The World Meteorological Day is celebrated on March 23 every year to commemorate the creation of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This day marks the significance of the interconnectedness between human behaviour and the Earth’s atmosphere.

This day has been celebrated since 1961 with different themes. It reflects the important contribution of the meteorological department to the safety and welfare of the countries.

History

The World Meteorological Organisation was established on March 23, 1950. It became the UN’s specialised agency for meteorology and operational hydrology.

The WMO originated in 1873 from the International Meteorological Organisation after the Vienna International Meteorological Congress. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

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This organisation contributes to the safety and welfare of society with the latest updates about the weather, climate, hydrology and related geophysical science.

Significance

To protect lives and livelihoods, people worldwide want to know what the weather will do in the near future. Meteorological organisations across the world work with the latest technologies to improve preparedness and responses for possible weather and climate situations.

WMO helps in the collaboration of the members between hydrological and national meteorological services and the application of meteorology.

People these days are more interested in impact-based weather forecasts and meteorologists worldwide provide these details for preparedness for any unfortunate situations.

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The WMO aims to empower underdeveloped and vulnerable countries to tackle the socioeconomic consequences of extreme weather conditions and other environmental events and to support them in sustainable development.

It works for the advancement of the standardisation of meteorological data and encourages research and training in meteorology to benefit other sectors. WMO also educates the public on the importance of meteorological data.

Theme

The theme of World Meteorological Day 2023 is 'The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations.' It underlines the impact of climate change and steps to protect the environment for the upcoming generations.

Last year, the theme for World Meteorological Day was 'Early Warning and Early Actions.' Its main focus was on climate and hydrometeorological information for disaster risk reduction. This theme reflected the tropical weather, climate or water-related issues.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)