The World Meteorological Organisation is encouraging all it's Members to intensify their efforts and progress in 'Closing the Early Warning Gap Together'. To build a safer and more resilient world for all.
Sunday 23rd March is World Meteorological Day with the theme "Closing the Early Warning gap together". Half the world still does not have robust early warning systems with forecasting capabilities suitable for extreme weather events. Progress has been made but more is needed.
2025 sees the 75th Anniversary of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the UN’s authoritative voice on weather, climate and water.
The WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, reminds people today of the WMO and its members' contribution to saving lives, serving society and protecting our planet.
“The staff of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are like doctors and nurses – working 24/7 to safeguard and promote public well-being. I would like to thank each and every one of you. We are more than just weather forecasters.”
The collaborative work of the WMO community helps decisions around the world ranging from energy, health, and agriculture to travel. The impact of weather and climate is huge and there have been billions saved averting economic losses and many lives saved
“WMO makes the world safer, more secure, and prosperous. Free and unrestricted exchange of weather-related data, products, and services are critical to national security and to climate-sensitive sectors.”
The WMO provides the framework for international cooperation. As a member state of the WMO, the UK shares data with other members and in return, makes use of data produced by other countries. The Met Office collaborates with UKCEH providing the UK’s engagement in the WMO.
Celeste Saulo’s statement pinpoints the importance of data sharing globally and international cooperation including the vast observation network on land, sea and up through the atmosphere including from weather balloons and satellites way up above us. This is shared data and allows a wealth of different models such as the GFS, ECM, UKV and GEPS to function and improve.
“Without WMO coordination and its unified network, each country would face the impossible task of collecting global data on its own. In these unsettled and challenging times, international collaboration is more important than ever before.”
There are physical impacts as our global climate continues to heat up. There are political concerns and worrying changes to established national departments where regular forecasts and clear warning structures are embedded. Other countries don’t have robust communications or warning systems and that has been the focus of the WMO’s Early Warnings for All initiative since 2023. 2025 marks the halfway mark, “closing the Early Warning gap together” as nearly half the world remains unprotected.
The Early Warnings for All initiative is built on four pillars to support countries in building and operating effective and inclusive multi-hazard early warning systems.
We are seeing more extreme rainfall events with devastating flooding. Savage droughts and more impactful wildfires. There are tropical cyclones around the work that are rapidly intensifying. Rising sea levels are making our coastlines more vulnerable, to storm surge events along with coastal damage from large waves. These coastal areas are often densely populated.
“Early Warnings for All is a groundbreaking initiative to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.”
As more wealthy countries have taken time and money to invest in their own early warning systems this initiative was about “delivering climate justice to those at the frontlines of the climate crisis.” For those who couldn’t afford or didn’t have the resources to support suitable infrastructure but were becoming increasingly vulnerable as our climate changes.
WMO - the increase, from only 52 to 108 in 2023, of countries reported having multi-hazard early warning systems
“One out of three people, mainly in the least developed countries and small island developing states, lack access to adequate multi-hazard early warning systems.” “Early warning systems work, they must work for everyone”
2024 - the warmest year on record globally
We have to look at the Earth’s heating. 2024 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850.
The world just witnessed the hottest 10 years on record. The ten warmest years in the 175-year record all occurred during the last decade (2015–2024). In total, there were 14 straight months of record-breaking global temperatures from June 2023 through July 2024. The July global temperature value was likely the warmest of all months on record.
Global ocean temperatures in 2024 were also noteworthy, reaching 15-straight months of record-breaking temperatures, from April 2023 through June 2024.
North America had its warmest year on record. In the Arctic, 2024 was the second-warmest year on record.
The Caribbean region and the Main Development Region for hurricanes in the Atlantic had their warmest year on record. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was more active than usual with 18 storms and 11 hurricanes (five of those were major hurricanes) even with a peak season lull.
South America tied with 2023 as the warmest year on record. The anomalous warmth combined with below-average precipitation led to large and destructive wildfires on parts of the continent.
Africa had its warmest year on record, eclipsing the previous record set in 2023. This was Africa's 48th consecutive year with temperatures above average.
Asia had its second-warmest year on record. India recorded its warmest year since national records began in 1901, In Japan, 2024 was its warmest year since 1898, surpassing the previous record from 2023
Oceania had its warmest year on record with Australia recording its second warmest year since records began in 1910
Europe had its warmest year on record in 2024, 2.45°C above average. Germany had its warmest year since national records began in 1881. July heatwaves around the Mediterranean led to severe wildfire conditions and reports of hundreds of heat-related deaths.
The bigger picture of reducing or slowing climate change may feel out of our hands but we all have local and regional politicians and pressure groups to keep attention on this most pressing issue. Early warnings save lives but for Valencia in late October 2024, politics overtook the threat and disrupted communication routes with disastrous results. Even when the terrifying forecast and flood warnings were available. This should be remembered as a warning around the world
The WMO says “Our top overriding priority is to ensure that early warning systems protect everyone, everywhere” and there has been progress. As of 2024, 108 countries report having some capacity for multi-hazard early warning systems which is more than double the 52 countries in 2015.
There is an urgency to continue reaching forward with the initiative. International partnerships and those at regional level are important. Working with government agencies, particularly National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), such as the UK Met Office, their expertise can lead efforts in other counties, establishing sustainable early warning systems. These systems need to “protect communities and strengthen business resilience.”
One project that the UK is involved in is in southern Africa, part of WISER (Weather and Climate Information Services). This project aims to transform access to early weather warning systems for urban communities in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. The focus is on severe convection and thunderstorm risk.
“The Early Warnings for Southern Africa (EWSA) project will focus on providing weather information to socially disadvantaged urban populations to reduce the damage caused by storms through increased capacity for “nowcasting”... to predict weather conditions over the next six hours …The WISER EWSA project aims to help ensure that everyone receives these warnings and knows what action to take to reduce the risk of negative impacts.”
NASA WorldView southern Africa
All of this needs financing of course. The NMHSs should remain the core source of official warnings but private sector collaboration “can help drive innovation, strengthen dissemination, and enhance risk knowledge.” That might be with AI-driven forecasting tools. We are already seeing the addition of AI alongside more traditional forecasting modelling. Early Warnings need robust communication systems. Business has experience, knowledge and resources. The reach of risk management and protecting assets will be of interest to many in the private sector.
The WMO highlights that this is not just working in isolation or profiteering. It is acting globally in our warming world with better early warnings for all, as we face increasingly frequent and extreme weather events.
The WMO Secretary-General ends
“I therefore call upon governments worldwide to strengthen investments in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.
To conclude, for the past 75 years, WMO has turned science into action for the global good. On this World Meteorological Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to a safer, more sustainable world. We owe it to our children. I thank you.”
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