World Meteorological Day 2026; March 23rd.

 FORUM: "Observing today; Protecting tomorrow." World Meteorological Day 2026. This year, we are highlighting the vital role that young people and communities play as resilience builders. Around the world, individuals and organizations contribute every day to Earth observations, from monitoring weather and water to supporting climate awareness and early warnings. We also highlight the work of observation stations from different countries. Why do we need observations?; How does the observing system work?; Closing the gap in observations; Protecting Tomorrow; What’s the weather going to be? It’s most asked questions. We take it for granted that we can find the answer in a matter of seconds at the touch of a mobile phone screen or flick of the television switch. But behind each forecast are millions of observations, crunched through thousands of processors in the extraordinary and unique global network coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Wherever you may be – on land, at sea or in the air – the forecasts you are using are reliant on the free and open exchange of observational data orchestrated by WMO. From satellites orbiting Earth, to weather balloons released into the atmosphere, to ocean buoys and ships riding the waves, to remote stations, meteorological observations underpin everything from our daily routines to multi-billion dollar decisions. The immense and often invisible observing and prediction system coordinated by WMO's the backbone of our economies. It is the central nervous system for early warnings, which have saved many millions of lives. This World Meteorological Day therefore celebrates the work of the WMO community in observing our Earth to protect communities today and build resilience for tomorrow. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldMetDay, #Meteorology, #climateresilience, #weather, #Meteo, #observingtodayprotectingtomorrow, #23March, #Youth, #Communities, #resiliencebuilders

EVENTS: On March 23rd, the celebration of the World Meteorological Day 2026 will be held under the theme "Observing today; Protecting tomorrow. On this occasion, we’re bringing you the WMO Global State Of Climate 2025, featuring a new indicator; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡’𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. Learn more about the Main ceremony, Register to participate and Stay tuned!

"Observing today; Protecting tomorrow." 

 Main ceremony at WMO headquarters, Salle Obasi, 15:00 CET.

WMO invites diplomatic representatives, staff, partners, United Nations agencies, students and other guests to join the official ceremony. It will be livestreamed in six UN official languages to allow maximum engagement with WMO Members and the staff of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

Moderator: Nandita Surendran, Chief of WMO Global Communications Observing Today

Makoto Suwa, Astronaut, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency [video message]

Keynote presentation from Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, WMO

Abdulla Al Mandous, President, WMO [video message]
Argentine observing station Esperanza, Antarctica, on the importance of observations in remote Polar regions [live video link up]
Alexia Barrier, round-the-world ocean racer and advocate; Martin Kramp, OceanOPS Technical Coordinator, WMO [live video link up]
Launch of WMO State of the Global Climate 2025 report

Video message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Setting the scene by Claire Ransom, Associate Scientific Officer, WMO
Presentation of key findings by Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, WMO
Protecting Tomorrow

Theo Wellington, Youth Coordinator, WMO
Video from Regional Youth focal points, WMO
Questions and statements from the floor

17:00 - Reception hosted by WMO Staff Association

EXHIBITS: Observing the Future.
An interactive exhibition led by the WMO Youth team.

Organized in collaboration with Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), this exhibition aims to connect participants with observation stations from diverse regions.

Station displays: Visuals highlighting the work of observation stations from different countries.
Station connections: QR codes enable short, pre-recorded video exchanges.
Station ambassadors: On-site ambassadors facilitate engagement and discussion.

ACTIVITIES: Join the WMD 2026 activities!

Ghana: The Ghana Meteorological Awareness Month; Ghana celebrates this year's Meteorological Awareness Month with the theme, “Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow.” Learn more

Pakistan: Agrometeorology without borders: Dr. Adnan Arshad, from Pakistan, with his PhD student Eltayyab al Hasaan, from Sudan, researching grassland restoration and improving production by using advanced meteorology equipment to train youth to help us observe today and protect tomorrow.

Concerning car traffic and circulation: There is a lot of traffic with smoke from cars in Cantt (Lahore, Pakistan). It's a problem that affects school timings and people's health. 

Our research applies a "Rain to Drain" approach, following rainfall from the moment it lands through each stage of the drainage process. This requires a network of hyperlocal weather stations to capture rainfall data at the street scale, soil moisture probes placed through the depth of the rain gardens to record infiltration and storage behaviour, and flow monitors in the sewer network to detect surcharge events. Access to this data is not limited to researchers. Along Broadway, lecterns and posters give residents and visitors a way to see results for themselves. Co-designed with Western Primary School, they make SuDS visible in the street rather than hidden infrastructure. The posters are also interactive, providing both access to live data and opportunities for residents to contribute observations through PuddleWatch, a tool that records when and where water appears. Dr. Adnan Arshad and his team, in collaboration with PODA-Pakistan and the Pakistan Meteorological Department, are building the technical capacity of rural youth engaged in agriculture. The initiative involves installing mobile automatic weather stations at multiple locations to collect site-specific data and provide real-time updates. This enables young farmers to make informed decisions for planning their field operations and management practices - especially critical in the rainfed region of Punjab, Pakistan, where rainfall is the sole source of water for agriculture.

United Kingdom: This image shows How the Water Flows, a collaborative mural created as part of the Water Data for People project and now on display at Wybers Wood School in Grimsby. Designed around the school’s SuDS planter, the mural animates this everyday feature, using it as a focal point to bring together ideas about weather, water, and the local environment. It emerged through a series of workshops and creative sessions involving pupils, researchers, teachers, and artist Emma Garness, who worked together to explore local hydrology, drainage, and environmental change.
Led by the University of Hull, Water Data for People uses creative methods to help communities engage with local hydrological data and consider how it can shape future places and decisions. The project builds on the DIG Surface Water Resilience Project, a partnership between North East Lincolnshire Council, City of Doncaster Council, Anglian Water, and Yorkshire Water. Both projects are funded by Defra through the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency. Reflecting the ideas and experiences of the pupils, the mural shows how knowledge of rainfall, flooding, water use, and environmental processes connects directly to everyday life and to the spaces around the school. Guided by Garness’s distinctive approach to environmental themes and community identity, these insights were brought together in a vibrant piece of visual storytelling.

SPAIN: Understanding the weather, the CLIMATE and ACTING on it. - Students from the Antonio Machado Primary School are making a meteorological observation at the weather station developed as part of an educational project that received an award on the European Union's Climate Education Day in October 2025.

KENYA: Analysis of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) and Urban Flash Flood Vulnerability: A Case Study of the March 2026 Nairobi Precipitation Event. A multi-spectral satellite RGB composite image showing significant convective activity over the Kenyan highlands and the central Rift Valley. Convective Intensity: The bright, textured blue and white bubbles scattered across the centre of the map represent cumulonimbus clouds - the primary drivers of heavy localized rainfall. Nairobi Impact: Nairobi is situated in the central region currently obscured by dense cloud cover. The presence of these deep convective cells suggests high potential for intense, short-duration downpours. In an urban environment like Nairobi, this type of concentrated rainfall often leads to rapid flash flooding due to saturated soils and strained drainage infrastructure. Moisture Influx: The brownish-orange background indicates the warmer land surface, while the varying shades of blue/cyan highlight moisture-rich air masses moving across the region, creating the "perfect storm" for the flooding events seen in early March 2026.

SWITZERLAND: Appreciation of the Night falls, Lausane, Switzerland.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary General on World Meteorological Day 2026.

On this World Meteorological Day, we are reminded that foresight saves lives. Climate chaos is rewriting the rules of weather, with record heat, longer droughts, rising seas and ever more frequent and extreme disasters. Accurate, trusted science is our first line of defence. The World Meteorological Organization and national services help keep us safe by weaving a global web of data, from land, sea, air and space – turning measurements into forecasts, and forecasts into early warnings. Yet the global observing system is under strain, with critical gaps, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States. This year’s theme, Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow, is a call to action. Governments, development banks and the private sector must scale up support for our global observing backbone, from surface stations to satellites, and ensure data is shared openly and equitably. And we must accelerate Early Warnings for All so that, by 2027, every person is protected by life-saving alerts. Investing in observation pays many times over – strengthening peace, security, resilience and sustainable development. By observing today, we can protect tomorrow – for people, for planet, for prosperity, and for generations to come.

United Nations Secretary-General.

 Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General of the WMO on the World Meteorological Day 2026; March 23rd.

Dear members, colleagues, friends, happy World Meteorological Day. There are many UN International Days. So why does this one matter?, It's because today we celebrate the WMO community and its role in saving lives and serving society. Let's take a closer look. One of the most frequently asked questions is what's the weather going to be. People take it for granted that we can find the answer on their mobile phones and televisions.Behind each forecast are millions of observations which are processed in a unique international network coordinated by the WMO. WMO global observing system underpins decisions worth billions from aviation routing to flat protection from energy planning to health management from crop planting to infrastructure investments. It generates forecast and early warnings that save many thousands of lives. So I am delighted that the theme of the this year world meteorological day is observing today protecting tomorrow because when we observe today we don't just predict the weather we protect tomorrow's people tomorrow's planet. And that is why the young people of today are so important because they are the guardians of the future. We need your energy, your innovation, your skills. Colleagues and friends, we live in an era of great technological advances, but we must level the playing field and ensure that nobody is left behind. We must close the gaps in data and observations and we must remember that artificial intelligence depends on human intelligence. On this World Meteorological Day, I would therefore like to pay tribute to the many thousands of humans in the WMO community, the observers in remote and lonely locations, the meteorologist who release weather balloons twice a day every day, the hydrologist who monitored rivers at dawn, the forecasters who stay awake through the night. The oceanographers who brave the waves. The engineers who repair stations after a storm. The satellite technicians who maintain our eyes in the sky. The climatologists who help us understand the past and prepare for the future. The computer processors who crunch and share the data. We are more than just weather forecasters. Together we provide a global public service for the global public good. Together we are observing today and protecting tomorrow. I thank you all and once again I wish you a happy world meteorological day.

Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO.

PUBLICATION: Launch of the  State of the Global Climate 2025.

The WMO’s State of the Global Climate report 2025 confirms that 2015-2025 are the hottest 11-years on record, and that 2025 was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 °C above the 1850-1900 average. Extreme events around the world, including intense heat, heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones, caused disruption and devastation and highlighted the vulnerability of our inter-connected economies and societies. The ocean continues to warm and absorb carbon dioxide. It has been absorbing the equivalent of about eighteen times the annual human energy use each year for the past two decades. Annual sea ice extent in the Arctic was at or near a record low, Antarctic sea ice extent was the third lowest on record, and glacier melt continued unabated, according to the report. For the first time, the report includes the Earth’s energy imbalance as one of the key climate indicators. The  report confirms that the years 2015-2025 was the hottest according to 11 years on record; The Earth’s energy imbalance is highest in sixty five-year record; The oceans has been absorbing about eighteen times the annual human energy use each year for the past two decades; The current Extreme weather impacts millions and costs billions; Get the Full Report; Read the Press Release and latest information on Extreme Weather!

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Join the campaign 2026 "Observing today; Protecting tomorrow.". The Campaign Assets, Posters, videos, and other outreach materials for World Meteorological Day can be downloaded in high-resolution format from our Trello Board. Additional resources will be made available. Poster in Arabic, in Chinese, in Russian, In French, in English, In Spanish.

 LIVESTREAM: Presentation of the Report entitled the State of the Global Climate 2025. The WMO uses datasets developed and maintained by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the United Kingdom’s Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in the United Kingdom. It also uses reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and its Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency. This method combines millions of meteorological and marine observations, including from satellites, with models to produce a complete reanalysis of the atmosphere. The combination of observations with models makes it possible to estimate temperatures at any time and in any place across the globe, even in data-sparse areas such as the polar regions. Internationally recognized datasets are used for all other key climate indicators. Full details are available in the State of the Global Climate report .

Videos by NASA, UNEP, WMO
Data Visualization

World Meteorological Day 2025, March 23rd.

FORUM: "Closing the Early Warning Gap Together." World Meteorological Day 2025. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #closingtheearlywarninggapTogether, #worldmetday, #23march, #metrorologists, #climatologists, #hydrologists, #meteorology.

EVENT:  On March 24th, from 15:00 - 17:00, at WMO Headquarters will be held a ceremony to mark the World Meteorological Day 2025. 

Celebrations of the World Meteorological Day will take place worldwide, with events organized by NMHSs on the theme “Closing the early warning gap together”. Halfway through the Early Warnings for All Initiative called by UNSG at World Meteorological Day 2022 and launched at COP28, WMO looks into the global collaboration to achieve the initiative by 2027. Three main channels of collaboration are scaling-up collaboration in the delivery of the pillar 2 of the EW4All (Detection, observations, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of hazards):

• Innovating together - Together to scale-up technologies
• Standing together -Together to foster collaboration in countries
• Investing together - Together to mobilize and share resources

The ceremony will be live-illustrated by Carlotta Cataldi, visual harvester. The World Meteorological Day ceremony will unfold as follows:

Panel part 1 - Official addresses: "Together to foster collaboration among countries"

Where are the gaps and how can we foster collaboration among countries? How does it all start to implement early warnings and how can countries learn from each other? How to implement road maps without overlapping with other actors involved?

• Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO – Welcome address
• H.E. Mr Juerg Lauber, Permanent representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office at Geneva
• H.E. Mr Mxolisi Nkosi, Permanent representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on bringing countries together for G20
• H.E. Mr Tovar da Silva Nunes, Permanent representative of Brazil to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on bringing countries together for COP30

Panel part 2 - Innovating together - Together to scale-up technologies

What are the gaps and how can we close them by scaling-up technologies together? How can we improve observations, satellites and scale-up AI and machine learning for better forecasts? How does it all start to implement early warnings and how can countries learn from each other? How to implement road maps without overlapping with other actors involved?

Speakers: 

Ms Maureen Ahiataku, Principal Meteorologist at Ghana Meteorological Agency. Ghana just validated their EW4All roadmap and implemented CAP Alerts. The story of a new narrative around collaborating to close the early warning gap.

• Mr Florian Pappenberger, ECMWF Deputy Director-General & Director of Forecasts on how technology and AI improves weather prediction.
• Ms Soma Sen Roy, Meteorologist at the National Weather Forecasting Centre of India Meteorological Department, to talk about recent innovations for closing the early warning gap in India and the region.
• Ms Thelma Cinco – Chief of climatology and hydrometeorology at PAGASA (Philippines), and MIBFEWS project leader, on improving the understanding of impact in the last mile.

Panel part 3 - Investing together – Together to mobilize and share resources

Why investing in early warnings and how much does it cost to close the early warning gap? What is the interest of businesses to invest in early warnings? How can we scale-up South-South cooperation?
Speakers:

• Mr Yi Wang, Director of World Meteorological Center Beijing Operation Office, on South-South financial support.
• Ms Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director of the Santiago Network Secretariat. WMO recently joined the Santiago Network, on the importance of networks to close the early warning gap.
• Mr Niels Holm-Nielsen, Global Technical Lead for Resilience and Disaster Risk Management, World Bank, on financial contribution to close the early warning gap.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Meteorological Day 2025, March 23rd.

The dark predictions of meteorologists are coming to pass. Our climate is going up in flames. Every one of the last ten years has been the hottest in recorded history. Ocean heat is breaking records. And every country is feeling the effects – whether scorched by fires, swept by floods, or pummelled by unprecedented storms.

The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day – Closing the Early Warning Gap Together – reminds us that, in this new climate reality, early warning systems are not luxuries. They are necessities and sound investments – providing an almost ten-fold return. Yet, almost half the world’s countries still lack access to these life-saving systems. It is disgraceful that, in a digital age, lives and livelihoods are being lost because people have no access to effective early warning systems.

The United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative aims for everyone, everywhere to be protected by an alert system by 2027. The world must come together, and urgently scale-up action and investment, to realize this goal.

We need high-level political support for the Initiative within countries, a boost in technology support, greater collaboration between governments, businesses and communities, and a major effort to scale-up finance. Increasing the lending capacity of the Multilateral Development Banks is key. The Pact for the Future agreed last year made important strides forward, it must be delivered in full. So must the COP29 finance outcome.

At the same time, we must intensify our efforts to tackle the climate crisis at source – through rapid and deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions – to prevent it getting unimaginably worse. This year all countries must honour the promise to deliver new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In an era of climate disaster, every person on Earth must be protected by an early warning system as a matter of justice. Together, let’s deliver.

United Nations Secretary-General.

Statement by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of WMO, on the occasion of World Meteorological Day 2025, March 23rd.


On World Meteorological Day, March 23, 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres announced a landmark commitment:

“The United Nations will take the lead in new actions to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years.”
Early Warnings For All seeks to reach everyone with early warning systems by the end of 2027.

We are now at the halfway point and much progress has been made. As of end of 2024, 108 countries report having some capacity for multi-hazard early warning systems. This is more than double the 52 countries in 2015.
However much remains to be done.

Today, I emphasize three critical gaps that we must continue to must be address through strengthened collective efforts.

1. Bridging the Capacity Gap Among WMO Members

There are still significant capacity gaps among WMO Members. On behalf of the World Meteorological Organization, I call upon global stakeholders—including the UN, international and regional development agencies, and national governments—to work together by providing the necessary resources and support to help these vulnerable nations establish effective early warning systems as soon as possible.

2. Closing the Technical and Collaboration Gap Within WMO

The rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence is transforming meteorological forecasting and disaster monitoring. Leading global centers, such as ECMWF, and several NMHSs have already integrated AI into their operational systems. However, disparities remain among WMO Members technical capacity to take advantages of these rapid and exciting advancements.

I urge all WMO constituent bodies—particularly the Technical Commissions, Research Board, and Regional Associations—to work together to bridge these collaboration and technical gaps. By embracing emerging technologies like AI, we can develop new standards, guidelines, and best practices that will empower all Members, especially those most vulnerable, to enhance disaster monitoring, early warning, and forecasting, particularly for extreme weather events.

In this regard, I also call for strengthened strategic guidance, progress oversight, and high-level coordination from Congress and the Executive Council to ensure WMO’s strongest contribution to the UN Early Warnings for All initiative.

3. Strengthening Collaboration Across the Four Pillars of Early Warning Systems

The Early Warnings for All initiative is built upon four foundational pillars:Disaster Risk Knowledge and Management – jointly led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and WMO.
Detection, Observation, Monitoring, Analysis, and Forecasting – led by WMO.
Warning Dissemination and Communication – led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Preparedness and Response Capabilities – led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Numerous other UN and international organizations also play a crucial role in the development of early warning systems. The Early Warnings for All initiative is a groundbreaking effort that not only advances technical early warning capabilities but also fosters stronger cooperation across these four pillars. The goal is to create a fully integrated UN value chain together—saving lives and mitigating economic losses.

At the national level, it is equally important to close collaboration gaps among government agencies. True disaster risk reduction and prevention can only be achieved through well-coordinated, multi-sectoral early warning systems. I urge WMO and its Members to proactively engage with relevant UN organizations, international partners, and national agencies to develop comprehensive and effective early warning systems. Furthermore, NMHSs should actively promote the significant economic and social benefits of early warning systems to their governments and the public.

Conclusion

Early Warnings for All make economic sense. On a global scale, every US$ 1 invested in early warnings is estimated to result in US$ 9 in net economic benefits. In some regions it’s even higher.

I sincerely encourage all WMO Members to intensify their efforts and achieve significant progress in Closing the Early Warning Gap Together. Through enhanced collaboration, innovation, and commitment, we can build a safer and more resilient world for all.

President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

' 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 2023; March 23rd.

 FORUM: “The future of weather, climate and water across generations.” World Meteorological Day 2023. As a result of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, the average global temperature is now more than 1° Celsius higher today compared to 150 years ago. Our weather is more extreme, our ocean is warmer and more acidic, sea levels have risen and glaciers and ice are melting. The rate of change is accelerating. We need urgent action now to slash emissions and to ensure that future generations can both survive and thrive on our planet. The good news is that rapid scientific and technological advances have greatly improved the accuracy of weather forecasts and life-saving early warnings. Big data is being exchanged more freely among a wider community than ever before, and there are new tools including machine learning and Artificial Intelligence.  There has been significant progress to monitor, simulate and project the global climate to support decision-making. Our weather, climate and water cycle will be different in future than in the past. Weather, climate and hydrological services will help us tackle the associated challenges and seize the opportunities. Forecasts of what the weather will BE are no longer enough. Impact-based forecasts that inform the public of what the weather will DO are vital to save lives and livelihoods. Yet one in three people are still not adequately covered by early warning systems. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldMetDay, #23March, #Meteorology, #Climatology, #Hydrology, #weather.

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

On this World Meteorological Day, humanity faces a difficult truth: climate change is making our planet uninhabitable.

Every year of insufficient action to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius drives us closer to the brink, increasing systemic risks and reducing our resilience against climate catastrophe. As countries hurtle past the 1.5-degree limit, climate change is intensifying heatwaves, droughts, flooding, wildfires and famines, while threatening to submerge low-lying countries and cities and drive more species to extinction.

This year’s theme — The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations — compels us all to live up to our responsibilities and ensure that future generations inherit a better tomorrow.

That means accelerating actions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, through scaled-up mitigation and adaptation measures.

It means radically transforming our energy and transportation systems, breaking our addiction to fossil fuels, and embracing a just transition to renewable energy.

It means developed countries providing a revolution of financial and technical support to developing countries as they mitigate emissions, adapt to a renewable future, build resilience against extreme weather events, and address the loss and damage resulting from climate change.

And it means living up to the promise made last World Meteorological Day to ensure that early warning systems against climate disasters cover every person in the world. Thirty countries have now been identified for accelerated implementation this year.

2023 must be a year of transformation, not tinkering.

It’s time to end the relentless — and senseless — war on nature, and deliver the sustainable future that our climate needs, and our children and grandchildren deserve.

U.N. Secretary-General.

Statement from the Prof. Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General on World Meterorological Day 2023; March 23rd.

Greetings from the World Meteorological Organization secretariat in Geneva.

Our weather and climate and water cycle know no national or political boundaries. International cooperation is essential. This philosophy has driven the work of the great meteorological family since 1873 and will guide us in the future.

The demand for our expertise and our science has never been higher.

World Meteorological Day 2023 is very special because it takes place during the 150th anniversary of WMO’s predecessor, the International Meteorological Organization.

For the past 150 years, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services have collected and standardized data which underpin the weather forecasts we now take for granted. The history of WMO data exchange is a success story of scientific cooperation to save lives and livelihoods.

We are the second oldest United Nations agency. We are proud of our achievements and will celebrate them in a landmark year when our decision-making World Meteorological Congress will agree strategic priorities to promote our vision of a world which is more resilient to extreme weather, climate, water and other environmental events.

 

Early Warnings for All

There is increasing momentum behind the ambitious drive to ensure that life-saving early warning systems cover everyone in the next five years. The Early Warnings for All Initiative, launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on World Meteorological Day 2022 was endorsed at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh and has won support from developed and developing countries, from the UN family and the private sector. 

Early warnings work. They must work for everyone.

Half of WMO Members still do not have adequate Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and we need to fill the gaps in the basic observing system, especially in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. 

Early warnings are the low-hanging fruit of climate change adaptation – which is no long a luxury but a must. According to the World Economic Forum, in the next ten-year time frame, failure to mitigate climate change, failure of climate change adaptation and natural disasters are the highest risks for the global economy. 

At least half of all disasters are water-related. At the UN Water Conference in New York (22 to 24 April), WMO will show how water-related hazards like floods and droughts are increasing. Climate change and the melting of glaciers will also lead to more water stress. Better water monitoring and management are essential and this is why WMO is working on a Global Water Information System to promote free exchange of hydrological data.

 

Greenhouse Gas Monitoring

Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. How we respond to that challenge will determine the future of our planet and our children and grandchildren. This will be highlighted in the Synthesis of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The global average temperature is more than 1.1°C higher than it was when the IMO was founded 150 years ago. Our weather is more extreme, our ocean is warmer and more acidic, sea levels have risen and glaciers and ice are melting. The rate of change is accelerating.

Atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases remain at record levels. And yet there is currently no comprehensive, timely international exchange of surface and space-based greenhouse gas observations.

To fill the void, WMO is seeking to develop a sustained and coordinated Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure.

It would expand and consolidate WMO’s long-standing activities in greenhouse gas monitoring under the auspices of the Global Atmosphere Watch and the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System.

The concept is based on the highly successful World Weather Watch, which was ushered in at the start of the satellite era and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. It remains the gold standard for international cooperation.

WMO’s Members can be proud of our achievements in our long and rich history.

We started life in an era of morse code and telegrams for shipping forecasts. Supercomputers and satellite technology are opening up new horizons for ever more reliable weather and climate prediction – with the possibility of kilometer-scale models.

But even in an era of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we still depend on the personal dedication and commitment of the staff of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services who work every day of every year to save lives.

We thank you all.

        Prof. Petteri Taalas,

WMO Secretary-General.

EVENTS: The World Meteorological Day 2023 will take place on March 23rd. The ceromy of the WMO’s 150th anniversary will be observed on Thursday, 16 March 2023 from 14:30 - 16:30 GMT+1 at the World Meteorological Organization HQ in Geneva, Switzerland. The event will highlight the past achievements, present progress and future potential - from the late 19th century telegraphs and shipping forecasts to supercomputers and space technology. Throughout this time, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services have worked around the clock to collect and standardize data which underpin the weather forecasts we now take for granted. The history of WMO data exchange is a remarkable story of scientific vision, technological development and, most of all, of a unique system of cooperation to serve society. The anniversary also serves as a reminder of our changing climate. The International Meteorological Organization – the predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization – was established in 1873 in an era when pollution from industrial and human activities was at its beginning. 

The World Meteorological Day 2023 ceremony took place on Thursday, 16 March 2023 at WMO Headquarters in Geneva. This was in view of the UN Water conference in New York from 22-24 March.

Early festivities allow for vital discussions ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference. The WMO's 150th anniversary will showcase past achievements and future prospects, from telegraphs to space technology. The official World Meteorological Day on 23 March 2023 will be marked with the usual celebrations around the world, and with WMO communication activities.

World Meteorological Day 2023 Ceremony.
16 March 2023 at 14:30-16:30 (GMT+1).
WMO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.
PROGRAMME

Opening

- Ms Esra Sümeyye (Türkyie), 14 year old winner of 2022 UPU Letter Writing Competition
- Prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Official Addresses

- Mr Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition on Early Warnings for All Initiative called by UNSG one year ago
- H.E. Juerg Lauber, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UN
- H.E. Mr M. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, Ambassador of Egypt to the UN – on COP27
- H.E. Mr Ahmed Aljarman, Ambassador of UAE to the United Nations – on COP28
Speakers

- Mr Michael Staudinger, former Director of Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) on History of IMO-WMO
- Ms Neo Gim Huay, Managing Director, Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- Prof. Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading and member of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, creator of Show Your Stripes
- Saliqa Amin and Maximilian Schneider, young representatives of the 2023 FerMUN Conference.