💡 WGTMR|A new International Monsoons Project Office launched to support global monsoon research activities

A large proportion of the global population is influenced by monsoons, which can affect people in every aspect of their lives. Adequate and timely monsoon rains are crucial for providing drinking water, farming operations, water resources management, the generation of hydropower, and more. Monsoon variability has a marked influence on the economies of countries in monsoon regions. Understanding, modelling, and predicting monsoons is also considered to be a great challenge to climate science.

That is why, the Working Group on Tropical Meteorology Research (WGTMR) of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) aims to coordinate and advance the research of tropical cyclones, monsoon systems and intra-seasonal tropical variability to improve the prediction of high-impact weather in the tropics.

WGTMR works with other components of WMO regarding tropical cyclones and monsoons, specifically the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). In recognition of this shared interest in monsoons, WWRP and WCRP are delighted to announce that a joint International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO) has recently been established at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India.

The office will coordinate monsoon-related activities of both Programmes for an initial period of five years with effect from 30 July 2021. Both WWRP and WCRP thank IITM for making this possible and also thank the Government of India for their support of this initiative. In close coordination with the leadership of WWRP and WCRP, the IMPO will promote and implement mutually agreed activities to enable monsoon research that serves society. For more information, please visit the IMPO's website here.