We need weather forecasts to know what to wear, to plan our day and to prepare for natural hazards that may lie ahead. However, weather forecasts provide essential information for decision-making in many other areas:
- for safe transportation on land, by sea and in the air
- for managing fresh water resources,
- for sport, adventure and beach tourism,
- for agriculture, building infrastructure and energy management,
- for taking life-saving timely action in face of impending natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, floods, etc.
Those are just a few of the areas in which weather forecast and information are valuable to users.
WMO Members work together through WMO to coordinate the global network of Earth system observations, free and open exchange of data, continuous research, and global, regional and national data-processing for numerical weather prediction - all basic requirement to deliver accurate, timely weather forecasts and services. Each contribution from every Member counts and improves the weather forecasts of all Members. The final outcome is far greater than the sum of its parts and could not be achieved by any one Member on its own: Over the past 40 years, forecast skill has been increasing by about one day per decade – a unique accomplishment that is moving science from research into practical solutions.
