WIS2 Operational Newsletter
WIS2 Operational Newsletter2025Contact: wis@wmo.int or wis2-support@wmo.int |
Welcome to the First WIS2 Operational Newsletter
Issued on: 9 January 2025
This newsletter inaugurates the official operational communications channel for the WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS2). As we enter this new era of meteorological data exchange, this newsletter will serve as your authoritative source for:
✅Critical operational updates and system changes
✅New data releases and service implementations
✅Technical regulation updates and compliance requirements
✅Best practices and implementation guidance
✅System performance metrics and status reports
✅Incident reports and resolution updates
✅Maintenance schedules and service notifications
✅Updates to operational procedures and protocols
If you have received this newsletter directly from WMO, you are already subscribed and will continue to receive future operational updates automatically. However, if you read this newsletter via a forwarded email or on the web, we encourage you to click here to subscribe to the WIS2 Operational Newsletter. Direct subscription ensures you receive real-time notifications of critical operational changes and system updates, helping you stay at the forefront of WIS2 developments and maintain optimal operational readiness.
Historic Milestone: WIS2 Enters Operational Phase
January 1, 2025, marks a historic transition in global data sharing as the WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS2) enters its operational phase. This milestone initiates a transformation that will ultimately replace the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), WMO's data sharing backbone that has reliably served the global weather forecasting community since 1971. Built on open standards and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, this new real-time data sharing framework dramatically improves how countries access and share Earth system data, including atmospheric, oceanic, hydrological, cryospheric, and other environmental observations and information.
WIS2 represents a shining example of international cooperation at two levels: more than 60 countries actively sharing Earth system data through the network, supported by a robust Global Infrastructure operated collectively by eleven nations - Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, UK, and USA. This unique collaboration ensures efficient data access, exchange, discoverability, and system monitoring for the entire WMO community.
The system's cloud-ready approach and use of widely adopted open standards eliminates the need for specialized equipment and expensive local infrastructure, making robust data sharing capabilities accessible to developing countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that previously faced significant technical and resource barriers. Furthermore, WIS2 provides essential infrastructure support for the UN's Early Warning for All initiative (EW4ALL) by strengthening global data exchange capabilities and improving data availability.
Journey to Operational Status
The path to operational readiness followed a carefully structured three-phase approach. The pilot phase in 2023 focused on developing and testing the core infrastructure, conducting comprehensive security assessments, and establishing initial performance benchmarks through an early adopter program. This foundation led to the pre-operational phase in 2024, which included full-scale performance testing of WIS2 Global Services to ensure readiness for operational deployment.
Figure 1. WIS2 Global Service Instances
The operational phase begins in 2025 with full operational capability and complete Global Services infrastructure deployment.
Current Implementation Status
The success of WIS2 is evident in its rapid adoption across the global meteorological community. Over 60 countries are now actively exchanging data through operational WIS2 nodes, demonstrating the system's reliability and effectiveness. This widespread implementation has been facilitated by our comprehensive support infrastructure, including the "WIS2 in a box" open-source solution, extensive documentation, and ongoing technical support.
The technical implementation includes the deployment of core infrastructure components, integration with national meteorological systems, and the establishment of monitoring and alerting systems. The redundant system architecture ensures high availability and reliable service delivery.
Figure 2. List of Operational WIS2 Nodes (Data collected on: 19 December 2024)(*CMO Members, NC to be applied)
WIS 2.0 Implementation plan and transition from GTS to WIS2
The transition from GTS to WIS2 has started on 1st January 2025, and Members are requested to migrate their data transmission from GTS to WIS2. It is expected that 90% of the Members will have completed migration by 2030, and in 2033 it is planned to decommission the entire GTS network. During this period, existing services will be migrated while new capabilities are introduced based on operational experience and user feedback. Regular assessments of migration progress and system optimization will ensure effective performance throughout the transition.
The Provisions for the Transition from WMO Information System (WIS) 1.0 and Global Telecommunication System to WIS 2.0 (WMO-No.1323) can be found here.
Transition Infrastructure
During the transition period, in order to avoid the WIS Centres being forced to run both data-sharing frameworks WIS2 and GTS simultaneously, with the challenges associated with maintaining two operational systems for the same purpose, gateways from GTS to WIS2 and from WIS2 to GTS are designed, taking into account the time required for Members to migrate to the new systems and minimizing the time a member has to operate both systems in parallel.
The GTS to WIS2 Gateway is provided by Germany and Japan and is ready operational, while the WIS2 to GTS gateway, to be provided by China and the UK, is targeted for operational readiness by March 2025.
Figure 3. Gateways
Verification and Compliance Schedule
The Global Brokers (GBs) are implementing a phased verification process with specific compliance deadlines. Beginning January 1, 2025, we require mandatory verification of WMO Notification Messages (WNM), including comprehensive format validation and performance monitoring. The second phase, commencing April 1, 2025, introduces strict topic hierarchy enforcement with detailed structure validation and access control verification. The final phase, starting September 1, 2025, implements complete metadata validation with thorough quality control measures.
It is crucial to note that after these deadlines, non-compliant data will not be published. We strongly recommend early testing and validation to ensure continuous service delivery.
Resources: WIS2 Manual and Guide
For detailed guidance, please refer to the WIS2 regulatory materials:
Guide to WIS (WMO-No. 1061), Volume I (2023 edition, updated in 2024)
Guide to WIS (WMO-No.1061), Volume II: WIS 2.0 (2023 edition, to be published). The provisional copy can be downloaded here.
Figure 4. WIS2 Manuals and Guides
What's next?
Training opportunities will continue to expand (with 4 WIS2 training sessions planned in 2025).
Collaborative efforts to enhance WIS2 adoption in developing countries.
Ongoing updates to ensure operational excellence.
Last update on 9th January 2025