World Meteorological Day - 2017
The
United Nations' (UN) World Meteorological Day is annually held on or
around March 23 to remember the World Meteorological Organization's
establishment on that date in 1950. Many different activities and events
are organized for this occasion.
What Do People Do?
World Meteorological Day often features various events such as
conferences, symposia and exhibitions for meteorological professionals,
community leaders and the general public. Some events aim to attract
media attention to raise meteorology's profile.
Many prizes for meteorological research are presented or announced on
or close to World Meteorological Day. These prizes include:
- The International Meteorological Organization Prize.
- Professor Dr. Vilho Väisälä Award.
- The Norbert Gerbier-Mumm International Award.
Many countries issue postage stamps or special postage stamp
cancellation marks to celebrate World Meteorological Day. These stamps
often reflect the event's theme or mark a country's meteorology
achievements.
Background
The International Meteorological Organization was established at the
first International Meteorological Congress in Vienna, Austria, in 1873.
The organization aimed to establish meteorological station networks.
These networks were linked by telegraph and improved weather forecasts.
This contributed to shipping services' safety and efficiency.
The International Meteorological Organization became the World
Meteorological Organization on March 23, 1950. It became the UN's
specialized agency for meteorology, operational hydrology and related
geophysical sciences in 1951.
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. World
Meteorological Day has been observed on March 23 each year since 1961.
Understanding Clouds is the theme of World
Meteorological Day 2017 to highlight the enormous importance of clouds
for weather climate and water. Clouds are central to weather
observations and forecasts. Clouds are one of the key uncertainties in
the study of climate change: we need to better understand how clouds
affect the climate and how a changing climate will affect clouds. Clouds
play a critical role in the water cycle and shaping the global
distribution of water resources.
On the lighter side, World Meteorological Day will provide an
opportunity to celebrate the inherent beauty and aesthetic appeal of
clouds, which has inspired artists, poets, musicians, photographers and
countless other enthusiasts throughout history.
World Meteorological Day marks the launch of a new edition of the
International Cloud Atlas after the most thorough and far-reaching
revision in its long and distinguished history. The new WMO Atlas is a
treasure trove of hundreds of images of clouds, including a few newly
classified cloud types. It also features other meteorological phenomena
such as rainbows, halos, snow devils and hailstones. For the first
time ever, the Atlas has been produced in a digital format and is
accessible via both computers and mobile devices.
The International Cloud Atlas is the single authoritative and most
comprehensive reference for identifying clouds. It is an essential
training tool for professionals in the meteorological community and
those working in aviation and shipping. Its reputation is legendary
among cloud enthusiasts.
The International Cloud Atlas has its roots in the late 19th century. It was revised on several occasions in the 20th century, most recently in 1987, as a hard copy book, before the advent of the Internet.
Advances in science, technology and photography prompted WMO to
undertake the ambitious and exhaustive task of revising and updating the
Atlas with images contributed by meteorologists, cloud watchers and
photographers from around the world.
