International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize

The IMO Prize originates from the International Meteorological Organization, the predecessor to WMO. The IMO Prize is awarded annually. The first was presented to Dr Th. Hesselberg of Norway in 1956.

A group of six people in business attire stands together indoors, with three of them holding a large certificate. A flag and a plant are visible in the background.
IMO Award Ceremony (from left to right): Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General; Ambassador Simon Manley, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva; Prof. Timothy Palmer; Prof. Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General; Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, WMO President; and Thomas Asare, WMO Assistant Secretary-General
WMO

The IMO Prize includes:

  • A 14-carat gold medal 57 mm in diameter. It bears on one side the official WMO emblem and on the other side the Latin inscription Pro singulari erga scientiam meteorologicam merito
  • A monetary award of 10 000 Swiss francs
  • A parchment scroll

Guidelines

Initially, the IMO Prize was granted in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of meteorology. However, when the WMO mandate came to include operational hydrology in 1971, the range of IMO Prize expanded to include hydrology. Today, the IMO Prize covers any other field referred to in Article 2 of the WMO Convention.

Candidates for the IMO prize must be living persons; however, the award may be made posthumously to a candidate who dies between the date of his nomination and that of the awarding of the Prize.

Members of the Executive Council, as electors, are not eligible for the award during their term(s) of office.

Nomination procedure

Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Missions of Member State with WMO or Permanent Representatives of Member State/Territory with WMO are invited to nominate candidates for the IMO Prize. The nominations should be communicated to the Secretary-General by email to IMOPrize_nominations@wmo.int, for transmission to the Selection Committee of the Executive Council.

The nomination must include:

  1. A Nomination Form signed by either the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission or Permanent Representative. Nomination must include name, professional and home mailing address, present professional title and institutional affiliation.
  2. A precise and factual summary of accomplishments that provides a brief statement (1-2 pages) of the individual's achievements in the fields relevant to the Prize with a focus on the most recent five years, in at least one of the following: (i) advancing weather, climate and water science and/or it application to society; (ii) leadership of the International weather, climate and water community, with a particular emphasis on furthering the purpose of WMO; communicating weather, climate and water science and/or increasing public engagement in the field of weather, climate and water science and its application.. The summary of accomplishments should be in MS Word format, and follow the template.
  3. The nominee's curriculum vitae or resumé.
  4. A list of the nominee's publications.
  5. Two five-minute video presentations by the nominee and the Permanent Representative.

A candidature received after the deadline (one month prior to the opening of the Executive Council session) shall not be considered at that session, but shall be taken into consideration for all subsequent IMO Prizes to be awarded during the current four-year financial period, as will all candidates submitted but not chosen for the award during that financial period.

Find out more: Indication of preference for the designation of acting members of the council and the award of the IMO Prize (PDF)

List of winners

2023 

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Prof Timothy Palmer (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Prof. Timothy Palmer named as IMO Prize Laureate (WMO News)

2022

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Dr Sue Barrell (Australia)

Sue Barrell of Australia honored for outstanding leadership (WMO News)

IMO Prize Lecture (Bulletin article)

An interview with Sue Barrell, Winner of the IMO Prize (Bulletin article)

2021 

A man in a suit.

Professor In-Sik Kang (Republic of Korea)

WMO awards IMO prize to Prof. In-Sik Kang (WMO News)

IMO Prize Ceremony Lecture (PowerPoint)

2020

A man in a suit standing in front of a window.

Mr David Grimes (Canada)

WMO former president David Grimes is honoured (WMO News)

IMO Prize Ceremony and Lecture

2019

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Professor Sergej Zilitinkevich (Russian Federation)

Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award (see also Sergej Zilitinkevich Memorial Award Established)

Career highlights

2015 Alfred Wegener Medal & Honorary Membership

2018

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Dr Antonio Divino Moura (Brazil)

Divino Moura of Brazil wins IMO Prize (WMO News)

IMO Prize Winner 2018, Presentation (video)

Career highlights

2017

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Professor Gordon McBean (Canada)

WMO presents top scientific prize to Gordon McBean of Canada (WMO News)

Career highlights

2016

Two men in suits standing next to each other holding a medal.

Professor Qing-Cun Zeng (People's Republic of China)

Interview in Bulletin 64/1, 2015

Career highlights (in Chinese)

2015

An older woman is smiling for the camera.

Professor Dame Julia Slingo DBE  (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

The Evolution of Climate Science: A personal view from Julia Slingo (article based on her IMO prize lecture)

Toward seamless climate-weather and environmental prediction (video)


2014

A man in a suit sits at a desk.

Dr Alexander Bedritsky (Russian Federation) - President of WMO, 2003-2011


2013 

A bald man with glasses and a mustache.

Dr Tillmann Mohr (Germany)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/1, page 27

Career highlights 

2012

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Dr Zaviša Janjić (Serbia/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 62/2

2011

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Professor Aksel Wiin-Nielsen (Denmark)

Career highlights

2010

An asian man in a suit and tie.

Professor Taroh Matsuno (Japan)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 60/2

2009

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Professor Eugenia Kalnay (Argentina/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 59/2

Career highlights

2008

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Mr Qin Dahe (People's Republic of China)

Career highlights

2007

An indian man in a blue shirt and tie.

Professor Jagadish Shukla (India/United States of America)

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 185

Related materials

Career highlights

2006

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Professor Lennart Bengtsson (Sweden)

Tropical cyclones in a warmer climate (IMO prize speech, published in WMO Bulletin Vol 56/3, page 196);

Interview in WMO Bulletin Vol 53/3, page 191

Career highlights

2005

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Dr John W. Zillman (Australia) - President of WMO, 1995-2003

The WMO legacy for the 21st century: meteorology as a model for humanity (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 55/3, page 191);

The challenges for meteorology in the 21st century (IMO prize speech, WMO Bulletin Vol 54/4, page 224)

2004

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Dr Bennet Machenhauer (Denmark)

Related material: Spectral Methods

Career highlights

2003

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Dr Ye Duzheng (People's Republic of China)

Related materials

Career highlights

2002

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Dr Joanne Simpson (United States of America)

Related materials

Career highlights

2001

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Professor M. H. Ganji  (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2000

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Professor Emeritus Edward Norton Lorenz (United States of America)

The nature and theory of the general circulation of the atmosphere - The First IMO Lecture, presented at the Fifth Congress in 1967

Career highlights

1999

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Professor James C. I. Dooge (Ireland)

Related materials

Career highlights

1998

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Sir John Houghton (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1997

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Professor Mariano A. Estoque (Philippines)

Related materials

Career highlights

1996

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Professor Tiruvalum N. Krishnamurti (United States of America)

Career highlights

1995

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Dr Roman L. Kintanar (Philippines) - President of WMO, 1979-1987

Career highlights

1994

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Dr J.P. Bruce (Canada)

Related materials

Career highlights

1993

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Professor W. E. Suomi (United States of America)

Career highlights

1992

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Professor Yuri Antonievich Izrael (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1991

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Professor Ragnar Fjørtoft (Norway)

Career highlights

1990

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Dr Richard E. Hallgren (United States of America)

Career highlights

1989

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Professor Pisharoth Rama Pisharoty (India)

1988

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Professor F. Kenneth Hare (Canada)

Career highlights

1987

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Professor M. I. Budyko (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1986

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Professor Hermann Flohn (Germany)

Career highlights

1985

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Sir Arthur Davies (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

1984

Dr T. F. Malone (United States of America)

Career highlights

1983

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Mr M. F. Taha (Egypt) - President of WMO, 1971-1979

Professor Juan Jacinto Burgos (picture) (Argentina)

1982

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Dr William James Gibbs (Australia)

1981

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Professor Bert Bolin (Sweden)

Global biogeochemical characteristics of the biosphere and their dependence on climate and climate change - Presentation of the Fourth IMO Lecture at the Eighth Congress in 1979

1980

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Dr Robert M. White (United States of America)

Career highlights

1979

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Professor Helmut Erich Landsberg (United States of America)

Career highlights

Related materials

1978

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Dr Alf E. G. E. Nyberg (Sweden) - President of WMO, 1963-1971

Career highlights

1977

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Dr G. P. Cressman (United States of America)

Career highlights

1976

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Academician E. K. Fedorov (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1975

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Dr Warren L. Godson (Canada)

1974

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Professor Joseph Smagorinsky (United States of America)

Career highlights

1973

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Dr Charles Henry Brian Priestley (Australia)

Mr John Stanley Sawyer (picture) (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

1972

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Academician Victor Antonovich Bugaev (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1971

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Professor Jule Gregory Charney (United States of America)

Career highlights

1970

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Dr Richard Th. A. Scherhag (Germany)

Career highlights

1969

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Professor Erik Herbert Palmén (Finland)

Career highlights 

1968

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Sir Graham Sutton (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1967

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Professor Kirill Y. Kondratyev (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1966

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Professor Tor Bergeron (Sweden)

Career highlights

1965

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Professor Sverre Petterssen (Norway/ United States of America)

Career highlights

Encyclopedia Britannica listing

1964

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Dr Francis W. Reichelderfer (United States of America) - President of WMO, 1951-1955

1963

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Dr Reginald Cockcroft Sutcliffe (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1962

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Dr Anders Ångström (Sweden)

1961

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Professor Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan (India)

1960

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Professor Jacques Van Mieghem (Belgium)

In memoriam

1959

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Professor Jacob Bjerknes (Norway/ United States of America)

Career highlights

Related materials

1958

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Mr Ernest Gold (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Career highlights

1957

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Professor Carl Gustav Rossby (Sweden/United States of America)

1956

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Dr Th. Hesselberg (Norway)

Career highlights