme weather in all parts of the world. We are seeing more intense heatwaves and drought and forest fires. We have more water vapor in the atmosphere, which leads to extreme rainfall and deadly flooding. The warming of the ocean fuels more powerful tropical storms and rising sea levels increase the impacts. We expect this negative trend to continue. Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, locking in climate change to continue for decades to come, melting of glaciers and sea level rise up to centuries. In addition to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation is a top priority. Early warning systems are a powerful way to adapt. 2 Last year WMO published a report on disaster statistics for the past 50 years. It showed that there were more than 11 000 disasters linked to weather, climate and water-related hazards, almost equal to one disaster per day. There were 2 million deaths – or 115 per day. The number of disasters has increased five-fold in the past 50 years. And the economic cost has soared. But the good news is that the number of casualties has fallen dramatically. We are better than ever before at saving lives. Supercomputers, satellites and advances in science have greatly increased the accuracy of our forecasts. Mobile phone alerts and weather apps can reach even remote areas. WMO is promoting impact-based forecasting, of what the weather will be and what it will do. That is needed to enhance the preparedness and early action of various user and customer groups, who are dependent on weather. But much more remains to be done. Only half of the 193 Members of WMO have multi-hazard early warning systems in place. There is also a major need to enhance the impact based forecasting skills of a large fraction of Members. There are severe gaps in weather and hydrological observing networks in Africa, some parts of Latin America and in Pacific and Caribbean island. This undermines forecasts local and globally. WMO has therefore created a financing mechanism known as SOFF (The Systematic Observation Financing Facility) to drive investment in the basic observing system and fill data gaps. WMO is an implementing partner in the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Initiative (CREWS), which builds resilience among vulnerable countries and communities. WMO is spearheading a new water and climate coalition to focus more attention on water-related hazards and shortages. We have highly successful programmes and projects on tropical cyclones, coastal inundation, floods and drought. In Geneva we have joined forces with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction to form a centre of excellence on climate change and disasters. WMO has been developing a support mechanism to provide reliable and authoritative information to the UN humanitarian agencies to be able to optimize the humanitarian aid before and after a weather related disaster. We are working together with financing institutions like the World Bank, European Union, UNDP, Green Climate Fund, to allocate more funding to early warning services and to ensure sustainability of the investments. 3 And of course, WMO is committed to the 2030 international agenda on climate action, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. WMO’s vision is that “by 2030, we see a world where all nations, especially the most vulnerable, are more resilient to the socioeconomic consequences of extreme weather, climate, water and other environmental events. Early warnings work. They must work for everyone. They must lead to early action. 

I wish you all a happy World Meteorological Day

WMO Secretary-General.

EVENT

Want to catch all the action from World Meteterology Day 2022 ceremony? Tune in to our live event from Geneva on 23 March 2022 from 14:00 to 15:30 (CET). To participate in the event, join us via Zoom where interpretation into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish will be available. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the WMO YouTube channel in English. 

CAMPAIGN MATERIAL: 2022 World Meteorological Day

About the WMO' World Weather Research Programme (WWRP).

Hot or cold, still or storm, drought, or downpour. Weather affects us all. The WWRP  is advancing and promoting research activities on weather, its prediction and its impact on society. The improvements in science and operational predictions are driven by international cooperation, and in turn, international cooperation in weather science is a unique opportunity to drive sustainable development. 

As the science is advancing, critical questions are arising such as the potential sources of predictability on weekly, monthly and longer time scales; seamless prediction from minutes to months; optimal use of local and global observing systems and the effective utilization of supercomputers.

In addition, communication of forecasts, warnings and their uncertainty, as well as some indication of the impacts of these warnings, raise new challenges for weather-related approaches for the full value chain. All of these challenges can only be met through strong interdisciplinary collaborations and thus the World Weather Research Programme relies on strong links with social scientists, Early Career Scientists and public-private partnerships.

World Meteorological Day 2021, March 23

WMO Secretary-General StatementforWorld Meteorological Day, 2021“The Ocean: Our Climate and Weather”

 World Meteorological Day in 2021 is devoted to the theme “the ocean, our climate and weather.” It celebrates WMO’s focus in connecting the ocean, climate and weather within the Earth System. Our changing climate is warming the ocean, having a profound effect on our weather. The WMO’s annual State of the Global Climate report, shows that 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, despite La Nina cooling in the Pacific Ocean. The past decade from 2011-2020 was the warmest on record. Ocean heat is at record levels, ocean acidification is continuing. Sea ice is melting. The rate of sea level rise has accelerated. During the past year, we have seen prolonged droughts that extended fire seasons throughout the world. Devastating wildfires in Australia, for example, were linked to ocean temperatures influencing drier seasonal climate patterns. Warm ocean temperatures helped fuel a record Atlantic hurricane season, and unusually intense tropical cyclones in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. The storm surge damage in these areas demonstrated the power of the ocean and its devastating impact on coastal communities. Non-tropical ocean storms continued to wreak havoc aboard ships, with additional losses of life and cargo at sea. In 2020, the annual Arctic sea ice minimum was among the lowest on record. Polar communities suffered abnormal coastal flooding, and sea ice hazards as a result of melting ice. In view of this, the WMO community has a major stake in supporting research, observations, predictions, and services for the ocean as much for as the atmosphere, land, and cryosphere. Major gaps in data over the ocean hinder our ability to accurately forecast weather at extended time scales and, more so, sub-seasonal to seasonal. The WMO Data Conference in November 2020 recognized major gaps in data, particularly over the ocean. It highlighted the need for free and open access to Earth system data, to maximize the overall economic impact of these data. WMO has a large number of partnerships, including with the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, to better understand, observe, and predict the ocean as part of our Earth System. With more than 40% of the global population living within 100km of the coast, there is an urgent need to keep communities safe from the impacts of coastal hazards. WMO and its Members work to support coastal management and resilience and strengthen Multi Hazard Early Warning Systems. Nearly 90% of world trade is carried across the sea and is exposed to the dangers of extreme maritime weather. WMO partners with the International Maritime Organization and the International Hydrographic Organization to provide standardized information, forecasts and warnings to ensure the safety of life and property at sea. The coming Decade will be a critical one for addressing ways to adapt and mitigate to climate change impacts. WMO is helping in this effort, as a designated Nominator for the Earth Shot Prize (2021 to 2030), seeking solutions for urgent environmental challenges, including the ocean and climate. This year is also important for the WMO to mark the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). WMO is committed to contributing with much of its work integral for the “safe ocean”, “predicted ocean” and “transparent ocean” goals of the Decade. Together with partners, WMO is striving to strengthen the Earth System Science to services. To understand our weather and climate, we must understand our ocean. We will continue working towards this, to protect vulnerable communities and in support of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and SAMOA Pathway. WMO is leading several important global initiatives during the coming year to address priorities of our members: 1. The importance of enhancing the global basic observing network and putting in place an innovative financing facility SOFF to ensure systematic weather and climate observations especially for LDCs and SIDs 2. Secondly, we are creating a water and climate coalition for accelerating action on SDG 6, which is related to water. 3. And thirdly, we would like to ensure enhance the multi hazard early warning system and services of all our Member Countries. I wish you all a happy World Meteorological Day.

.

FORUM: "The ocean, our climate and weather."World Meteorological Day 2021.

When it comes to the

Weather conditions

and

Climate variation

, most of us think only about what is happening in the

Atmospheric air pressure

. If we ignore the

Ocean basin

, however, we miss a big piece of the picture.

Thr

World Meteorological Day 2021

CEREMONY will start at 1200 GMT with

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas UN Special UN-Oceans Envoy,

Law of the sea convention

Peter Thomson (who narrated this video)

UN Climate Change

Action envoy Selwyn Hart Director of Germany's

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research

, Antje Boetius Climate Resilience/Youth Empowerment Advocate, Salvador Gómez-Colón Alexia Barrier, Yachtswoman , 2020–2021 Vendée Globe Rachel Moriarty, Head, Prize Design and Impact,

Earthshot Prize

Ceremony

The ocean is the Earth’s thermostat and conveyor belt; It is hit hard by Climate change. Ocean heat, acidification, sea level rise threaten ecosystems and human and food security. World Meteorological Day highlights how observations, research and services are more critical than ever before for more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface which is simultaneously increasingly vulnerable and perilous.

1. How the ocean shapes weather and climate?
2. Ensuring safety at sea and on land
3. Observing the ocean
4. Forecasting climate variability
5. The ocean and climate change
6. SDGs and other initiatives

March 23 is World Meteorological Day

 World Meteorology Organization Strategic Plan 2012-2015 :

This Strategic Plan provides a clear path forward for the Organization to address the critical global societal needs agreed upon by Members.WMO is focusing its strategic direction for the period 2012–2015 on five strategic thrusts that address global societal needs and facilitate the achievement of eight expected results. Its Strategic Plan underscores the importance ofimproving service quality and service delivery by advancing scientific research and application,strengthening capacity-building, building and enhancing partnerships and cooperation, and strengthening good governance. Within the strategic thrusts and expected results are five strategic priority areas of focus that will make a significant contribution to the achievement of expected results. Advancing these priorities offers great potential for improving weather,climate, water and related environmental products and services offered by the NMHSs; for enhanc-ing the contribution of WMO and its Members to global initiatives; and for strengthening the capacities of NMHSs in all countries, especially developing and least developed countries, and their involvement in regional and global activities.

World Meteorology Organization Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015

CONTENTS :

 -Societal benefits of weather, climate and water services,
- Purpose and context of the WMO Strategic Plan,
- Structure of the WMO Strategic Plan 2012–2015,
- Global Framework for Climate Services.,
- StrategIc thrusts linkIng to expected results,key Outcomes and key performance Indicators,
- Improving service quality and service delivery,
- Advancing scientific research and application,as well asdevelopment and implementation of technology,
- Strengthening capacity-building,
- Building and enhancing partnerships and cooperation,
- Strengthening good governance,
- WMO OperatIng plan,
- WMO reSultS-baSed budget.


REFERENCES :

1 - Adams, R.M., C.-C. Chen, B.A. McCarl and R.F. Weiher, 1999: The economic consequences of ENSO events for agriculture. Climate Research
2 - Georgakakos, K.P. and N.E. Graham, 2008: Potential benefits of seasonal inflow prediction uncertainty for reservoir release decisions. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
3 - Golnaraghi, M., J. Douris and J.B. Migraine, 2009: Saving lives through early warning systems and emergency preparedness. In: Risk Wise. Leicester, Tudor Rose Publishing, pp. 137–141.
4 - Gunasekera, D., 2002: Economic Issues Relating to Meteorological Service Provision. Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre Research Report No. 102. Melbourne, Australian Bureau of
Meteorology.
5 - Meza, F.J., J.W. Hansen and D. Osgood, 2008: Economic value of seasonal climate forecasts for agriculture: review of ex-ante assessments and recommendations for future research. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47:1269–1286.
6 - World Meteorological Organization, 2007: Convention of the World Meteorological Organization. In: Basic Documents No. 1 (WMO-No. 15), Geneva

Watching the weather to protect life and property — Celebrating 50 years of World Weather Watch

 

 

  Message from M. Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization

World Meteorological Day was established in 1960 to make the work of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services better known and appreciated by the public of all countries. The date of 23 March was chosen to celebrate the entry into force, in 1950, of the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The theme chosen for 2013 is “Watching the weather to protect life and property”, also celebrating 50 Years of the World Weather Watch. This theme highlights one of the raisons d’être of WMO — the reduction of casualties and damage from weather-, climate- and water-related hazards. At the same time, World Meteorological Day 2013 acknowledges the fundamental contribution of the World Weather Watch to this goal.
The growing impact of weather extremes cannot be ignored. Over the last 30 years natural disasters took the lives of over 2 million people and produced economic losses estimated at over 1.5 trillion US dollars. Almost 90 percent of such disasters, more than 70 percent of the casualties and almost 80 percent of the economic losses were caused by weather-, climate- or water-related hazards such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, heat waves, droughts, floods or related disease epidemics.
WMO provides a fundamental contribution to the protection of life and property, through its Programmes and the network of over 190 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services. Weather forecasts and early warnings to governments, various economic sectors and individuals help prevent and mitigate disasters.
The World Weather Watch has played an essential role in this effort. Established in 1963, in the middle of the Cold War, the World Weather Watch is a landmark in global cooperation. It combines observing systems, telecommunication facilities, and data-processing and forecasting centres to make available meteorological and environmental information needed to allow real-time exchange of information and to provide efficient services in all countries.
With the expansion of needs for weather and climate services and with spectacular scientific and technological advances, today the World Weather Watch lies at the heart of many programmes of both WMO and other agencies. It provides a fundamental contribution to WMO priorities through improved observations, atmosphere and ocean monitoring, dissemination of weather predictions worldwide, especially early warnings of severe-impact weather and climate conditions.
Improved climate services are emerging today as one of the most crucial tools to address and adapt to climate change and climate variability. The assumption that climatic and socio-economic conditions of the past are indicative of current and future conditions is no longer sufficient. It is imperative to further improve our understanding of climate and make better use of climate information to address societal needs, in a world characterized by population growth, changes in land use, urbanization, and challenges in ensuring food security and managing water resources and energy.
In order to enhance existing climate information and strengthen climate service capabilities, WMO Members and partner institutions from the United Nations launched the Global Framework for Climate Services. Disaster risk reduction is one of the initial priority areas for the provision of climate services, along with health, agriculture and food security, and water resources.
To achieve the goal of this ambitious initiative, a priority will be to support Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and other vulnerable developing countries to strengthen national capabilities in climate services and early warning and inform climate policies and adaptation approaches through scientific information, free and open access to data and transfer of technology.
The link between climate change, extreme events and natural disasters has been recently highlighted by a Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created and co sponsored by WMO and the United Nations Environment Programme. There is growing evidence from observations gathered by the WMO network of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services that climate change is contributing to increase extreme events like heavy precipitation and drought, as well as coastal high water related to sea level rise. There is growing evidence of the link with human activities, in particular increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, which have reached record highs. Economic losses from weather- and climate-related disasters have increased, mostly due to demographic changes and growing exposure of people and economic assets.
World Meteorological Day 2013 is an occasion to highlight the work that National Meteorological and Hydrological Services accomplish 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to watch the weather and protect life and property. I am confident that this celebration will also contribute to underline the benefits of further investing in meteorological and hydrological infrastructures, the importance of global cooperation and the urgency to raise capacities for the provision of better weather and climate services for all those individuals, communities and nations who need them the most.
Weather, climate and disaster risk reduction are central to any national and international agenda that addresses the challenges of the 21st century, including sustainable development. World Meteorological Day 2013 is a unique occasion to reinforce this message.

World Meteorological organization 7 bis, avenue de la Paix – P.O. Box 2300 – CH 1211 Geneva 2 – Switzerland Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 81 11 – Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 81 81
E-mail: wmo@ wmo.int
 Website: www.wmo.int

50 Years of World Weather Watch - WMD 2013 Brochure

The World Meteorological Organization at a Glance