World Meteorological Day 2018 is dedicated to the risks related to weather and water events and climate change. At a time of growing urbanisation, which exposes more people to such risks, we need to be “weather-ready, climate-smart, and water-wise”, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.

It points out that early warning systems and other disaster risk reduction measures are “vital for boosting the resilience of our communities”. Climate services can “inform decisions on both climate change mitigation and adaptation”, while hydrological monitoring “increases our understanding of the water cycle and so supports water management”.

In a video message, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas notes that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now exceed 400 parts per million, “the highest number in 3 million years”. He adds that 2017 was the warmest year on record without the influence of a warming El Niño.

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