World Meteorological Organization

Marking 20 years since the concept was born—and over a decade of regional implementation in RA VI.

Since its inception in 2005, the Climate Watch Advisory (CWA) concept has evolved into a cornerstone of regional climate services under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Designed to inform National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of significant climate anomalies, CWAs have strengthened preparedness and early warning capacities across WMO Regions—particularly in Europe and the Middle East (WMO Regional Association VI), where the system has matured into an operational regional framework.

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), as the Lead of the Regional Climate Centre (RCC) Node on Climate Monitoring for RA VI, has been instrumental in translating the concept into practice. Over the past decade, DWD has led the development and implementation of the RA VI Climate Watch System, contributing essential scientific, technical, and institutional expertise.

WMO congratulates and acknowledges DWD’s long-standing leadership and innovation, which has significantly advanced regional climate services and supported early warning efforts in line with global disaster risk reduction and sustainable development goals.

A Brief History of the Climate Watch System

The concept of Climate Watch Advisories was formally introduced through WMO/TD-No. 1269 – Guidelines on Climate Watches published in 2005. These guidelines provided a standardized approach for identifying and communicating ongoing or expected significant climate anomalies—such as heatwaves, cold spells, prolonged droughts, or heavy precipitation events. The aim was to enable early action by translating climate signals into user-relevant advisories.

CWAs are not intended as public warnings. Rather, they provide expert-level early advisories for NMHSs, who may then tailor national warnings to local conditions and user needs.

Evolution and Milestones in RA VI: Building a Regional Climate Watch System

The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), serving as the Lead Regional Climate Centre (RCC) for WMO RA VI, has played a central role in operationalizing the system. Since the early 2010s, DWD has issued CWAs to NMHSs across the RA VI Region, based on extended-range forecasts (2–4 weeks) and expert assessments of climate anomalies.

Recognizing the importance of impact-based information, DWD established KRONER (Knowledge Database on EuROpeaN Climate ExtRemes)—a unique geodatabase compiling verified event and impact data from across the region. This database is now a key source for validating and contextualizing Climate Watch Advisories.

Key Milestones:

• 2005: WMO issues global guidelines on Climate Watches (WMO/TD-No. 1269).
• 2010–2011: RA VI Climate Watch System is piloted and launched; expert discussions lead to integration of past event analogues.
• 2015: KRONER database is launched at DWD to support impact-informed CWAs.
• 2020s: Investment in automation begins—map generation and content production move toward objective, data-driven tools.
• 2022: WMO issues Guidelines on the Implementation of Climate Watches (WMO-No.1299)
• 2025: Preparations underway to fully automate CWAs, using gridded forecast models, modular text generation, KRONER integration, and automatic dissemination. 

As these technical and operational advancements unfolded, the collaboration of experts and institutions played a critical role in shaping the system’s effectiveness.

As the Climate Watch Advisory system marks its 20th anniversary in 2025, we spoke with Dr. Peter Bissolli of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), one of the key contributors to its development and implementation in WMO RA VI (Europe, South Caucasus and the Middle East). Read the full interview on our Interview Page.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Use and International Collaboration

Current developments focus on fully automating the Climate Watch Advisory system—integrating gridded forecast models, automated text generation, impact data from KRONER, and digital dissemination to NMHSs. Furthermore, ongoing work explores including seasonal forecasts and climate indices (such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO)) to enhance predictive capacity for longer lead times and strategic planning.

It remains essential to emphasize that CWAs serve as strategic advisory tools for institutional users, rather than public early warnings. Clear communication of this distinction helps maintain trust in alerting systems and ensures that CWAs are used effectively within policy frameworks and operational decision-making.

Regional cooperation through the RA VI RCC Network, regular workshops, and continuous user feedback drives further refinement of the system—cementing the CWA’s role in global disaster risk reduction efforts, including alignment with the Early Warnings for All initiative.

As the Climate Watch Advisory system celebrates its 20th anniversary, it stands as a successful example of regional collaboration, scientific innovation, and user-centered climate services. By continually evolving to meet emerging needs, the system ensures that actionable climate intelligence remains at the core of early warning systems—supporting resilience and informed decision-making in a changing climate.

For more information or to collaborate on the Climate Watch Advisory system’s future development, please contact: Dr. Peter Bissolli at DWD. E-mail: rcc.cm@dwd.de