Hotter, Drier, Wetter. Face The Future.

22.03.2016 – Our climate is changing. This is not just a future scenario. It is happening now. The climate will continue to change over the coming decades as more and more heat-trapping greenhouse gases emitted by human activities accumulate in the atmosphere.

Each of the past several decades has been significantly warmer than the previous one. The period 2011–2015 was the hottest on record, and the year 2015 was the hottest since modern observations began in the late 1800s. Climate change is disrupting the natural pattern of the seasons, and is increasing the frequency and intensity of certain extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall. These ongoing changes provide a foretaste of a hotter, drier, wetter future.

23 March is World Meteorological Day which has the theme “Hotter, drier, wetter. Face the future”.  The day commemorates the entry into force of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Convention which created the organisation in 1950 and continues to play a vital role in climate research. World Meteorological Day recognises the work of meteorologists from across the globe, and highlights Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action. 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, “On this World Meteorological Day, I urge decision-makers and all actors in society to face the future now. Only by responding decisively to the climate challenge can we avoid the worst impacts of climate change and lay the foundations of a world of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.”

In December 2015, the world’s governments unanimously adopted the Paris Agreement which commits all countries to undertake ambitious efforts (such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions) to respond to the urgent threat of climate change. On 22 April, world leaders will convene at UN headquarters in New York to sign the Paris Agreement.

The Secretary-General continues, “But even before the Agreement comes into force, every country, every business and every citizen has a role to play in combating climate change and building a sustainable future for this and future generations.”

Follow the event on social media with the hashtag #WorldMetDay

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UNRICs Related Links

· World Meteorological Organisation

· Sustainable Development Goals 

Photo: UN Photo