World Weather Watch

The World Weather Watch (WWW) Programme facilitates the development, operation and enhancement of worldwide systems for observing and exchanging meteorological and related observations. It also generates and disseminates analyses and forecast products, as well as severe weather advisories and warnings, and related operational information. The activities carried out under this Programme ensure that Members have access to the required information that enables them to provide data, prediction and information services and products to users. The World Weather Watch is organized as an international cooperative programme, under which the infrastructure, systems and facilities needed for the provision of these services are owned, implemented and operated by Member States and Territories.

The collection, exchange and processing of weather, climate and hydrological observations are essential for:

• determining the current state of the atmosphere;
• weather forecasting, including severe weather forecasting and warning services;
• monitoring climate variability and climate change;
• climate prediction; and
• underpinning the work of the Global Framework for Climate Services.

The World Weather Watch has evolved to take advantage of technological advancements in observing systems, for example in remote sensing, communications systems such as coordinated private Internet type networks, and faster and more powerful super computing systems for data analysis and the running of dynamic weather, climate and environmental prediction models.  Such advanced technology is essential for improving the technical systems of the Programme and calls for special efforts in the provision of technical guidance, specialized training and capacity development.

The Commission for Basic Systems takes a leading role in the technical development and implementation of the Global Observing System (GOS), together with the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation, other technical commissions, regional associations, and relevant international organizations and programmes, . As the key component of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), it meets the requirements of all WMO and co-sponsored Programmes. Commission for Basic Systems also leads the technical implementation and operation of the WMO Information System (WIS), including the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) its core network. The Commission similarly leads the enhancement and implementation of the Global Data-processing and Forecasting System, which provides increased lead-time and reliability of forecasts and warnings and is critical in supporting the delivery of services to both the public and the private sector.

The three core elements of the World Weather Watch are the Global Observing System (GOS), the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) and the Global Data-processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS). Several support programmes coordinate, integrate and operate the three core components under the governance and management of the relevant Technical Commissions.

Early on the United Nations (UN) acknowledged the dangers as well as the benefits of more and more nations launching satellites. It recognized the fact that WMO provided a potential model for open and friendly cooperation on space matters between nations, for mutual and worldwide benefit. Accordingly, one of the first resolutions approved by the UN for “international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” laid down heavy demands upon WMO. Resolution No. 1721 (XVI), adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1961 stated:

 “The General Assembly, Noting with gratification the marked progress for meteorological science and technology opened up by the advances in outer space, Convinced of the world-wide benefits to be derived from international co-operation in weather research and analysis,

1. Recommends to all Member States and to the World Meteorological Organization and other appropriate specialized agencies the early and comprehensive study, in the light of developments in outer space, of measures; (a) To advance the state of atmospheric science and technology so as to provide greater knowledge of basic physical forces affecting climate and the possibility of large-scale weather modification;(b) To develop existing weather forecasting capabilities and to help Member States make effective use of such capabilities through regional meteorological centres;
2. Requests the World Meteorological Organization, consulting as appropriate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other specialized agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as the International Council of Scientific Unions, to submit a report to the Governments of its Member States and to the Economic and Social Council at its thirty-fourth session regarding appropriate organizational and financial arrangements to achieve those ends, with a view to their further consideration by the General Assembly at its seventeenth session...”

WMO promptly reacted with its “First Report on the Advancement of Atmospheric Sciences and their Application in the light of Developments in Outer Space.” The term World Weather Watch (WWW) was introduced by one of the writers, Dr Wexler (USA), and the overall objective was described by another writer, Academician Bugaev (USSR), as “to develop WWW in such a way as to ensure that any country could receive meteorological information on any scale.” The report discussed a wide range of subjects including weather forecasting and climatology and their applications, the possibility of changes in the global climate, weather modification and the meteorological aspects of water resources. However, most of the emphasis was placed on what could be considered operational service aspects: observational data and the associated telecommunication system to permit rapid collection and dissemination of data and products. Accordingly three areas in which substantial progress was considered to be essential for the WWW were identified: (a) global observational data coverage, (b) data processing systems and (c) a worldwide coordinated telecommunication system.

The First Report undoubtedly ranks as one of the most significant documents in the history of WMO. It was submitted to the fourteenth session of the WMO Executive Council in 1962 and subsequently provided to the UN General Assembly and other bodies. At the 17th UN General Assembly in December 1962 the report was very favourably received and a new resolution (Resolution 1802 (XVII)) was adopted as a sequel to the previous one. The Fourth World Meteorological Congress (April 1963) considered the two UN resolutions, accepted the responsibilities placed upon WMO by those resolutions and decided to: (a) approve WWW as an extension of long-established plans for facilities and services required by the meteorological services; (b) establish a Development Fund in support of WWW; and (c) establish a WWW planning unit in the Secretariat.

Implementation and definition of components

Between the Fourth (1963) and Fifth (1967) World Meteorological Congresses, considerable progress was made in the planning of the WWW and WMO Members began to adapt their Meteorological Services to fit in with this new structure. The Fifth Congress also adopted the first WWW Plan and Implementation Programme for the period 1968-1971. This Programme outlines the general features of the structure of the WWW as a dynamic, evolutionary system with worldwide ramifications.

From the outset, the WWW included three major components, namely the Global Observing System (GOS), the Global Data-processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS), and the Global Telecommunication System (GTS). It was organized in a three-tier structure consisting of the World Meteorological Centres (WMCs), Regional/Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and National Meteorological Centres (NMCs). Since its establishment in 1963, the WWW has developed essentially as an aggregation and coordination of all the facilities controlled by the Meteorological Services of Members. The establishment and successful operation of the WWW were crucially important for a significant improvement of weather forecasts and climate records.

In 1984, two additional elements were added to the WWW Plan, namely, the Monitoring and Operational Information Service and the WWW Implementation Support. As experience accumulated with monitoring and operating the WWW, the final structure underwent slight modifications. Currently, the WWW comprises the design, implementation, operation and further development of the following three core components:

The GOS, consisting of facilities and arrangements for making observations at stations on land and at sea, and from aircraft, environmental satellites and other platforms;
The GTS, consisting of integrated networks of telecommunications facilities and services for the rapid, reliable collection and distribution of observational data and processed information;
The GDPFS, consisting of World, Regional/Specialized and National Meteorological Centres in order to provide processed data, analyses, and forecast products.

The coordination, integration and operation of these three components are achieved through two support programmes, the WWW Data Management programme and the WWW System Support Activity programme. In addition, the WWW Programme incorporates four programmes that complement and enhance the core components of the WWW and provide significant input and support to other WMO Programmes: (a) the Instruments and Methods of Observation Programme; (b) the Tropical Cyclone Programme; (c) the Emergency Response Activities; and (d) the WMO Antarctic Activities programme.