Up to 191 member states of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), including Kuwait, celebrate the UN Meteorological Day falling on March 23, under theme, climate knowledge for climate action.
Mohammad Karam, Director of Kuwait Meteorology Department and the Permanent Representative at the WMO, said in a statement to KUNA on the international occasion that climate knowledge is useful for mapping out strategies for coping with atmospheric changes, possible catastrophes, managing agricultural, transport, energy and water sectors.
He spoke of a "revolution" in the sector, saying that in five years' time, many ordinary people will be able to monitor climatic forecast easily. Data provided by specialized forecasters are key for various fields namely agriculture, particularly planting of seasonal plants.
Karam indicated that scientists have made tremendous progress in understanding climatic changes, partly, as related to green gas emissions.
Explaining further, he said that the climate forecasts are necessary at the health level too, for in some nations, rainfalls, above medium levels, lead to spread of some communicable diseases such as malaria and cholera.
In Kuwait, Karam elaborated, weather forecasting began in 40s of the past century, where some oil companies established makeshift meteorological stations. The official station was established in 1953, thus Kuwait has become a WMO member, since 1962.
Kuwait's meteorological department monitors the weather via 27 stations scattered throughout the country. These stations, with international digits, operate as part of the WMO network, thus data are transmitted nationally and internationally.