Novice/Voda
Climate characteristics and factors behind record-heavy rain in Japan in August 2021 - Japan Meteorological Agency
24.9.2021|Voda
In mid-August 2021, areas from western to eastern Japan experienced record-heavy rain.?The conditions observed are mainly attributed to the following:?- Unusually for mid-summer in eastern and western Japan, like atmospheric flow in the latter half of the early-summer rainy season, known as the Baiu, a stationary front was strengthened by a significant north-south gradient of temperature in the lower troposphere between the Okhotsk High to north of Japan and the southward shifted North Pacific Subtropical High (NPSH) expanding to the south of Japan. A continuous confluence of water...
HydroHub improves hydrological monitoring
6.9.2021|Voda
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has allocated CHF 2.4 million to the WMO Global Hydrometry Support Facility (WMO HydroHub) to fund Phase II, which was?officially launched on 1 September.
?The WMO HydroHub has proven instrumental in increasing the quality and amount of hydrometric data as a global public good decisive to disaster risk reduction, sustainable water management and environmental protection,? stated Simon Zbinden, Head of the Global Programme Water at SDC.
About 60% of WMO Member States and Territories report declining local water monitoring...
Weather-related disasters increase over past 50 years, causing more damage but fewer deaths
31.8.2021|Voda
A disaster related to a weather, climate or water hazard occurred every day on average over the past 50 years ? killing 115 people and causing US$ 202 million in losses daily, according to a comprehensive new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The number of disasters has increased by a factor of five over the 50-year period, driven by climate change, more extreme weather and improved reporting. But, thanks to improved early warnings and disaster management, the number of deaths decreased almost three-fold.
According to the WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses...
Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019).
31.8.2021|Voda
WMO will release its Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019) on 1 September 2021.
The Atlas is WMO?s most exhaustive compilation to date of fatalities and economic costs from natural hazards. It provides comprehensive details of recorded disasters and their impacts, both at global and regional level. It gives statistics for the entire 50 year period, as well as a decadal breakdown which shows the evolution of disasters in our changing climate.
The Atlas is a multi-agency collaboration, with contributions from many partners including...
New report shows impacts of climate change and extreme weather in Latin America and Caribbean
17.8.2021|Voda
Climate change and extreme weather are threatening human health and safety, food, water and energy security and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. The impacts span the entire region, including Andean peaks, mighty river basins and low-lying islands, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It flags concerns about fires and the loss of forests which are a vital carbon sink.
The "State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020" provides a snapshot of the effects of increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns,...
New report shows impacts of climate change and extreme weather in Latin America and Caribbean
17.8.2021|Voda
Climate change and extreme weather are threatening human health and safety, food, water and energy security and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. The impacts span the entire region, including Andean peaks, mighty river basins and low-lying islands, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It flags concerns about fires and the loss of forests which are a vital carbon sink.
The "State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020" provides a snapshot of the effects of increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns,...
Water-related hazards dominate disasters in the past 50 years
23.7.2021|Voda
Geneva, 23 July 2021 (WMO) - Water-related hazards dominate the list of disasters in terms of both the human and economic toll over the past 50 years, according to a comprehensive analysis by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Of the top 10 disasters, the hazards that led to the largest human losses during the period have been droughts (650 000 deaths), storms (577 232 deaths), floods (58 700 deaths) and extreme temperature (55 736 deaths), according to the forthcoming WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019).
With regard...
Role of Amazon as carbon sink declines: Nature study
20.7.2021|Voda
Amazonia hosts the Earth?s largest tropical forests and has been shown to be an important carbon sink. This carbon sink seems to be in decline, however, as a result of factors such as deforestation and climate change, according to a new paper published in Nature.
The study was led by Lucia Gatti, Group Leader, Brazil?s National Institute of Space Research /Center of Earth System Science and a member of the steering committee for the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System spearheaded by WMO.
The authors investigated Amazonia?s carbon budget and the main drivers responsible...
Flash flood guidance system includes snow hydrology
14.7.2021|Voda
Climate change has accentuated natural hazards, including flash floods caused by melting of snow and ice in many regions of the world.
The Himalayas, which are the third largest deposit of ice and snow in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic, are heavily impacted. ?This was highlighted by a disaster in February in Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas, after a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off and collapsed causing a massive flood in the Rishi Ganga /Dhauliganga river. This destroyed two hydropower plants, burst open dams, and led to a large number of casualties and...
WMO issues Airborne Dust Bulletin
7.7.2021|Voda
WMO has issued its annual Airborne Dust Bulletin on the incidence and hazards of sand and dust storms in 2020. The impacts on health, the environment and economies have been highlighted once again this year as massive sand plumes have darkened skies and affected air quality in many parts of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe and travelled hundreds of miles over the Atlantic.
Every year, around 2,000 million tons of dust enters the atmosphere. Much of this is a natural process, but a large part of it is the result of poor water and land management.
Forecasts have improved greatly...
WMO Executive Council endorses unified data policy
25.6.2021|Voda
Free exchange of Earth system data vital to strengthen observing system and meet increased demand for services in era of climate change
GENEVA, 24 June 2021 - In a milestone decision, the World Meteorological Organization?s Executive Council has endorsed a unified policy on the international exchange of?Earth system data to help its Members meet the explosive growth in demand for weather, climate and water services as the world grapples with the dual challenges of climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
The draft data policy resolution, which must be...
International Hydrographic Bureau turns 100
22.6.2021|Voda
The International Hydrographic Bureau has marked its 100th anniversary, with speeches and activities celebrating a century of global collaboration.
Hydrography?is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time. This supports safety of navigation and all other marine activities, including economic development, scientific research, and environmental protection.
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International Hydrographic Bureau turns 100
22.6.2021|Voda
The International Hydrographic Bureau has marked its 100th anniversary, with speeches and activities celebrating a century of global collaboration.
Hydrography?is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time. This supports safety of navigation and all other marine activities, including economic development, scientific research, and environmental protection.
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MONITOR â an application supporting crisis management institutions - IMGW-PIB
22.6.2021|Voda
Extreme weather phenomena take a rapid and often unpredictable course. Hazard information must therefore be accurate, fast, and legible. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management ? National Research Institute, based on the experience of the floods in 2010, developed and implemented a modern tool for operational work, which significantly improved and facilitated communication with public institutions. Nowadays, it is one of the essential elements of the national crisis management system and daily support for institutions performing various tasks in the field of water management....
Executive Council approves hydrology action plan
17.6.2021|Voda
The WMO Vision and Strategy for Hydrology and its associated Action Plan has been endorsed by Executive Council, reflecting the need to improve water monitoring and management in the face of growing challenges of water stress, water-related hazards and water quality.
Water resources are under stress and increasing demand is adding further pressure, while climate change is increasing variability in the water cycle, inducing a greater number of extreme weather events, reducing the predictability of water availability and affecting water quality. In turn, this cascade of consequences...
WMO Executive Council meets
14.6.2021|Voda
The World Meteorological Organization?s Executive Council meets in virtual session from 14 to 25 June, with a focus on strengthening and scaling up weather, climate, water and environmental-related services to meet ever growing needs. It will also discuss a major update to WMO?s data policy, closing the gap in the global observing system and a plan of action for hydrology.
The outcomes of the Executive Council will help sharpen the WMO contribution to the global agenda on disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change. The?Executive Council will evaluate progress...
The Climate in Poland 2020
17.5.2021|Voda
The Climate in Poland 2020 has been published by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management ? National Research Institute, as a synthesis description of the Poland?s climate in the last year, presented in relation to the long-term climate characteristics and from the perspective of global warming.?The area average air temperature in 2020 in Poland reached 9.9?C and was higher by 1.6?C than the average long-term temperature value for the climatological normal period 1981-2010. 2020 was the second warmest year from the beginning of regular instrumental measurements in Poland. Only...
ECOWAS commits to Hydromet services
26.4.2021|Voda
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared its commitment to support the development of sustainable and reliable weather, water and climate services and their delivery to end users in West Africa.
The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the Government of The Gambia, held the 2nd ECOWAS Hydromet Forum and Disaster Risk Reduction Platform Meeting from 20-22 April 2021. The Forum was held in collaboration with the World Bank and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and with the financial support of the ACP-EU Building Disaster Resilience in Sub-Saharan...
Climate change indicators and impacts worsened in 2020
19.4.2021|Voda
2020 was one of three warmest years on record, despite cooling La Ni?a
Extreme weather and COVID-19 combined in a double blow
New York/Geneva, 19 April 2021 (WMO) - Extreme weather combined with COVID-19 in a double blow for millions of people in 2020. However, the pandemic-related economic slowdown failed to put a brake on climate change drivers and accelerating impacts, according to a new report compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and an extensive network of partners.
The report on the State of the Global Climate 2020 documents indicators of the climate system,...
New hydrological scenarios - Swiss National Centre for Climate Services
6.4.2021|Voda
Climate change will greatly affect water availability over the course of the year. The Hydro-CH2018 hydrological scenarios show that, at certain times and in certain regions, this vital resource will become so scarce or so warm that humans will have to curb their activities and nature will suffer. With climate change mitigation, the changes will be much smaller, meaning that such mitigation is worth the effort. Systematic protection of waters as well as careful planning and management will enable the challenges to be dealt with more effectively.
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