International Federation of Operational Meteorology

International Federation of Operational Meteorology
Name	International Federation of Operational Meteorology
Formation	20th century
Type	International non-governmental organization
Region served	Worldwide

International Federation of Operational Meteorology is an international professional federation for national meteorological and hydrological services, operational forecasting centers, and civil aviation meteorology providers. The federation coordinates operational practice among bodies such as World Meteorological Organization, United Nations, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and regional agencies, promoting harmonization across World Weather Watch, International Civil Aviation Organization, European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other policy frameworks. It serves as a platform linking operational services with research institutions like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Met Office (United Kingdom), Deutscher Wetterdienst, and Météo-France.

History

The federation traces roots to mid‑20th century cooperation among services including Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, United States Weather Bureau, Japan Meteorological Agency, and Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), aligning with initiatives from World Meteorological Organization and programs such as Global Weather Experiment and World Weather Watch. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries the federation expanded alongside bodies like European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, International Civil Aviation Organization, and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, responding to disasters exemplified by Hurricane Katrina, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, and European heat wave of 2003. Influences include collaborations with research projects like Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere, Global Atmospheric Research Program, and initiatives by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change experts.

Organization and Membership

Membership comprises national services such as Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Argentina), Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Spain), Environment and Climate Change Canada, and specialized centers like Joint Typhoon Warning Center and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Governance typically involves executive committees with representatives from World Meteorological Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, European Commission, and regional bodies such as African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development and Pacific Islands Forum. The federation liaises with scientific organizations including American Meteorological Society, Royal Meteorological Society, European Geosciences Union, and research laboratories like National Center for Atmospheric Research and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.

Functions and Activities

Core activities include operational forecasting coordination among services like National Weather Service (United States), Met Éireann, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, and Météo Suisse; aviation meteorology provision with International Air Transport Association and Air Navigation Service Providers; and emergency response support for events such as Typhoon Haiyan, Mount Pinatubo eruption, and Eyjafjallajökull eruption. It convenes working groups on subjects tied to Global Telecommunication System, Numerical Weather Prediction, nowcasting, and links to satellite operators like European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Indian Space Research Organisation. The federation publishes best practices adopted by entities such as Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom), and major ports.

Standards and Guidelines

The federation develops operational standards in concert with World Meteorological Organization technical commissions, aligning with protocols used by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Guidelines address observational networks including radar meteorology arrays, synoptic observation practices, and data exchange via systems like Global Telecommunication System and Common Alerting Protocol compatible frameworks. It harmonizes procedures with aviation requirements from International Civil Aviation Organization and maritime guidance from International Maritime Organization and coordinates interoperability with research models such as ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System and GFS (Global Forecast System).

Research and Development

The federation fosters links between operational centers and research institutes including European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and university groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Reading, and ETH Zurich. It sponsors pilot projects in ensemble forecasting, data assimilation, and coupled atmosphere–ocean modeling drawing on work from Tropical Cyclone Program, Data Assimilation Research Testbed, and initiatives led by World Climate Research Programme. Collaborative research outputs inform forecasting practice in agencies such as Deutscher Wetterdienst and Met Office (United Kingdom) and contribute to assessment reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change authors.

Training and Capacity Building

Training programs are delivered in partnership with organizations like World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Development Programme, Asian Development Bank, and regional training centers including African Centre for Meteorological Applications for Development and Pacific Meteorological Desk. Courses cover numerical weather prediction, aviation meteorology, and disaster risk reduction techniques used in operations by National Weather Service (United States), Japan Meteorological Agency, and Canadian Meteorological Centre. Capacity building targets vulnerability reduction in regions affected by Cyclone Sidr, Cyclone Nargis, and 2005 Kashmir earthquake, leveraging curricula developed with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

International Collaboration and Agreements

The federation operates through memoranda and frameworks with World Meteorological Organization, United Nations, International Civil Aviation Organization, European Commission, African Union, and regional groups like Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Caribbean Community. Collaborative agreements facilitate data sharing with satellites operators such as NOAA, EUMETSAT, JAXA, and ISRO and interoperability with systems used by International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization. Joint efforts include coordinated responses to crises exemplified by cooperation seen after Indian Ocean tsunami and multinational exercises modeled on Global Weather Experiment and World Weather Watch mechanisms.

Category:Meteorology organizations Category:International scientific organizations