| World Meteorological Day 2010 |
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| Written by Administrator |
| Thursday, 18 March 2010 00:00 |
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Every year on 23rd March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the international meteorological community join in celebrating World Meteorological Day around a chosen theme. This annual occasion celebrates the coming into force the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950 establishing the Organization. In 1951, the WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations System. This year’s theme is “60 years of service for your safety and well-being”. Belize, through its National Meteorological Service, joins the other 188 members of WMO in celebrating World Meteorological Day on Tuesday 23rd March 2010. The WMO’s role has evolved over the past 60 years to become an exceptional scientific and technological institution with its primary focus on the safety and well being of all. WMO sponsored research has flourished and the utility of much improved observation and communication networks have led to a marked advancement in weather forecasting. The National Meteorological Service of Belize as a part of this Organization has also seen strides in its forecasting capabilities going beyond the 24 to 48 hour forecasts. Today the Service issues forecasts up to four days in advance and is working on the production of seasonal weather outlooks, as part of a regional initiative. These are in addition to the other products delivered to the aviation, tourism, industrial, and agricultural sectors of the country. Such achievements and advancements would not have been totally possible without the free and unrestricted international exchange of weather data and products, a concept so implicitly structured in the spirit of the WMO Convention. The World Meteorological Organization has devoted considerable attention to the development needs of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services comprising its membership community, particularly in least developed countries like ours. Through providing access to advanced products and capacity to use them through adequate training of staff members, the National Meteorological Service of Belize and by extension the wider Belize community has benefited substantially. This was all done with public safety and well being driving such initiatives. During the period 1955 to 1959, WMO decided to incorporate hydrology within its scope. Today the Organization can now issue authoritative warnings against dwindling global water supplies particularly due to mounting population expansion pressures, pollution and the potential negative impacts of climate change on such supplies. All these initiatives leading to improved weather and hydrological forecasting, spearheaded globally by the World Meteorological Organization, have the ultimate objective of your safety and well-being. The National Meteorological Service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment joins the rest of the meteorological community in celebrating World Meteorological Day 2010 on the 23rd March under this theme of “safety and well-being”. |