The World Meteorological Organization - the competent body of the United Nations

The World Meteorological Organization was formed on the basis of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO). Today is the official voice of the UN in the problems of atmospheric phenomena of the Earth, the relationship between the atmospheric layer and the oceans and the impact on climate change.

Short story

The year of foundation of the World Meteorological Organization is 1947. It has been operating since 1951. Continues the IMO - International Meteorological Organization, which was formed in 1853, after the first international conference on the problems of meteorology.

In September 1947, Washington adopted the WMO Convention, which entered into force in March 1950.

The World Meteorological Organization is a specialized body of the United Nations.

Structure of WMO

The highest organ of the organization is the World Meteorological Congress. Delegates from WMO Member States are invited to attend. The purpose of the next meeting is to define a single vector of activities to achieve the tasks set and to resolve questions about new members of the organization, as well as the election of the main persons of WMO. The Congress meets every four years.

The executive body of the association is appointed by the Executive Board. Its tasks are to be responsible for the implementation of decisions taken and to control the expenditure part of the WMO budget. Today, the council consists of 37 directors selected by the Congress from the national services of hydrometeorological or meteorological observations. These are 27 members, three vice-presidents, the president and six presidents of regional associations. Namely:

• Southwestern Pacific;
• Europe;
• North, Central America and the Caribbean;
• South America;
• Asia;
• Africa.

These associations are responsible for coordinating the activities of hydro and meteorological services in the regions.

Technical commissions

The World Meteorological Organization in its structure has eight commissions on technical issues, such as:

• JCOMM is the joint WMO Commission with the IOC for the Meteorology of the Seas and Oceans.
• CCl - on climatology.
• CAgM - on meteorology in agriculture.
• KAM - aeronautical meteorology.
• CAS - in the atmospheric sciences.
• CHy - on hydrology.
• CIMO - on instruments and methods of observation.
• CBS - for basic systems.

There is a center for information, documentation and administration - this is the secretariat. It is headed by the Secretary General. And also two bureaus in charge of communications - in Brussels and New York.

The main directions in work

The World Meteorological Organization is working on a wide range of climatic and atmospheric problems. It compiles a scientifically based weather forecast, studies climate change that affects the weather, and warns of impending natural disasters. In addition, the tasks of WMO are coordinating the worldwide scientific activity on the timely provision of real-time data on weather conditions for airlines, ports, marine and oceanic vessels and other stakeholders.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the highest authority in this field of scientific activity.

The directions that the organization covers are several:

• It promotes cooperation between countries in setting up networks for various types of observations.
• It helps to speed up the exchange of climate and other information, uniformity in publication of forecasts, statistical data and results of observations.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) carries out the unification of meteorological observations.
• It takes measures to prevent dangerous weather events and amortization of possible consequences from the elements.
• Helps operational hydrology, scientific training and new research.

World Weather Watch

WMO has established a service that works with the help of the national weather forecasting services of the organization's members, ground-based observations, meteorological centers in the regions and states and space specialized satellites. In today's reality, special attention is paid to space surveillance systems.

Organization's activities

All necessary agreements related to measurements, weather standards, codes and communications are established with the direct participation of WMO.

Not long ago, the World Meteorological Organization adopted a program document on tropical cyclones. It enables states (about 50), dependent on tropical cyclones, to reduce the number of victims and victims, as well as destruction to a minimum. This is facilitated by constantly modernizing forecasting systems and warnings about impending natural disasters.

The World Meteorological Organization collects, collates and stores climate change data, enabling governments to prepare for possible consequences in a few months.

Research programs on atmospheric change assist in the coordination and systematization of data on the physical and chemical composition of clouds, weather forecasts and meteorology of the tropical zone of the Earth. Observations on the content of radionuclides, greenhouse gases, ozone and other gaseous traces in the atmosphere are becoming mandatory.

Work is carried out in the World Meteorological Organization related to the meteorological consultation of agricultural producers. This helps to significantly reduce losses from drought, disease or pest infestation. The Water and Hydrology Program provides an opportunity to assess freshwater supplies and their quality, manage global water resources and warn of impending floods.