WMO Information System 2.0 will transform sharing of Earth System Data
WMO is proud to announce a milestone in international meteorological cooperation – with the operational phase of the WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS 2.0) which will help change the way nations share Earth system data. WIS 2.0 exemplifies what we can achieve through global collaboration and marks a great start to the 75th anniversary of WMO as a specialized United Nations agency.
WIS 2.0 is the framework for WMO data sharing in the 21st century and makes international, regional, and national data sharing simple, effective, and inexpensive. It is based on the principle that no WMO Member should be left behind. It became operational on 1 January 2025.
Real-time data sharing underpins the accuracy of weather forecasts and enhances global cooperation, but also supports vital early warning systems, aids climate research, delivers significant economic and safety benefits, and enables Earth system monitoring.
The objective of lowering the barrier to adoption underpins the WIS 2.0 technical framework, which embraces open standards and Web technologies to facilitate sharing of increasing variety and volume of real-time data.
“With WIS 2.0, we are stepping into a future where predicting and preparing for weather-related events, tracking changes in the environment, and contributing to climate research will be more efficient and effective than ever before,” says Enrico Fucile, Chief of WMO Information System Section.
“This success story shows how international cooperation can make a real difference in addressing global challenges. Working together, we're supporting key international initiatives like Early Warnings for All and ensuring that advanced data sharing capabilities are accessible to all nations, including developing countries, Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States,” he comments.
A key factor in this widespread adoption has been WIS2 in a box, an open-source software solution, combined with comprehensive training programs. This approach has made the technology truly accessible, enabling countries of all levels of development to implement and benefit from WIS 2.0.
WIS 2.0 builds on the legacy of the Global Telecommunication System (est. 1971), creating a more inclusive and efficient framework for sharing atmospheric, oceanic, hydrological, and cryospheric data.
It supports the WMO Unified Data policy, the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON)
More than 60 nations have participated in WIS 2.0. WMO wants to recognize, in particular, the 11 countries providing the global infrastructure that makes it all possible: Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Morocco, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and United States of America.
WMO 75th Anniversary
The collaborative operation of global services exemplifies international cooperation on data collection, exchange, analysis and research. It showcases WMO’s 75 years of scientific vision, technological development and service provision and, most of all, of a unique system of cooperation to serve society.
Throughout 2025, WMO will celebrate 75 years as a specialized agency of the United Nations.
The WMO Convention was enacted on 23 March 1950, creating the World Meteorological Organization which officially became a specialized agency of the United Nations exactly a year from that date. Since then, WMO has worked through the network of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of its Members and with partners around the world to provide high-quality, authoritative weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental services to save life, improve well-being and build a better future.
