Date: Saturday, 23 March 2024; 63rd Anniversary.
Sponsor: World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Objectives:
World Meteorological Day is annually held on March 23 for the following purposes:
- to recognize the contribution that National Meteorological and Hydrological Services make to the safety and well-being of society.
- to remember the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization on that date in 1950.
Inception:
The first World Meteorological Day was officially held on 23 March 1961.
History:
In 1873, the International Meteorological Organization was established in Vienna, Austria, which aimed to establish meteorological station networks and improve weather forecasts.
On 23 March 1950, The International Meteorological Organization was renamed the World Meteorological Organization – a name still used today, which became the United Nations specialized agency for meteorology in 1951.
Since 1961, World Meteorological Day is annually observed on March 23 to commemorate the World Meteorological Organization’s establishment.
Why Do We Mark World Meteorological Day?
Without the data collected by the World Meteorological Organization, it would be impossible to get accurate daily weather forecasts. The World Meteorological Organization plays a crucial role in contributing to people’s safety and welfare. Its work is important in providing food security, water resources, and transport. The meteorological data help us track climate damage, plan our whole days, and warn us about natural disasters. Because of the WMO, we can predict huge storms with enough time for people to evacuate or make the necessary storm preparations.
How To Observe World Meteorological Day
Learn, share, and action!
Each year, World Meteorological Day features a variety of events such as conferences, symposia, prize-giving ceremonies, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, and social media campaigns for meteorological professionals, community leaders, and the general public. Many countries issue special postage stamps to celebrate World Meteorological Day, which often reflect the event’s theme or mark a country’s achievements in meteorology.
Each year a specific theme is proposed by the United Nations to raise awareness and promote innovative actions. The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day generally reflect topical weather, climate, or water-related issues.
Annual Theme In Recent Years:
2024 theme: “At the Frontline of Climate Action”.
2023 theme: “The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations.”
2022 theme: “Early Warning and Early Action. Hydrometeorological and Climate Information for Disaster Risk Reduction.”
2021 theme: “The Ocean, Our Climate and Weather.”
2020 theme: “Climate Change and Water.”
2019 theme: “The Sun, the Earth and the Weather.”
2018 theme: “Weather-Ready, Climate-Smart.”
2017 theme: “Understanding Clouds.”
2016 theme: “Hotter, Drier, Wetter – Face the Future.”
2015 theme: “Climate Knowledge for Climate Action.”
Official website:
https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/world-meteorological-day
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