TLDR: The World Meteorological Congress, the UN’s weather agency, has officially backed the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into global weather forecasting and early warning systems. This move aims to leverage AI’s potential to provide more accurate and timely alerts for extreme weather events, ultimately saving lives and protecting communities worldwide. The initiative emphasizes international collaboration, open data, ethical AI frameworks, and capacity building for developing nations to ensure equitable access to these life-saving technologies.
The World Meteorological Congress, the governing body of the UN’s weather agency, has taken a significant step by endorsing the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize global weather forecasts and early warning systems. This landmark decision, made on October 24, 2025, underscores a collective commitment to harness advanced technology for the benefit of all nations, particularly in mitigating the impact of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events.
The Congress urged robust collaboration across public, private, and academic sectors to accelerate the development and deployment of AI and machine learning technologies. The primary goal is to enhance the accuracy and speed of predictions for hazards such as extreme heat, heavy rainfall, and other severe meteorological phenomena. The resolutions adopted by the Congress include establishing technical standards to embed AI and data science within the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) global observation and forecasting systems. Crucially, these measures also stress the importance of open data, ethical guidelines for AI deployment, and comprehensive capacity building initiatives for developing countries, including least developed countries and small island states, to ensure they are not left behind in this technological advancement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the tangible benefits of effective early warning systems, stating, “Early warnings are not an body abstraction. They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock. Enable families to evacuate safely. And protect entire communities from devastation.” He further noted a stark statistic: countries equipped with strong warning systems experience six times lower disaster-related mortality rates. This underscores the critical role of timely information in disaster preparedness and response.
In a practical demonstration of AI’s potential, a pilot project between Norway and Malawi showcased an AI-driven ‘Forecasts-in-a-Box’ system, which significantly enhanced prediction accuracy in low-income settings. This initiative exemplifies the WMO’s commitment to ensuring that technological advancements translate into real-world benefits for vulnerable populations.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called upon governments to transform “visibility into impact” and “recognition into investment,” emphasizing that global cooperation is indispensable for achieving the UN-backed ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative by 2027. This ambitious program aims to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by early warning systems within the next few years.
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Further discussions within the WMO have also highlighted AI’s role in ‘nowcasting’ – providing highly accurate forecasts for the immediate hours ahead. Experts, including Dr. David John Gagne, co-chair of the AI for Nowcasting Pilot Project (AINPP) Steering Group, noted that “The rapid evolution of AI-driven nowcasting marks a pivotal step toward building more resilient societies in the face of extreme weather.” The WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS), in collaboration with the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), is actively implementing the AINPP to accelerate the operational use of AI in these critical short-term predictions. The consensus among meteorological leaders is that AI will complement, rather than replace, human judgment, providing a powerful tool to enhance global climate and community security.
