2nd WMO-IMO Symposium on Extreme Maritime Weather

The "Extreme Maritime Weather: Bridging the Knowledge Gap Towards Safer Shipping" Symposium, set for 23-26 September 2024 at the IMO Headquarters in London, aims to address the significant risks posed by extreme maritime weather events. These events threaten ships, endanger lives, damage property, harm the marine environment, and impact the global blue economy. Building on the inaugural symposium in 2019, this event will focus on the latest developments in weather forecasting and safety measures. It aligns with the World Maritime Theme 2024 "Navigating the future: safety first!" and supports the UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Early Warnings for All initiatives.

The four-day programme features sessions on various aspects of maritime weather safety. Day one includes opening remarks and discussions on the impacts of extreme weather and the importance of weather and ocean observations. Day two covers the digitalization of metocean information and enhancing knowledge opportunities for seafarers. Day three focuses on improving weather warnings and forecasts through better products and services, while the final day emphasizes strengthening collaboration and summarizing the symposium's findings. Participation is open to IMO and WMO Member States, UN agencies, IGOs, NGOs, and other stakeholders, with mandatory registration required.

The symposium underscores the urgent need for collaboration between the maritime and metocean communities to mitigate the risks of extreme weather to ships. Despite advancements in weather forecasting, incidents involving extreme weather continue to pose severe threats to shipping. The event builds on key issues identified in 2019, such as the need for better understanding and use of meteorological and ocean data, particularly for ships operating in polar regions and those not covered by mandatory IMO standards. By enhancing maritime safety information and warnings through the IMO/WMO Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service, the symposium aims to improve the safety of seafarers and ensure the resilience of global supply chains.

---