World Meteorological Day, 23rd March 2026
The striking image above greeted me when I logged on this morning. It was taken in the Sonoran Desert which I’m told has two rainy seasons – moderate winter rainfalls and powerful summer monsoons. It is the latter storms that bring lightning storms, sudden drops in temperature and intense deluges.
The following
is a message from António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
On this World Meteorological Day, we are reminded that foresight saves lives.
Climate chaos is rewriting the rules of weather, with record heat, longer droughts, rising seas and ever more frequent and extreme disasters. Accurate, trusted science is our first line of defence.
The World Meteorological Organization and national services help keep us safe by weaving a global web of data, from land, sea, air and space – turning measurements into forecasts, and forecasts into early warnings. Yet the global observing system is under strain, with critical gaps, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.
This year’s theme, Observing
Today, Protecting Tomorrow,
is a call to action. Governments, development banks and the private
sector must scale up support for our global observing backbone, from surface
stations to satellites, and ensure data is shared openly and equitably.
And we must accelerate Early Warnings for All so that, by 2027, every
person is protected by life-saving alerts. Investing in observation pays
many times over – strengthening peace, security, resilience and sustainable
development.
By observing today, we can protect tomorrow – for people, for
planet, for prosperity, and for generations to come.
Will his words resonate with those who have the power to act? 2027 is a breath away.
Too little, too late?
ReplyDeleteI think we have done too little but I also think its never to late, if enough people listen to this call to arms.. will it happen? probably not..
ReplyDeleteNope, those in charge seam to think it's a tomorrow problem, the rest of us do what we can.
ReplyDeleteThey are predicting a huge El Nino event this year. Climate change is a real thing that needs to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteIt's this bizarre climate change we have had going for years that has caused the current unpleasant weather every where in the world. Too hot, too cold, too dry or floods. I expect nothing better in my lifetime but I hope the generations behind me get better than this.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much that can still be done and great potential for clean power, it is just so tragic that we are living through a period of short-term actions and disgraceful people in power.
ReplyDelete