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On 17 December 2009, the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) elected Mr Mama Konaté, Permanent Representative of Mali with WMO, to be Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), which is one of the two permanent bodies of COP. SBSTA provides COP with advice on scientific, technological and methodological matters. Two key areas of work are promoting the development and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies, and conducting technical work to improve the guidelines for preparing national communications and emission inventories. SBSTA also carries out methodological work in specific areas such as adaptation and vulnerability. In addition, it plays an important role as the link between the scientific information provided by expert sources such as the WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the policy-oriented needs of COP. Experts agree on a universal drought index
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With climate change, the frequency and magnitude of droughts are very likely to increase. In the "Lincoln declaration on drought indices", 54 experts from all regions agreed on the use of a universal meteorological drought index for more effective drought monitoring and climate risk management. They agreed that the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) should be used to characterize meteorological droughts by all National Meteorological and Hydrological Services around the world. The SPI is an index based on the probability of precipitation for any time scale using the long-term precipitation record.
Out of the 245 natural disasters in 2009, 224 were weather related, accounting for 55 million people out of the 58 million people affected, 7 000 out of 8 900 of those killed, and US$ 15 billion out of the US$ 19 billion in economic damages. The Belgian World Health Organization-collaborating Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) released these preliminary 2009 disaster figures for the period from 1 January to November 2009. A joint press conference was held in Copenhagen today by WMO, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the United Nations Development Programme. Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO, underlined the importance of early warning systems and seasonal climate forecasts to manage risks and to better prepare vulnerable populations to cope with more extreme events.
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| Global Surface Temperature Trend : Result from three Global datasets: NOAA (NCDC Dataset) , NASA (GISS dataset) and combined Hadley Center and Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia (UK) (HadCRUT3 dataset) |
The year 2009 is likely to rank in the top 10 warmest on record since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850, according to data sources compiled by WMO. The global combined sea-surface and land surface air temperature for 2009 (January–October) is currently estimated at 0.44°C ± 0.11°C (0.79°F ± 0.20°F) above the 1961–1990 annual average of 14.00°C/57.2°F. The current nominal ranking of 2009, which does not account for uncertainties in the annual averages, places it as the fifth-warmest year. The decade from 2000 to 2009 was warmer than the decade from 1990 to 1999, which in turn was warmer than from 1980 to 1989. More complete data for the remainder of 2009 will be analyzed at the beginning of 2010 to update the current assessment.
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In light of climate change, the frequency and severity of droughts are likely to increase. New developments in drought indices and early warning systems can help mitigate impacts of droughts. More than 60 scientists from all regions are meeting this week in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA) to recommend standard drought indices for various types of droughts and to develop guidelines for countries in implementing and improving drought early warning systems.
WMO is an active participant in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which begins today in Copenhagen, Denmark, and ends on 18 December 2009. WMO has been instrumental in facilitating and coordinating the contributions of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to assist Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to fulfil their obligations under the Convention. WMO activities during the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the UNFCCC will focus on the latest climate science and climate services, and their practical use for climate mitigation and adaptation.
United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 15
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Fifty years ago, 12 countries signed a treaty to protect Antarctica from harmful human activity and exploitation. During the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958, international scientists and WMO experts, as well as environmentalists, developed the concept of a fully protected area for the benefit of humankind. Submitted for signature on 1 December 1959 at a conference in Washington, D.C. (USA), the treaty officially entered into force on 23 June 1961. Since then, the signatories have established among themselves more than 50 Antarctic stations for polar research, which are essential to understand the history of the planet and the effects of climate change on the Earth System as a whole.
An El Niño event, which started in June 2009, is well established across the tropical Pacific. El Niño conditions are very likely to continue at least through the remainder of 2009 and into the first quarter of 2010. Some climate patterns typical of El Niño have been observed over the last several months. The expected continued presence of El Niño into early 2010 has implications for many climate patterns around the world over the next several months.
WMO video: “El Niño”, Q&A with WMO’s Rupa Kumar Kolli
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The December 2009 English edition of WMO’s newsletter MeteoWorld is now online. Articles cover a range news items, including a September earthquake’s damages to an atmospheric observatory in Samoa and the major outcome of World Climate Conference-3 – a Global Framework for Climate Services – as well as special online features about an upcoming African ministerial meeting in Nairobi on meteorology, and other upcoming and recent events.
WMO welcomes the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as its 189th Member. The convention establishing its WMO membership will enter into force on 4 December 2009. The National Meteorological and Hydrological Service of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is the Dirrecão Nacional Meteorologia e Geofisica.
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The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued a special climate statement about a recent prolonged heatwave in central and south-eastern Australia. Above-average temperatures began in much of the region on 7 November 2009 and continued largely unabated until 15 November, when slightly cooler conditions set in before again warming on 18 November. The highest temperatures of the spring heatwave occurred between 18 and 20 November.
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In 2008, global concentrations of carbon dioxide again reached the highest levels ever recorded. The levels of other greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, have also continued to increase. The latest numbers, published today in the WMO 2008 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, confirm the continued trend of rising atmospheric burdens of greenhouse gases since 1750.
WMO video: “Greenhouse gases”, Q&A with Len Barrie
TSR (Swiss Romande TV) coverage (in French)
Michel Beland (Canada) and Tetsuo Nakazawa (Japan) were elected as President and Vice-President of the Commission for Atmospheric Science (CAS) by acclamation. The fifteenth quadrennial session of CAS has been taking place this past week in Incheon, Republic of Korea (18-25 November 2009).
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Experts in atmospheric research from all regions are meeting this week, from 18 to 25 November 2009, in Incheon, Republic of Korea, for the WMO fifteenth quadrennial session of the Commission for Atmospheric Science. Participants will discuss future international research to improve air quality forecasts and assessments, and to develop carbon-tracking tools for climate mitigation and adaptation.
Air quality forecasts are issued by an increasing number of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, many of which also provide a wide variety of user-friendly air quality indices and advisories. However, it remains a challenge to deliver quality services to local communities in a timely fashion. Air quality research and information delivery systems provided by WMO Members help enable people to protect their health.
From 11 to 12 January 2010, the Intergovernmental Meeting for the High-level Taskforce on the Global Framework for Climate Services will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, at the International Conference Centre Geneva. The meeting is being organized pursuant the decision of the World Climate Conference-3, held in Geneva from 31 August to 4 September 2009, for the establishment of a high-level taskforce on the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). Participants at the meeting will include foreign ministries, permanent missions to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Permanent Representatives of countries and territories with WMO, the United Nations system and other international organizations with observer status with WMO.
This past week, 4 to 11 November 2009, the Third Session of the Joint WMO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) met in Marrakech, Morocco. More than 100 delegates from more than 40 WMO Members and IOC Member States attended the JCOMM session. Participants reviewed progress made since the Second Session, which took place four years ago in Canada. It elected P. Dexter (Australia) as its Co-President for Meteorology and A. Frolov (Russian Federation) as its Co-President for Oceanography.
JCOMM develops observing networks, implements end-to-end data management systems, delivers marine and oceanographic-related meteorological products and services, and helps with capacity building for WMO and IOC Members. For more information, visit the JCOMM Website.
From 10 to 13 November 2009, the Regional Workshop on Climate Monitoring and Analysis of Climate Variability for RA II was held in Beijing at the China Meteorological Administration. Sponsored by WMO through the Education and Training Program and coordinated by the World Climate Data and Monitoring Division, the workshop addressed the implementation of climate watches in the region with focus on the monsoon-affected sub-region of Asia. The workshop participants discussed these climate watches in the context of the Global Framework for Climate Services, established at World Climate Conference-3. The ultimate goal of the workshop was to ensure that National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and regional climate institutions make use of best practices in delivery, provision and evaluation of climate watches, and to efficiently manage interaction among regional institutions, NMHSs and end users.
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| Copyright: WFP/Mario Di Bari |
The Rockefeller Foundation provided a grant of US$ 323 000 for a project to be implemented by WMO's Agricultural Meteorology for the training of trainers on weather and climate information and products for the Agricultural Extension Services in Ethiopia. The objective of the project is support the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia to engage with, and provide training to, agricultural extension agents and agricultural experts. By providing them better practical knowledge of agro-meteorological services and applications to farmers, the project will help improve farming practices and increase or secure agricultural production.
At 12:00 UTC today, Hurricane Ida was located in the Gulf of Mexico about 380 kilometres south-south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi River, or about 535 kilometres south-south-west of Pensacola, Florida (USA). It was at hurricane intensity, and expected to be weakening. It is forecast to move north to north-west, and then to turn north-eastward at about 26 to 30 kilometres per hour in the next 24 hours. Ida is expected to move across the Gulf of Mexico today and make landfall along the northern Gulf coast overnight. The Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre Miami-Hurricane Centre has been closely watching the system and providing guidance to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the region.
For further information please consult the National Weather Service of the countries concerned and the WMO Severe Weather Information Centre.
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