World Meteorology Day. History of meteorology
On this day in 1950, the WMO Convention came into force and received the status specialized institution UN system.
It just so happens that every year the WMO Executive Council chooses a specific theme to celebrate the World meteorological day, devoting relevant propaganda events to it.
For example, the theme of World Meteorological Day in 2008 was: “Observing our planet for a better future.” In 2007 and 2006, respectively, the day was celebrated under the theme "Polar Meteorology: Understanding Global Impacts" and "Disaster Prevention and Mitigation".
In Russia, March 23, 2009 is significant in that the country's Hydrometeorological Service celebrates its 175 years! It was 175 years ago, in April 1834, by decree of Emperor Nicholas I that the official beginning of hydrometeorological monitoring in Russia was laid.
WITH light hand and with the “highest permission” of the sovereign, the Normal Magnetic Meteorological Observatory was established in St. Petersburg, which was engaged in regular meteorological and magnetic observations. And now Roshydromet, the descendant and heir of the first observatory-station, continues the work begun. Of course, the role of the atmosphere in the life of mankind is enormous, and therefore it is not surprising that the science of meteorology has been awarded such high attention.
Human activity will always depend on weather and climate, and therefore the goals and meaning of both regional and global work meteorological services, consist in timely informing the world community about upcoming disasters and other unexpected surprises of nature, in order to prevent future material losses and human casualties.
After all, more than 80% of all natural disasters are weather-related, and the prevention of danger and timely protection of the population from the consequences of natural disasters largely depend on the competent and coordinated work of meteorologists. With precision and efficiency meteorological forecasts are also related ecological situation in the regions, and transport safety, and the health, well-being and psychological comfort of millions of people.
The stable functioning of entire sectors of the economy and industry largely depends on these forecasts, and the economic effect of timely “tips” from meteorologists is great, and their services are sometimes invaluable. What, for example, can such a phenomenon as a predicted wind of 12 meters per second tell us?
This probably won't mean anything to most people. But for builders, this is an important warning, meaning that it is dangerous to use a tower crane in such weather. This is one of the main tasks of the Hydrometeorological Service - to warn in advance!
And, according to statistics, Russian meteorologists with their forecasts help to significantly reduce possible economic losses in construction on average up to 46%, and in the maritime industry - up to 40%. And of course, this is why the highest demands are placed on the work of weather services!
The technological revolution gradually changed its face scientific directions meteorology. The means and methods used some 15-20 years ago have today changed and improved significantly. Meteorologists now have powerful computers in their arsenal, capable of performing mathematical calculations at speeds of up to 3-6 trillion operations per second, and remote research methods have become more common.
Satellites that appeared in the orbit of our planet quickly became the “eyes” of meteorologists in the sky, with the help of which they receive images and other important information global character about significant weather events. And now it is already the norm that the threshold of practical weather predictability has reached 5-7 days, and out of 10 forecasts, every nine are justified.
Meteorological science today is increasingly commercialized, its areas of application are expanding, and therefore the results of research are in great demand. Among the people, hundreds and thousands of people independently monitor the weather every day. This information is among ordinary people, perhaps one of the most popular. It is of interest to gardeners, gardeners, amateur astronomers, and the most ordinary people purely out of curiosity, keeping daily notes and homemade “weather diaries.”
Mentions of weather and climate can also be found in ancient Russian chronicles, which contain reports of unusual atmospheric phenomena, about emergency and catastrophic events such as floods and droughts. And that is why signs passed from mouth to mouth were so important and popular among the people that they could be used to predict the weather not only for the coming days, but also for months, or even a year in advance.
After all, whether it’s productive or not this year, people's lives depended. With coming spring time By various signs You can determine not only what spring will be like, but also the features of the coming summer.
The astronomical equinox, when day equals night, occurs on March 22. It is believed that from this day the real spring begins. But this is a very varied time of year, when the weather can change quickly even within one day. The arrival and future course of spring can be observed by such phenomena as the arrival of birds and by many other signs, of which there are a great many among the people. Here are some of them:
— If you saw a starling, you know: spring is on the doorstep.
- The crane has arrived - the ice will melt soon.
— There are a lot of tits near human habitation, which means spring will be cold.
— Sparrows bathe in early spring- to warmth.
— When birds build nests on the sunny side, it means cold summer.
- March is cold - a grain-bearing year.
- Long icicles - for a long spring.
— When lightning flashes in early spring, but thunder is not heard, there will be dry summer.
- When the snow melts from south side anthill, then the summer will be cold and short, and when on the north side, it will be warm and long.
— Blue clouds in the sky mean warmth and rain.
- Clouds are floating high - good weather.
- You can see a ring around the moon - wait for the wind.
- If it melts early, it doesn’t go away for long.
- March is dry, April is damp, May is cold - a grain-bearing year.
About a year ago, President R. F. D. Medvedev decided to establish March 23 as the annual professional holiday— Day of Hydrometeorological Service Workers, which will be celebrated in Russia for the first time.
And therefore, it is now possible to address heartfelt and sincere congratulations with confidence not only to the global meteorological community, but also to all employees of the Russian Hydrometeorological Service, who sometimes carry a difficult watch in any weather and at any time of day at their stations and posts!
Join you, dear readers, in celebrating World Meteorological Day, as well as the Day of Workers of the Hydrometeorological Service of Russia!
World Meteorological Day
Meteorological Organization (WMO) under the auspices of the UN
held World Meteorology Day, or World
meteorological day (World Meteorological Day). In the event
191 WMO States and Territories are participating.
meteorological organization (WMO, World Meteorological),
in which the formation of the Organization was proclaimed.
The motto of the holiday was the words: “Weather, climate and water in the information age.” And the holiday itself
celebrated since 1961.
The main activity of WMO is to provide support to countries in providing
meteorological and hydrological services. World Meteorological Day itself is held on
with the aim of raising awareness among the general public about possible consequences climate change
Indeed, today rapid climate change is one of the most serious environmental problems, With which
humanity faces. This manifests itself not only in changes weather conditions, promotion/demotion
temperature, but can also lead to such destructive disasters as floods, droughts, tsunamis, etc.
Statistical data accumulated over last decade, eloquently show that more than 80% of all
natural disasters are of meteorological or hydrological origin. Therefore, every year this
The day is dedicated to a particular topic and relevant promotional activities are held. So, in
over the years it was held under the motto: “Our future climate", it was held under the mottos: "Our future
climate", "Weather, climate, water and sustainable development", "Hazard prevention and mitigation
consequences of natural disasters", "Polar meteorology: understanding global impacts",
"Understanding Clouds" and others.
In Russia, the official “start” of the hydrometeorological monitoring system has been given for more than 170 years
back - in 1834, when by decree of Emperor Nicholas I the Normal was established in St. Petersburg
magnetic meteorological observatory. Since that time, the Russian meteorological network began to conduct
regular meteorological and magnetic observations according to a unified manual.
World Meteorological Day 2018: “Getting ready for the weather,
We take the climate into account"
“Preparing for the weather, taking into account the climate” - theme,
selected for World Meteorological Day 2018
of the year. If we add to this slogan the words “we focus
on water resources", then we will get the full spectrum
fundamental elements that constitute
driving force sustainable development. Weather, climate and
water is vital to public welfare,
health and food security. However they
can also be destructive. For centuries
events with significant impacts, such as
tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, heat waves, droughts,
winter snowstorms and extremely low temperatures
resulted in loss of life and livelihoods.
However, today climate change is increasing
degree of intensity and frequency of occurrence of some
from such phenomena.
The current year 2018 began on the same note as
2017 ended with extreme weather events,which led to loss of life and destruction
livelihood.
It's no surprise that for the second year in a row, the environment was clearly the top issue
a concern addressed by world leaders in the Global Risks Report
World economic forum. This includes aspects such as extreme weather events,
loss of biodiversity and destruction of ecosystems, large-scale natural disasters, man-made environmental
environmental disasters, as well as unsuccessful efforts to mitigate climate change
and adaptation to them. Extreme weather events were considered as the only factor
the most serious risk. 2017 was one of the three warmest years in meteorological history.
observations and the warmest with the absent El Niño phenomenon. Long term climate change
caused by greenhouse gas emissions, promises our planet higher temperatures
in the future, along with more extreme weather and water shocks. In particular,
it is necessary to prepare for extreme weather, climate and hydrological conditions through
through advanced systems early warnings about many dangerous phenomena, as well as
more coordinated response measures. To facilitate this, WMO publishes a checklist
multi-hazard early warning systems as an important and practical
applicable tool for strengthening resilience.
National Meteorological and Hydrological Services should be able to clearly and
provide timely service for all events from nowcasting to sub-seasonal
and seasonal weather forecasts and longer-term climate predictions for everyone - from individual
individuals to communities, various industries business activity and policy makers,
Which would be presented in the most understandable language. The first step in building resistance to
extreme weather and climate events is to develop a reliable observation network.
Extensive network of observations from land, air, sea, and outer space -
mandatory provision of data to support forecasting of extreme weather and
climate events and issuing early warnings about them. WMO as a community is involved in
assisting Members who need to modernize their observing infrastructure and develop
climate services offers great opportunities for this.
Secondly, community resilience to extreme weather and climate events should be
develop on the basis of scientific and technical achievements in the field of forecasting. Sharp reduction
the scale of loss of life due to severe weather events over the past 30 years has significantly
degree due to significant improvements in the accuracy of weather forecasting and warnings, and
also improving coordination with disaster preparedness and response authorities
their consequences. Thanks to advances in numerical weather forecasting, today's forecast for
five days is as reliable as a forecast for two days 20 years ago. And this trend towards improvement
persists, providing support for early warnings. Indeed, advance
warnings are a fundamental element of disaster risk reduction. They can prevent
loss of life and reduce economic and material damage from hazardous phenomena including disasters.
For early warning systems to work effectively, it is necessary to actively
engage in their work people and communities at risk from a range of hazards,
promote education and awareness of the public about risks, effectively disseminate
messages and warnings, and provide status constant readiness. For this reason, WMO
took the initiative to create a global standardized multi-hazard warning system
phenomena in collaboration with national meteorological and hydrological services throughout
On March 23, World Meteorology Day is celebrated under the auspices of the UN (Photo: Kokhanchikov, Shutterstock)
Other holidays in the “UN Holidays” section
In contact with
Classmates
World Meteorological Day in other calendars
Ecological holidays
- "Warning about natural disasters and minimizing their destructive consequences";
- "Polar Regions: Understanding Global Impacts on Weather";
- “Climate of the future”, etc.
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Every year, World Meteorological Day is celebrated on March 23. On this day in 1950, the UN Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization came into force.
Flag of the World Meteorological Organization.
This year the holiday is held under the motto “Preparing for the weather, taking into account the climate.” The World Meteorological Organization is drawing public attention to the challenges of a changing climate, which will increase the number of extreme weather and water shocks in the future.
Currently, not a single media outlet can do without a weather forecast. But few people know that the first forecast was published in the London Times more than 150 years ago on August 1, 1861. The author of the idea that took root was Robert Fitzroy, vice admiral, the first head of the first national weather service on the planet, which was created in England in 1854. A hydrographer and meteorologist by training, he previously led a scientific expedition on the Beagle with the participation of Charles Darwin.
Yes, meteorology is the youngest natural Science. But, despite his young age, it is already simulating future weather on supercomputers. The word “weather” has become firmly established in our lives and, according to search engines, takes third place in requests.
At the same time, people learned to make the first prognostic conclusions back in Ancient Greece. It is known that Socrates' wife had a grumpy character. One day she annoyed her husband so much that he left the house and sat on the threshold, holding his head. Then she poured a bucket of water on him. “After thunder there is always rain!” - the philosopher rightly cried.
People perceive weather differently. Some, including stronger personality, are susceptible to meteopathy. For example, Napoleon, for all his energy, lost his composure in bad weather, became lethargic and depressed. This is what happened in the vicinity of Waterloo when a promising day began heavy rain, but ended in complete defeat.
Image Point Fr | Shutterstock.com
Often the vagaries of the weather influenced fashion and even gave rise to new entertainment. So, English king Edward VII, Queen Victoria's son, rolled up his trousers one day when it was raining. After this, cuffs came into fashion.
According to legend, several English archers who were training on the lawn were caught in the rain. After interrupting their lesson, they went to the nearest pub. The rain still did not stop, and they decided to continue, breaking off the arrows and drawing a target on the wall. Thus the game of darts was born.
Dmitry Zimin | Shuttertock.com
In the process of observing the weather, different temperature scales. Most widespread received the Celsius scale, where the freezing temperature of water is taken as 0. However, in North America The Fahrenheit scale has taken root. It is curious that both scales still converge in one value. A temperature of -40 Celsius is exactly equal to a temperature of -40 Fahrenheit.
In mid-latitudes, the weather is highly variable. It can change every day and several times a day. People in the USA are well aware of this. Mark Twain once said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes.”
A lot depends on what the weather is like outside: plans for the near future, mood and even well-being of weather-dependent people. Realizing this, humanity in time immemorial began to monitor the weather, which over time made it possible to identify certain patterns and compile more or less accurate forecasts. This is how the profession of meteorologist appeared. But the professional holiday of people observing the weather - World Meteorology Day - appeared much later.
On the importance of forecasts
An accurate weather forecast is necessary not only to know whether to take an umbrella with you tomorrow or not. The challenges of meteorology are much larger.
Due to various natural disasters(hurricanes, floods, etc.) world economy suffers millions of losses annually. Knowing about an impending disaster allows people to be as prepared as possible. This means that the amount of losses will be significantly less.
Very important role meteorology plays a role in the transport sector. It is based on weather forecasts that flights of planes and ships are delayed or postponed. Warning about bad weather helps avoid serious disasters and save thousands of lives.
From the above, it becomes clear that it is difficult to overestimate the role of meteorology in the life of society, so it was decided to annually celebrate the professional holiday of people who make weather forecasts. Celebrate it March 23, since it was on this spring day in 1950 that the World Meteorological Organization(WMO).
A little history
Meteorology is very ancient science. The ancient Greeks are considered its founders. In the fourth century BC, Aristotle’s book “Meteorology” was published, in which the scientist explained the origin of such phenomena as rain, hail, wind, etc. Aristotle’s student Theofast wrote two serious works on meteorology, in which he was able to understand the systematization of directions winds, and gave the main signs by which a short-term weather forecast can be made.
However, not only scientists and thinkers, but also ordinary people dealt with issues of meteorology. It was the experience of generations that allowed us to develop a large number of folk example related to weather events. Interestingly, most of these signs actually “work”.
Systematic weather observations in Russia began to be carried out in the 17th century. As technology developed, people began to use various devices to determine the basic parameters of the weather: wind strength and direction, humidity level, Atmosphere pressure etc.
Over time, a whole network of stations was created on the planet, built for meteorological observations. And after launch artificial satellites Earth, observations began to be carried out from space.
How is it celebrated?
Each year, WMO celebrates Meteorology Day with a theme. According to this theme, a motto is being developed, and a number of educational and promotional events are being held. Here are several options for the themes under which the international holiday was held:
So, meteorology is one of the most ancient sciences, which even today has vital importance in the life of society.
One of the most significant achievements of WMO is the development and launch world program on climate research. This made it possible to increase the accuracy of forecasts and significantly reduce the level of losses arising from negative weather events.
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