World Meteorological Organization

The WMO Severe Weather Forecasting Programme (SWFP) has been strengthening capacity of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in developing countries including least developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing Countries (SIDS) to deliver improved forecasts and warnings of severe weather to save lives and livelihoods, and protect property and infrastructure. SWFP currently involves around 85 developing countries in nine sub-regions of the world including Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South-East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Caribbean and South Pacific, with contributions from the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) (formerly GDPFS) and support from development partners and donors. In support of UN Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, SWFP aims to expand its geographical coverage to more sub-regions and countries, and to facilitate improved tools and guidance products for the NMHSs to improve their early warning services. SWFP makes efficient use of the “Cascading Forecasting Process” (from global to regional to national level) with contributions from the WIPPS centres. SWFP, in collaboration with Public Weather Services (PWS) activity, has also been focusing on developing capacity of the participating countries on impact-based forecast and warning services for improved decision-making, i.e. to deliver potential effects of forecast weather on users and stakeholders. SWFP contributes to several WMO long-term goals & strategic objectives.