Office national de météorologie

Office national de météorologie
Agency name	Office national de météorologie
Native name	Office national de météorologie
Formed	20th century
Headquarters	Rabat
Jurisdiction	Morocco
Chief1 name	Director General
Parent agency	Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water

Office national de météorologie is the national meteorological service of Morocco responsible for weather forecasting, climatological monitoring, hydrometeorological warnings, and aviation meteorology. It provides services to civil aviation, maritime operations, agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction, interacting with international bodies and national ministries. The agency operates a nationwide network of synoptic stations, radar sites, and climatological observatories while contributing to research, capacity building, and regional cooperation.

History

The agency traces institutional roots to colonial-era observatories established during the period of the French Protectorate in Morocco and the later expansion under the Kingdom of Morocco. Post-independence organizational development paralleled reforms in Ministry of Public Works (France)-inspired models and later alignment with the World Meteorological Organization standards. Key milestones include modernization drives influenced by programs of the United Nations Development Programme, technical assistance from Météo-France, and procurement projects connected to the European Union and African Development Bank. The service's evolution reflects Morocco's responses to extreme events such as droughts affecting the Atlas Mountains and flood episodes along the Sebou River and has been shaped by collaborations with institutions like the Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Organization and Governance

Administratively the agency reports to the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water and operates within frameworks shaped by national legislation and international agreements such as conventions under the World Meteorological Organization. Leadership is typically a Director General appointed via ministerial decree, working with technical directors influenced by models from Météo-France, the UK Met Office, and the Deutscher Wetterdienst. Internal divisions mirror functional units common to services like the National Weather Service (United States), the Meteorological Service of Canada, and the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia): forecasting, observations, climatology, hydrology, aviation meteorology, and international relations. Governance includes advisory links to bodies such as the High Commission for Planning (Morocco) and coordination mechanisms with the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests.

Functions and Services

Core functions align with international practice exemplified by the World Meteorological Organization's guidelines and include synoptic forecasting, seasonal climate outlooks, severe-weather warnings, and aviation meteorological services compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The agency issues alerts used by emergency services including the General Directorate for National Security (Morocco), maritime authorities interfacing with the International Maritime Organization, and agricultural agencies cooperating with the Food and Agriculture Organization. Services to sectors draw on models and products comparable to those from ECMWF, NOAA, and regional centers such as the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development. Public dissemination leverages broadcast partners like SNRT and digital platforms inspired by portals run by Météo-France and the UK Met Office.

Observational Network and Infrastructure

The observational network comprises synoptic stations, automatic weather stations, upper-air radiosonde launches, Doppler radar installations, and climatological archives akin to those maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Space Agency. Radar projects have been procured with technical cooperation from agencies such as Météo-France and manufacturers formerly linked to Thales Group and EUMETSAT satellite data are assimilated for numerical weather prediction in systems interoperable with ECMWF and Copernicus services. Hydrometeorological stations monitor basins like the Oum Er-Rbia River and the Moulouya River to inform water resource planning alongside institutions such as the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy. Data exchange occurs through networks compatible with Global Telecommunication System protocols and regional hubs including the Institut National de Recherche et d'Analyse Pédologique for soil-climate datasets.

Research and Development

Research activities engage with climatology and applied meteorology themes studied at universities and centers such as Cadi Ayyad University, Ibn Tofail University, and the University of Hassan II Casablanca. Collaborations extend to international research programmes like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Future Earth, and projects funded by the European Commission and the World Bank. R&D priorities include climate change attribution for the Atlas Mountains, drought monitoring methodologies used by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, and improvements to numerical modelling informed by ECMWF reanalysis and NOAA datasets. Capacity-building partnerships have been established with the WMO Regional Training Centre network and technical cooperation with agencies such as the UK Met Office's Met Office Hadley Centre.

International Cooperation and Partnerships

The agency maintains formal relationships with the World Meteorological Organization, bilateral agreements with services like Météo-France, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and technical exchanges with the Deutscher Wetterdienst. It participates in regional initiatives under the African Union and engages with programs from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Development Programme to enhance resilience to extreme events. Cooperation with the European Commission and regional centers such as the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development supports capacity building, while data sharing occurs through networks like EUMETNET-style arrangements and WMO Information System components. International training and research placements have linked staff to institutions including the ECMWF, NOAA, and the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace.

Category:Meteorology in Morocco