The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international cooperation in meteorology, climatology, hydrology, and related geosciences. Founded in 1950 as the successor to the International Meteorological Organization (established 1873), the WMO has 193 Member States and Territories and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
The WMO's most visible contribution is the Global Observing System: a worldwide network of surface stations, upper-air stations, ships, buoys, aircraft, and satellites that collectively produce the data underpinning all weather forecasts. It also coordinates the World Weather Watch, the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) for real-time data exchange, and international standards for instruments, codes, and practices — including the WMO weather codes used by Meteo.es for icon mapping.
Beyond day-to-day weather, the WMO leads global programmes on climate monitoring (co-sponsoring the IPCC), tropical cyclone naming and warning, the ozone layer and UV monitoring, and capacity building for developing nations. It established the Beaufort scale as the standard wind measurement system and maintains the official archive of weather and climate extremes (highest temperature, heaviest rainfall, strongest winds, etc.). Every year, World Meteorological Day (23 March) raises awareness of how meteorological science protects lives and livelihoods worldwide.