WMO News

Experts from Nine South American Countries Participate in Regional Training on Quality Management Systems for Climate Services

World Meteorological Organization — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The World Meteorological Organization is advancing the implementation of the regional Quality Management Systems (QMS) training for the provision of climate services, targeting National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of the Regional Association for South America (RA III).

A 4-hour virtual training is being delivered weekly from May to September 2026, bringing together high-level specialists from nine countries across South America to strengthen institutional and technical capacities for the implementation of internationally recognized quality management systems within climate service operations.

The training is being funded through the ENANDES and ENANDES+ projects, which seek to strengthen climate resilience in South America through the generation, dissemination, and application of scientific knowledge. Further, the training promotes regional peer-to-peer cooperation under the framework of South-South Cooperation through NUREX, the regional expertise hub. Both phases are implemented by WMO, with this training funded by the Adaptation Fund (AF) and supported by the regional hub of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC/COSUDE).

In the first session, participants were organized into two working groups. This structure will ensure a collaborative and regionally tailored learning environment, facilitating peer-to-peer exchange, technical cooperation, and the sharing of operational experiences and best practices among NMHSs across the region.

Throughout the course, participants will address both the conceptual foundations and the operational implementation of QMS for climate services, including institutional diagnostics, process mapping, documentation frameworks, and continuous improvement planning.

The implementation of this training reflects the strong commitment of South American countries to continuously improve their meteorological and hydrological services while reinforcing regional cooperation to address the growing challenges associated with climate variability and climate change.

By the end of the training, participating institutions are expected to have acquired practical tools and methodologies to initiate or consolidate the implementation of Quality Management Systems within their organizations, ultimately contributing to more efficient, reliable, and user-centred climate services for society.

Further, the training contributes to the broader efforts of WMO to strengthen the quality, consistency, and reliability of climate services worldwide by promoting harmonized standards aligned with international best practices. Enhanced quality management frameworks are expected to support more informed decision-making across critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources management, disaster risk reduction, and public health.

Nile Basin countries advance flood early warning and anticipatory action through technical workshop in Kigali

World Meteorological Organization — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), together with partners under the Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) project, convened a four-day technical workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, from 27 to 30 April 2026, to strengthen flood early warning and anticipatory action across the Nile Basin.

The workshop, titled "Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment, Advancing Multi-Hydrological Model and Interoperable Platform for Flood Early Warning and Anticipatory Action in the Nile Basin," brought together around 50 participants from Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. Participants included representatives of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, disaster risk management authorities, Red Cross societies, regional centres, and technical partners.

Organized under the WHCA project, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the workshop marked an important step from technical design toward validation, user feedback, and operational planning. The discussions focused on connecting three critical elements of effective early warning systems: risk knowledge, multi-model hydrological forecasting, and interoperable visualization of forecast and risk information for decision-making.

A key focus was the development of a regional multi-model hydrological forecasting system, bringing together existing models. Rather than relying on a single model, the approach aims to use the strengths of different models to provide more reliable guidance for flood preparedness and early action. Participants reviewed model performance using national observations and discussed how country-level validation can improve the accuracy and relevance of forecasts.

The workshop also reviewed progress on an interoperable visualization platform hosted by ICPAC. The platform is intended to bring together hydrological and meteorological monitoring, forecasts, model outputs, gauging station data, rainfall information, risk layers, and bulletin products in one interface. Participants tested the prototype and provided feedback on usability, data layers, map presentation, chart clarity, administrative boundaries, export functions, and user access needs.

In parallel, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) led sessions on multi-hazard risk assessment, including hazard, exposure, vulnerability, capacity, and risk mapping. These sessions supported the shift from forecasting “what the weather will be” to forecasting “what the weather will do,” helping countries link hydrological forecasts with potential impacts on people, infrastructure, and livelihoods.

The workshop further advanced discussions on a regional hydro-meteorological advisory bulletin for the Nile Basin. The proposed bulletin would provide regional guidance to support, not replace, national warning products. National agencies would remain central in reviewing, validating, and tailoring the information to national contexts, while ICPAC would support regional consolidation and dissemination. A semi-weekly production cycle was discussed for the pilot phase.

By the end of the workshop, participants agreed on a roadmap for May to July 2026. Key actions include finalizing reporting and forecasting points, sharing updated national data for model validation, refining the visualization platform, improving bulletin formats, consulting disaster management and Red Cross stakeholders on risk information, and preparing for operational testing during the 2026 rainy season.

The workshop reaffirmed the importance of regional cooperation in the Nile Basin, where upstream rainfall and river conditions can affect downstream flood risk across borders. It also emphasized the need for strong national ownership, sustained data exchange, and close collaboration between hydrometeorological agencies, disaster management authorities, and humanitarian actors.

Through WHCA, WMO and partners will continue supporting countries to strengthen end-to-end early warning systems that are technically robust, user-oriented, and actionable. The next phase will focus on further validation, operational testing, and preparation for a follow-up workshop planned for July 2026.

Experts from Five Andean Countries Participate in a Technical Internship at MeteoSwiss

World Meteorological Organization — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Specialists from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Peru came together for an intensive technical internship.

The activity took place from 4 to 8 May 2026 at the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss, in Zurich, Switzerland. The internship aimed at strengthening the management, quality assurance, and operational use of meteorological information to support more effective climate services and informed decision-making.

The internship was organized through the ENANDES+ project, a regional project funded by the Adaptation Fund and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and implemented by the World Meteorological Organization. The project promotes regional cooperation to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of Andean NMHSs through knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer collaboration, and the development of climate services.

During the internship, participants gained first-hand insight into MeteoSwiss operational structures and workflows, exploring the full meteorological data value chain, from field observations and data acquisition to the generation of operational products and services. Participants engaged in technical dialogue, enabling the exchange of experiences, challenges, and best practices from across the region.

The agenda included technical sessions on the SwissMetNet surface observation network, data flows into centralized systems, and data warehouse architecture, with particular emphasis on parameter and variable standardization. Participants also reviewed quality management procedures, including both automated and manual quality control processes, as well as methodologies for the homogenization of climatological time series. In addition, participants explored key international initiatives and frameworks, including the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review (OSCAR) platform, the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON), and the implementation of WMO Information System (WIS) 2.0.

ENANDES+ continues to strengthen capacities across the Andean region by promoting technical integration, regional collaboration, and the modernization of meteorological and climate services. These efforts contribute to improving the quality, traceability, and accessibility of climate information, ultimately supporting more reliable forecasts and evidence-based decision-making for the benefit of vulnerable communities and climate-sensitive sectors.

Rising land and ocean temperatures, wilder water cycle, glacier retreat hit Latin America and Caribbean

World Meteorological Organization — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BRASILIA, Brazil (WMO) - Record-breaking heat, persistent drought, extreme rainfall and devastating tropical cyclones impacted communities and economies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025, whilst melting glaciers led to an upsurge in short term hazards like floods and long-term water security risk, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Along Atlantic-facing coasts, sea level is rising faster than the global average in parts of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean. Continuing ocean acidification and warming are compounding risks to marine ecosystems and fisheries, according to the WMO State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025.

"The signs of a changing climate are unmistakable across Latin America and the Caribbean, from accelerating glacier loss and rising sea levels to rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, extreme heat, floods and drought,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“This report shows that while risks are growing, so too is our capacity to anticipate and act to save lives and protect livelihoods,” she said.

This was exemplified by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 - the first Category 5 hurricane on record to make landfall in Jamaica. It led to 45 deaths and economic losses of approximately 8.8 billion US dollars, more than 41% of GDP. Even though Melissa had no historical precedent, Jamaican authorities used high-quality risk modelling to inform advance financial measures and disaster preparedness which limited the human toll and helped the island cope.

Another major risk is from extreme heat, which is posing an increasing public health burden. In 2025, recurrent and intense heatwaves – with temperatures well above 40°C - affected large parts of North, Central and South America. There is therefore a pressing need to embed climate intelligence into health planning and emergency preparedness and to integrate meteorological early warnings with public health triggers.

Many countries do not routinely publish cause-specific heat mortality data. It is estimated that there were approximately 13 000 heat-attributable deaths annually (average across 17 countries from 2012–2021). This suggests a significant underestimate of heat related mortality and there is a need for improved reporting, according to the report.

It also examines how agro-food systems are exposed to extreme weather and climate shocks, with simultaneous impacts on agricultural production, rural livelihoods, access to food, and market functioning.

The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean was launched at Olacyr de Moraes Auditorium at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), in Brasília, Brazil. It provides authoritative information on key climate indicators, impacts and risks and on major regional extreme events, including tropical cyclones, heatwaves, heavy rainfall and drought, and cold waves.

“These findings are deeply concerning. But they also show why our work matters. Climate information is not only about data. It is about people,” said Celeste Saulo.

“It is about protecting communities from floods, droughts, hurricanes, heatwaves and other hazards. It is about farmers planning their crops, health authorities preparing for heat-related risks, and coastal communities planning for rising seas,” she said.

“The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 is not only a scientific publication. It is a call to action. It calls on us to strengthen observations, invest in services, close early warning gaps, and ensure that climate information reaches those who need it most,” said Celeste Saulo.

President of Kazakhstan Meets with WMO President to Discuss Climate Cooperation, Water Security, and UAE–Kazakhstan Cloud Seeding Project

World Meteorological Organization — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

His Excellency President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, met with His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Director General of the UAE National Center of Meteorology (NCM), in the capital Astana on May 15, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in climate monitoring, early warning systems, modernization of meteorological infrastructure, water security, and to review the progress of the UAE–Kazakhstan cloud seeding project currently being implemented in the Turkistan region.

During the meeting, President Tokayev emphasized the pivotal role played by the World Meteorological Organization, as a specialized United Nations agency, in supporting international cooperation in climate, weather, water resources, and disaster risk reduction. He noted that accelerating climate change requires stronger international coordination and the development of scientific and technological solutions capable of helping countries address environmental and water-related challenges.

The meeting also addressed several climate-related issues of strategic importance to Kazakhstan, particularly the development of early warning systems, modernization of meteorological observation networks and stations, and the enhancement of scientific and climate data exchange with international institutions and specialized organizations. President Tokayev affirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with the UAE National Center of Meteorology and benefit from the UAE’s advanced expertise in meteorology, cloud seeding, and climate artificial intelligence applications.

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WMO highlights AI innovation and role of national Meteorological and Hydrological Services at STI Forum 2026

World Meteorological Organization — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way the world forecasts weather, anticipates floods and prepares for climate extremes — and the World Meteorological Organization’s Members are at the forefront of that change. During the 11^th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development (STI Forum 2026) at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the WMO UN Affairs Office showcased how WMO Members are using AI weather predictions to deliver faster and more accessible weather and climate services.

At the "AI for Good Lab 2026" WMO joined eleven other United Nations organizations to present groundbreaking work by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). Among the examples highlighted was China’s AI-powered MAZU initiative, and the Norway and Malawi collaboration to use the ‘forecast-in-a-box' tool with funding from the Climate Risk and Early Warnings Systems (CREWS) Initiative. These applications are helping to test the potential for AI to support early warning systems in countries with limited resources.

The theme of AI governance and capacity was reinforced at a separate event on learning and education in the age of AI, where questions of ethics, trust, and equitable access to AI tools were central to the discussion — issues of direct relevance to NMHSs in developing countries seeking to harness these technologies.

Beyond AI, a consistent thread across the Forum was the indispensable role of NMHSs in translating scientific information into real decisions at the country level. At a virtual side event organized by WMO Hydrology team — "Smart Warnings, Safe Futures: Can Science and Innovation Protect Everyone from Hydro-meteorological Hazards?" — experts and partners examined how cutting-edge science reaches communities on the ground, and what gaps remain. Discussions highlighted the link between robust national services, international data sharing and the delivery of the Early Warnings for All initiative.

This message was echoed by experts and distinguished speakers at several events through the week, including one organized by the Group of Friends of Science for Action, where Ms. Laura Paterson, Head of the WMO UN Affairs Office, stressed that science-based decision-making depends on functioning NMHSs that can act as the bridge between global knowledge and local action — particularly in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events and water-related risks.

Through its engagement at STI Forum 2026, WMO reaffirmed that the future of weather, climate and water services lies in the responsible application of innovation — and in ensuring that no country is left behind in benefiting from it.

WMO: Invest in Resilience as Climate Risks Intensify

World Meteorological Organization — Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially launched a new financing mechanism to safeguard the critical weather forecasting backbone, which underpins trillions of dollars in economic value and supports global stability.

The WMO Weather, Climate and Water Intelligence Commons (“WMO Commons”) seeks to mobilize at least 100 million US dollars over 5 years to finance global weather, climate and water monitoring, prediction, and service delivery systems.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo presented the WMO Commons in a keynote speech to a high-level roundtable event with financial, business and government leaders during Climate Week Zurich. She made a compelling investment case for strengthening the weather forecasting and observing network to build resilience to growing climate risks and keep the world protected and prepared.

According to Swiss Re, in 2024 alone, weather and climate-related related catastrophes caused US$ 318 billion in global losses, of which only 43% were insured. Extreme weather is the top long-term risk over the next ten-year- period, according to the World Economic Forum.

“Climate risk is increasingly expressed through weather. And weather risk is rapidly translating into economic risk,” she said.

Around the world, storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires are disrupting operations, affecting supply chains, reducing labour productivity, straining health systems, increasing insurance losses and weakening public finances, she said.

The good news is that science has advanced dramatically, enabling investors to make more informed and smarter business and risk management decisions.

Forecast skill continue to improve. Today’s five-day forecast is as accurate as a three-day forecast 20 years ago, while one to four day forecast accuracy has improved by around 10–20%.

“Forecasts do not stop storms or droughts from happening. But they turn surprise into preparedness. And preparedness protects lives, assets and growth. Weather and climate intelligence today is not simply useful information. It is economic intelligence,” Celeste Saulo told chief executive officers and top decision-makers at the event hosted by Building Bridges.

It transforms uncertainty into lead time.
It allows businesses to reroute logistics.
It helps insurers price risk more accurately.
It supports governments in protecting citizens and infrastructure.
It enables investors to distinguish resilience from vulnerability.

Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems initiative gets financial boost from G7 countries

World Meteorological Organization — Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

France and the United Kingdom have committed additional funding to the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems initiative, which seeks to ensure that people most at risk in low-income countries have access to life-saving early warnings to reduce the risks from weather-related hazards.

French Minister of State for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad, Éléonore Caroit, and Baroness Chapman of Darlington, UK’s Minister for International Development and Africa, announced the financial contributions at a G7 Development Ministers meeting in Paris on 30 April. They called on other G7 countries to support the collective efforts by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative to strengthen forecasts and warnings in low-income countries.

Éléonore Caroit stated: "CREWS initiative has already strengthened the resilience of 77 countries and more than 400 million people through early warning systems. Investing US$ 800 million in these systems prevents up to US$16 billion in losses per year, and divides disaster-related mortality by six."

The announcement of additional contributions of 3 million euros by France for 2026 and a similar contribution by UK to the CREWS trust fund, allows the initiative to move closer to achieving its objective of closing the early warning capacity gap in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States by 2030.

Fifty years after the G7 was first created to tackle global economic and political issues, the G7 Head-of-State Summit will be held in Evian, France on 15-17 June 2026.

In the build-up, France convened the G7 Development Ministers meeting in Paris, recognizing the shared interest in increasing resilience to protect populations, economies and infrastructure from disasters.

CREWS contribution and impact

Through its technical assistance, 400 million people have access to life saving early warning services. CREWS has successfully leveraged US$ 2.8 billion from the World Bank and other financial institutions, while also facilitating access to climate finance for the countries it works with.

To achieve its goal of bridging the early warning capacity gap, CREWS draws on the best available expertise— from the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction the International Telecommunications Union, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and development banks.

WMO Deputy-Secretary-General, Ko Barrett, emphasized that “CREWS is one of WMO’s most important partners in turning science into action. WMO has implemented CREWS projects worth US$ 67 million since 2017, supporting national meteorological and hydrological services in more than 70 countries to deliver life-saving early warning systems.”

WMO Deputy Secetary-General addesses G7 Development Ministers

WMO

Why supporting early warning system matters

The G7 meeting heard that weather-related hazards are causing severe damage, and economic and social losses are increasing globally. Early warning systems are a shared development priority because they can reduce disaster-related mortality by up to six times; every dollar invested in early warning systems can yield up to US$ 10 in benefits; and a 24-hour warning of a coming storm can cut the ensuing damage by 30%.

Many countries, especially those most vulnerable to extreme weather events, still lack the necessary capacity to ensure timely warnings reach people and trigger early actions to save lives and livelihoods.

Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General and CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) called at the meeting on G7 ministers “to continue the dialogue on how to reduce demand on the humanitarian system – and related financial aid – by better-timing limited humanitarian supply.” “It’s early action that makes early warning work,” he said.  “And that saves lives."

The IFRC is a membership organization of 191 National Societies and 17 million community level volunteers. It is in the final stage of being accredited to CREWS.

The 2nd AI Meteorological Forecasting Model Demonstration Program of CMA launched

World Meteorological Organization — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On April 29, during the Sub-Forum on Digital Meteorology of Digital China Summit, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) launched the second Artificial Intelligence (AI) Meteorological Forecasting Model Demonstration Program (hereinafter referred to as the Program).

Focusing on addressing the core pain points in the field of AI meteorological forecasting, the Program will select a number of outstanding models for competition. A standardized evaluation system covering all time scales will be established to accelerate the transformation of AI meteorological forecasting models from research experiments to operational applications.

The 7th Catalogue of Global Open Data unveiled

World Meteorological Organization — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On April 29, during the Sub-Forum on Digital Meteorology of Digital China Summit, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) unveiled the 7th Catalogue of Global Open Data.

This batch of meteorological data products comprises 16 kinds across five categories, including national quantitative precipitation nowcasting and short-to-medium range forecasts, global short-to-medium range forecasts, sub-seasonal-to-seasonal predictions, and global marine meteorological real-time analysis products.

They cover the full temporal spectrum from real-time observation, nowcasting, short-to-medium range forecasting to long-range prediction, as well as multi-spatial scales including national, global and near-Earth space domains. Featuring high temporal and spatial resolution and exceptional sensitivity to extreme heavy rainfall, these products will deliver more refined and inclusive meteorological support for economic and social development, and better empower industries across all sectors.