Science for Action: Weather

A large, dark tornado approaches a rural road, flanked by open fields under an ominous sky.

Weather and climate phenomena are truly global.  As the atmosphere has no geographic boundaries, it is only in its entirety that it can be comprehensively understood and simulated mathematically in numeric modeling systems. Weather or climate prediction requires international coordination and a global infrastructure – without both of which it would be impossible. The WMO was launched in 1950 for this very purpose.

WMO data collection, exchange, analysis and research is a remarkable story of scientific vision, technological development and service provision and, most of all, of a unique system of cooperation to serve society. The World Weather Watch, launched in 1963, currently counts well over 10 000 manned and automatic surface weather stations, 1 000 upper-air stations, 7 000 ships, 100 moored and 1 000 drifting buoys, hundreds of weather radars and 3 000 specially equipped commercial aircraft measure key parameters of the atmosphere, land and ocean surface every day. Add to these some 30 meteorological and 200 research satellites to get an idea of the size of the global network for meteorological, hydrological and other geophysical observations. The WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) acts as its umbrella for these networks, using the WMO Information System (WIS) to connect all regions for data exchange, management and processing.

Powerful computers process the collected data in numerical models based on Earth’s physical laws to produce weather, climate and water-related forecasts, predictions, and information products and services for use in daily lives, sustainable development and research. Improvement in forecasting have been formidable due to supercomputers and better models, especially in areas where dense observational data are available. More timely and accurate warnings are reaching more people at risk. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have the potential to bring further rapid advances.

Over the last 75 years, weather forecasting has progressed from being a niche area of value mainly to mariners, aviators, farmers and outdoor enthusiasts to a global necessity for nearly all sectors of the economy, used in the everyday lives of nearly all people on the planet.