Public weather services for disaster risk reduction
WMO Bulletin, volume 59(1), January 2010:
This article addresses the essential role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services all over the world in bringing about disaster reduction through delivery of quality public weather services, including the provision of weather forecasts, early warnings on hazardous weather, outreach activities to enhance public awareness of weather hazards, interpretation and use of the weather information, as well as collaboration with disaster relief organizations to minimize loss of life and property.
The article traces the development of public weather services in relation to disaster preparedness and mitigation, and points to what National Meteorological and Hydrological Services can do in future. It attributes effective disaster reduction to: strengthened infrastructures against the elements, continual advances in weather monitoring and prediction, and the readiness of the public to respond as a whole to weather warnings.