– Charles Dudley Warner
By: Janet Holmén // editor
Humans probably started talking about the weather as soon as languages developed. Time-honoured maxims about the weather abound: Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Clear moon, frost soon. Farmers and seafarers took notes on the weather, but could only observe conditions in their immediate surroundings—they had no way of knowing if a storm was brewing two days’ journey away.
The first step towards modern weather forecasting was taken when the telegraph was invented in 1837, making it possible to collect observations from sites near and far. Wider networks of weather stations, combined with advances in meteorological knowledge and observation techniques improved the accuracy of forecasts. In 1879, the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) was established. Its objective was to compile and facilitate exchange of weather data across national boundaries, harmonise weather observation practices, and promote meteorological research worldwide.
Fifty years later it became clear that managing weather data was far too important to be entrusted to a non-governmental organisation like IMO. Efforts to establish an intergovernmental network for the management task suffered a few hiccups during World War II, but in 1950 IMO became the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an agency under the United Nations. At present, 187 States and six Territories belong to WMO.
For over a century, despite wars, pandemics and economic turmoil, IMO and WMO have been receiving weather observations from all corners of the globe. Data came from both USSR and USA during the Cold War, from both Egypt and Israel during the Six-Day War. Sudan’s Meteorological Authority continues to collect and disseminate weather observations despite brutal ongoing conflicts in the region. So, yes: “everybody talks about the weather”.
That makes the World Meteorological Organization an outstanding example of true international cooperation for the benefit of all humankind.
WMO Members have historically contributed data on climate, water balance, air quality, and other environmental factors, but alarming cracks are appearing in this solid foundation. Increasingly, environmental research data are being viewed as proprietary.
Entrepreneurs now send up their own private weather satellites to supplement publicly available data. They sell tailor-made forecasts to clients with deep pockets: insurance companies that want to know how devastating an approaching storm may be; ski resorts calculating staffing levels for the next two weeks; celebrities who wonder if they can hold their wedding outdoors.
Faced with competition from private actors, publicly funded agencies may be tempted to put their own data behind a paywall.
Weather data are sometimes even considered a matter of national security. Russia continues to submit data on air temperature, pressure, and humidity to WMO, but two weeks before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia stopped sharing “nonessential” data on aerosol levels and permafrost, as well as weather radar and satellite images. China has enacted laws restricting scientists’ ability to share data on water resources, pollution, and climate. These limits serve national security by making sure that weaknesses in food and energy security and disaster preparedness are concealed not only from potential attackers but also from an increasingly demanding populace.
In the United States, weather data are being politicized. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a mission “to share knowledge and information” on climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. However, the right-wing political playbook Project 2025 describes NOAA as “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry” and proposes that it be eviscerated. In late February, 800 employees were terminated and NOAA is now bracing for funding cutbacks. Its scientists report that they are no longer allowed to attend conferences unless they have approval from senior management. When the annual Arctic Science Summit Week is held at the end of March, some NOAA scientists will only be able to participate as private citizens—if they attend at all.
The World Meteorological Organization provides a framework for international cooperation not only on meteorology, but also climatology, hydrology, and related environmental disciplines. Understanding all these together is a necessary first step in “doing something” about the weather—and by extension, doing something about climate change. Curtailing the exchange of detailed environmental data from around the globe severely handicaps efforts to understand and mitigate this existential threat. Yet that is precisely what is now happening.
We don’t know how the current geopolitical turmoil will affect international cooperation and our ability to address climate change. One thing is clear, however: silencing voices that point out problems does not make the problems go away.
Scientists at the Fram Centre will continue working tirelessly to gather information about our environment, interpret the data, and communicate their findings to colleagues and the public. Silence is not an alternative.
Fram Forum is one channel of communication. We pledge to keep that channel open.