No country is safe from extreme weather, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned during a high-level dialogue at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Speaking to a crowded conference room, Guterres emphasized that the first line of defense for mankind against growing climate risks is early warning systems. In acknowledging the vital role that scientists and meteorological specialists play, he stated, “Without your rigorous modeling and forecasting, we would not know what lies ahead — or how to prepare for it.” The incident demonstrated how the frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters have increased, necessitating immediate international cooperation to safeguard the economy and lives.

A Call for Urgent Global Action

The Early Warnings for All program, which aims to make sure that every person on Earth is protected by an early warning system by 2027, was reaffirmed during the WMO Congress. In her urgent Call to Action, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the importance of expanding impact-based alerts and multi-hazard forecasts. The message was unambiguous: Unless swift progress is made in both local implementation and global coordination, no country is safe from extreme weather.

Key priorities outlined at the meeting included:

• Scaling up multi-hazard early warnings: Combining information on heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms to create more accurate risk assessments.
• Strengthening national meteorological and hydrological services: Improving staff training, forecasting models, and infrastructure.
• Expanding observing networks and data sharing: Encouraging unrestricted cross-border access to meteorological data.
• Broadening partnerships: Involving community, private, and public stakeholders for shared climate resilience.

Over 2 million people have died as a result of weather-, water-, and climate-related risks over the last 50 years, with 90% of those deaths occurring in developing nations. The economic cost has also increased dramatically, especially in areas lacking frameworks for disaster planning or early warning systems.

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Building the Foundations of Early Warning for All

The Early Warnings for All effort, which was started in 2022, unites the WMO, UNDRR, ITU, and IFRC, four important UN agencies. Together, they have created a coordinated framework with four pillars that will assist countries in creating inclusive, efficient systems.

Among the four pillars are:

• The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is in charge of disaster risk knowledge, which is used to determine exposure and vulnerabilities.
• The WMO is in charge of detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting to guarantee prompt and precise warnings.
• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) oversees warning communication and dissemination to provide timely and dependable notifications.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) provides guidance on preparedness and response capacities to inspire communities to take action.

WMO research shows that in nations without these mechanisms, the number of persons affected by disasters is four times higher, and disaster mortality is six times higher. This emphasizes the main point: without robust, integrated early warning systems, no country is safe from extreme weather.

Guterres reaffirmed that early warning systems and climate resilience must accompany swift action to reduce emissions. He called on countries to accelerate the shift to renewable energy sources and to implement ambitious new climate policies that align with the 1.5°C target. He emphasized that the world can only prevent future climate disasters by combining prevention and preparedness.

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