Public Weather Services (PWS)

WMO International Symposium on Public Weather Services (PWS): a Key to Service Delivery, Geneva, Switzerland (3-5 December 2007)

Paper Title: Beginnings of PWS in WMO and the Societal Value of Weather, Climate and Water Services

Names: Kevin O’Loughlin

Institution: Private Consultant

Title: Consultant

E-Mail Address: kevin.oloughlin@bigpond.com

Kevin O’Loughlin has played an influential role in local, national and international meteorology for over 25 years and played a key part in shaping the early days of the WMO Public Weather Services Programme and later chairing the Open Programme Area Group on Public Weather Services in the WMO Commission for Basic Systems.

Kevin commenced his career in meteorology in the Australian Bureau of Meteorology where he rose to become the Regional Director for the State of Victoria, then the State of New South Wales, then Deputy Director in the Bureau’s national office responsible for all national weather, climate and hydrological services.

Kevin has been actively involved in WMO affairs through constituent bodies, in development assistance work in southern Africa, and from 1995 to 2003 in the Public Weather Services Programme. In late 2003 he became the inaugural CEO of the Australasian Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, which has quickly established itself as a leading international centre in wild fire research. In late 2007 he has moved into private consultancy work.