Hunched over a hand-held radio just after dawn, group of farmers in Mali survey the field they are waiting to plant.
Will today be the day? Will the rain follow soon enough to germinate the seed they are about to scatter? A dedicated farmers’ information service is about to be broadcast to them, bringing detailed meteorological information about the area they live in. On the high seas, to the north of the Hebrides, a trawler skipper is waiting to hear the soothing words that have been broadcast daily for decades. “From Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney 24 hour forecast: southerly backing southeasterly 3 or 4, increasing 5, but occasionally 6 later near Rattray Head. Mainly fair. Moderate or good. Slight, but moderate becoming rough in northwest.” So fishing can continue. And in the Swiss Alps, the organizers of an international downhill slalom are planning their day, alarmed by massing clouds and falling temperatures. Powder snow is much loved by skiing amateurs but hated by the professionals because it adds seconds to every descent. Can the slalom continue? Fortunately a detailed mountain forecast will soon make it clear.
These are just three examples of how climate services are serving specialized needs for meteorological information.
They are not new. But times are changing. For one thing, meteorological knowledge has grown vigorously over recent decades. Where once the 24-hour forecast was the best that could be provided, now we have not only three-day forecasts but also 5-, 10- and even 15-day forecasts. Where once such forecasts covered only large areas, today they can focus down to the level of individual towns and farming areas. And, as timescales lengthen, meteorology blends into climatology.
There are added complications. Knowledge of the El Niño effect influences individual forecasts over much longer periods of several months. The continuing effects of climate
“Climate knowledge is the foundation for the development of an effective response to the climate change challenge.
The UN System plays a central role in this area, bringing together global resources for observation and analysis of climate change trends. It is committed to reinforcing its efforts to provide sound and unbiased scientific information and climate services to enable evidence-based policy and decision making at all levels.”
Source: Acting on Climate Change: The UN System Delivering as One