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Communications Plan on PWS activities Responsibility of NMHSs in Issuing Meteorological Information

During the Meeting of the Subgroup on Regional Aspects of PWS in RA VI, held in Bucharest, Romania (4-7 December 2006), the sub-group requested the PWS Programme to gather information on the legislated responsibility of NMHSs in issuing meteorological information, and make it available to the sub-group. The information is intended to clarify the status of NMHSs as single authorised sources for meteorological information to the users in all sectors including governmental policy makers, emergency management bodies, and the media.

Below is a summary of the legislated responsibility for 64 NMHSs as of 2005 or in some cases, the specific year indicated in the text. This information is updated as it becomes available.

AUSTRALIA

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

BAHAMAS

Meteorological Service is the exclusive agent for issuing warnings on hurricanes, tropical storms and other weather conditions that are likely to give rise to floods, surges and wind damage.

GHANA

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

MAURATIUS

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

BELGIUM

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

BOTSWANA

As one of the basic functions of the National Meteorological service, the ‘Draft Issues Paper of 28 June 2004’, indicates: ‘The exclusive responsibility for the issue of warning of gales, storms and other weather conditions likely to endanger life and property, including weather conditions likely to give rise to floods and storm surges.’

A Cabinet Memorandum (2003) sought to establish the National Meteorological Service including the clause: ‘Designation of the Director of Meteorological Services as the official “national authority” and authoritative voice on weather and climate, …”

BURKINA FASO

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

CAMEROON

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

THE CARIBBEANS

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

CHINA

The law provides exclusive powers to CMA: ‘The state applies a unified system for the issuance of public meteorological forecasts and severe weather warnings. Meteorological and stations subordinate to the competent meteorological departments at different levels shall, in compliance with their functions and duties, issue to the community, public meteorological forecasts and severe weather warnings … No other organization or individual may issue to the community such forecasts and warnings’.

CONGO KINSHASA

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

COTE D’IVOIRE

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

EGYPT

Mandated the process of broadcasting, exchange and distribution of meteorological information but no express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

ETHIOPIA

Meteorological office mandated to give advance warnings on adverse weather conditions; disseminate advice and educational information through the mass media; and provide, upon request, meteorological services to any person. No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

FRANCE

No express mention of ‘dissemination’ of forecasts or warnings as the responsibility of Meteo-France.

GERMANY

Under ‘Duties and Competences’, the Duetscher Wetterdienst is mandated with ‘issuance of official warnings of weather occurrences that could become a danger for public safety and order, especially concerning the impending danger of floods’. No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

HUNGARY

The President of the Meteorological service has the duty of ensuring provision of warnings and forecasts; and also is obliged to take measures and proceed against the unauthorised users of meteorological data and information.

ICELAND

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

INDIA

As of 1999, there was no act of parliament of parliament establishing the India Meteorological Department. It was established by an executive order in 1875.

INDONESIA

No law establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 2000.

ISRAEL

No law establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

JAPAN

The article on issuance of warnings and their dissemination is very detailed and comprehensive. In addition, there is a separate article on ‘Permission for Forecast Service’ which states:

‘Any party other than the Japan Meteorological Agency that intends to provide forecasts of meteorological and terrestrial phenomena, tsunamis, storm surge, sea waves or floods (hereinafter referred to as “forecasting service”), it shall obtain the permission of the Director-General of the JMA. The purpose and scope of the forecasting service shall be specified.

JAMAICA

No law establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

JORDAN

No law establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

KENYA

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

LEBANON

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

LITHUANIA

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

MADAGSCAR

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

MALAWI

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

MALAYSIA

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

MALI

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

MAURATIUS

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

MONACO

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1999.

NETHERLANDS

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

NEW ZEALAND

It is the Minister of Transport who, under Meteorological Services Act 1990 (As amended in 1992), is responsible for ensuring the provision of meteorological warnings and forecasts for New Zealand and the collection of data to support these services. Furthermore, the Minister  is required to designate an organization that shall provide the authorised warning service in New Zealand.

NIGERIA

Decree in force as of 2001 allots the meteorological service the power as the sole Organisation for developing national policies and guidelines on Meteorology as well as the sole coordinator of meteorological activities in Nigeria.

NORWAY

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

ROMANIA

The National Meteorological Agency (NMA) is the single authoritative source for meteorological information disseminated to the governmental policy makers and emergency management bodies (under law 139/2000 and law 216/2004). Additionally NMA is the single official source for meteorological information disseminated by the media.

SEYCHELLES

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1997.

SLOVAKIA

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1999.

SLOVENIA

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

SOUTH AFRICA

In Act No. 8 of 2001, Under functions of the Weather service, ‘Only the Weather Service may issue severe weather-related warnings over South Africa in order to ensure that there is single authoritative voice in this regard’.

SWEDEN

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

SWITZERLAND

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

TANZANIA

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings but another Act of parliament was being debated as of 1997, so the situation may have evolved.

THAILAND

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1999.

TOGO

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

TRINIDAD TOBAGO

No act of parliament establishing the Meteorological Service as of year 1999.

TURKEY

No express provision for exclusive rights to the Met Service to issue forecasts and/or warnings.

UK

The UK Met Office has no direct legislated responsibility. The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA)2004 sets out the roles and responsibilities for UK Authorities who are required to respond to incidents (including weather related incidents). A piece of secondary legislation (Statutory Instrument 2042/2005) states that respondents to the CCA should not seek
to duplicate information provided by the Met Office.

USA

An Act of Congress provides that NOAA, as an Agency, shall not, except where specifically authorised by statute:

• establish an exclusive, restricted, or other distribution arrangement that interferes with timely and equitable availability of public information to the public;
• restrict or regulate the use, resale, or re-dissemination of public information by the public

ZAMBIA

As of 2004, The Meteorological Service had a draft bill which included a clause that the Service is the only authority mandated to issue weather-related forecasts and warnings over Zambia.

ZIMBABWE

A draft bill of 1998 allows for authorised private companies to undertake meteorological activities including weather forecast dissemination.