Fifty years ago...

From WMO Bulletin 4 (2), April 1955

• Membership of WMO
  
  Austria and Viet Nam became Members of the World Meteorological  Organization on 25 March and 1 April, respectively. On the latter date, 62 States and 25 Territories were Members of WMO. This made WMO one of the UN specialized agencies having the most Members.
  
  When the Convention of WMO entered into force on 23 March 1950, the Organization consisted of 52 Members (32 States and 20 Territories or groups of Territories). The corresponding figures were 66 (46, 20) at the time of First Congress.

• Agreement between Switzerland and WMO
  
  On 10 March 1955, an agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and  WMO to govern the judicial status of the Organization in Switzerland was signed. The agreement formally marked the establishment of the WMO Secretariat on Swiss soil and guaranteed the Organization rights similar to those already granted the European Office of the United Nations and its specialized agencies with headquarters in Switzerland.
  
  

• Retirement and appointment
  
  Dr A.K. Ångström retired from his post as Director of the Swedish      Meteorological and Hydrological Institute on 31 December 1954. His grandfather, A.J. Ångström,  gave his name to the Ångström unit. He was replaced by Dr Alf Nyberg, who later (1963) became President of WMO.
  
  
•  Regional Association for Asia 

  The first session of the Regional Association for Asia was held in New Delhi  on the premises of the Indian Meteorological Service from 2-14 February 1955, under the chairmanship of Mr S. Basu, Director of the Indian Meteorological Service and President of the Association. Eight of the nine members of the Association were present at the session. 
        

• Telecommunications

  “Among the problems under consideration … is the international standardization of facsimile apparatus. … Owing to the many advantages of this method of exchange of meteorological information, it is expected that, gradually, most meteorological services will become interested in using this facility. In order to secure successful interworking between transmitters and receivers in different countries, an international standardization of equipment is essential. It is important that the specifications standardized be compatible             with the best interests of meteorology.”

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