Secretariat supporting WWRP
Estelle de Coning
Chief of the Weather and Societal Impact Research Section at WMO
Dr. Estelle De Coning is a weather scientist and leader with over 30 years of experience in meteorology, atmospheric research, and international programme management, currently serving as Chief of the Weather and Societal Impact Research Section at WMO. She has a strong track record in leading global research initiatives, integrating science into operational weather services, and fostering international partnerships, particularly through the World Weather Research Programme.
Her expertise spans satellite-based forecasting, nowcasting, Earth system science, and early warning systems, with a focus on bridging research and real-world implementation, especially in data-sparse regions such as Africa.
Before joining the WMO in 2016, she held a scientific leadership role at the South African Weather Service, where she drove research innovation in nowcasting, radar, and satellite applications.
She holds a PhD in Environmental Science and is an active contributor to global scientific collaboration, advisory boards, and international research efforts.
Contact:
edeconing
wmo [dot] int (edeconing[at]wmo[dot]int)
Nico Caltabiano
Scientific Officer
Nico is an oceanographer, with a master's degree in Ocean Remote Sensing at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research and a PhD in Oceanography at the University of Southampton, UK.
Nico’s responsibilities for the WWRP include support for the new WWRP core projects Sub-seasonal to seasonal Applications for Agriculture and Environment (SAGE), Polar Coupled Analysis and prediction for Services (PCAPS) and Integrated Prediction of Precipitation and Hydrology for Early Actions (InPRHA). Nico will also be supporting the Data Assimilation and Observing Systems (DAOS) Working Group. He will work closely with the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) colleagues in many activities that are relevant to the WWRP groups.
Before joining the WWRP Secretariat, Nico was part of the WCRP Secretariat and also served as the Deputy Executive Director of the International CLIVAR Project Office, and more recently Project Manager of the Klimapolis Laboratory and EU AQ-WATCH project at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, in Hamburg, Germany.
Contact:
avazcaltabianowmo [dot] int (avazcaltabiano[at]wmo[dot]int)
Hellen Msemo
Scientific Officer
Dr Hellen Msemo is a Scientific Officer supporting the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). She is from Tanzania and holds a PhD from the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds. Before joining WMO, she worked with the Tanzania Meteorological Authority and the University of Leeds as a researcher.
Hellen is an interdisciplinary researcher with experience across physical and social sciences. Her work focuses on weather and climate forecasting, impact-based warnings, forecast verification, public weather services, disaster risk reduction, and the socioeconomic value of weather and climate information. Her publications have contributed to understanding weather-related impacts in Tanzania, the value of weather and climate information for disaster risk reduction, extreme rainfall in East Africa, and value chain approaches for improving and co-designing early warning systems.
At WMO, Hellen supports the coordination of WWRP projects, Working Groups, including activities related to urban prediction, nowcasting, verification and early warnings. She also contributes to strengthening coordination between WWRP and WMO Regional Associations and Regional Offices, helping to improve the connection between research priorities, regional needs and operational services.
Her work supports the translation of research into practice, with a focus on user engagement, co-production, capacity development and the delivery of weather and climate information that is useful for decision-making.
Contact:
hmsemowmo [dot] int (hmsemo[at]wmo[dot]int)
Isha Bhasin
Associate Scientific Officer
Isha Bhasin is an associate scientific officer for the World Weather Research Programme at WMO.
Isha’s responsibilities for the WWRP include managing the Country Profile Database (CPDB), updating the WWRP Community Platform and providing programmatic support to the WWRP Implementation Plan. Isha is also responsible for communications for WWRP.
Isha is also supporting the PEOPLE Project and the Working Group on Societal and Economic Research Applications (SERA).
Contact:
ibhasinwmo [dot] int (ibhasin[at]wmo[dot]int)