By Nneka Nwogwugwu and Bisola Adeyemo
World Meteorological Day is celebrated every year to attract the attention of the world towards the changes in the weather and climate of the Earth for the safety and wellbeing of society.
The day is celebrated to commemorate the coming into existence of the World Meteorological Organization on March 23, 1950.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was established in Geneva, Switzerland, on this day in 1950. Consisting of 193 member countries, the organization has its roots in the Vienna International Meteorological Congress 1873. The WMO was established by the ratification of the WMO Convention, aimed at facilitating the exchange of weather information across national borders.
The following year, in 1951, the organisation became a specialised agency of the United Nations for climate, weather and water, and striving to support understanding the inextricable link between ocean, climate and weather.
The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day, which falls on March 23, is ‘Early Warning and Early Action,’ and it emphasises the critical necessity of hydrometeorological and climate information for disaster risk reduction.