PURPOSE: Every 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the Organization on this day in 1950. The World Meteorological Day showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society and is celebrated with activities around the world. The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate or water-related issues.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.
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.
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. Watch the webcast! and Get the dates of the WMO Upcoming conferences, seminars and workshops!
STATEMENTS
PODCASTS: Our weather and climate and the water cycle know no national or political boundaries. International cooperation is essential. This philosophy has driven the work of the world’s meteorological community since 1873 and will guide us as we translate science into services for society for present and future generations. Learn about the Sustainability of Atmospheric Observations in Developing Countries. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGNS MATERIALS: This year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is partnering with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch a climate action campaign to raise awareness globally and mobilize society to act. This World Meteorological Day 2024 campaign will be launched on March 21st on television and social channels and live on stage at the WMO. It is supported by national meteorological and hydrological services, weather presenters and media outlets around the world. The message of the campaign is about ambition, commitment, and action from both policymakers and individuals. If we all join together, we can keep the 1.5° degree ambition alive. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS
The World Meteorological Organization organize the World Meteorological Day on March 23rd each year to celebrate Weather, Climate and Water.
Commemorate the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization on 23 March 1950.
Raise awareness about Weather, water, and climate related issues
The World Meteorological Day is co-organized with the United Nations General Assembly ;The UN System and the UN Member States. With the participation of Hydrologists, Climatologists and Meteorologists.
Over the last several decades, Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), the practice of computer-based model simulations of the atmosphere based on observational data, has emerged as the common foundation of all weather and climate services for nations big and small.
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