ISWI Newsletter - Vol.3 No.105
17 December 2011

Dear ISWI Participant:

I wish to bring to your attention the fact that WMO
(World Meteorological Organization) is getting involved in space weather activities. The following text is from the WMO website:

Interprogramme Coordination Team on Space Weather (ICTSW) - The ICTSW was established in May 2010 with a mandate to support the following activities:

  • Standardization and enhancement of Space Weather data exchange and delivery through the WMO Information System (WIS)
  • Harmonized definition of end-products and services, including e.g. quality assurance guidelines and emergency warning procedures, in interaction with aviation and other major application sectors
  • Integration of Space Weather observations, through review of space- and surface-based observation requirements, harmonization of sensor specifications, monitoring plans for Space Weather observation
  • Encouraging the dialogue between the research and operational Space Weather communities.

To see this text in its entirety, please click here

Note in the last line in the extracted text above that the WMO is (correctly) making a distinction between "research efforts" and "operational efforts". It remains to be seen, but the WMO will probably focus on the operational aspects of space weather rather than on the research aspects of space weather.

In contrast, ISWI's raison d'etre (reason-for-being) is to conduct on a global scale space weather research and education.

Seasons Greetings from Fukuoka Japan,
George Maeda
Editor of ISWI Newsletter
Hakozaki Campus, Kyushu University, Japan.

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