Public education and outreach programmes aim to strengthen links between the providers and users of public weather services so that individuals, communities and organizations can make effective use of the available products and services. While the initiative to develop such public education and outreach programmes should normally come from the NMHS, it is preferable that these activities be undertaken together with partners such as educational authorities, emergency management agencies and the media.

The science of meteorology has developed to such an extent that we can now anticipate, with a reasonable degree of confidence, how the weather and climate will change and develop over different time scales, from hours to decades. As society has developed, weather water and climate information needs have grown more complex and disparate. It is important to enable society to take full advantage of the knowledge we now possess. An informed and educated public will have a better appreciation of the information provided, and will be better equipped to make use of high-quality services commensurate with the advances in science and technology. There is a broad spectrum of people that use public weather services and careful thought should be given to the needs of various groups within that spectrum. However, the target audiences for public education and outreach programmes fall into two broad categories: 

Schools and academic institutions

The aim is to assist schools and academic institutions with developing an awareness of the environment amongst both students and educators, with particular emphasis on understanding the physical processes associated with weather, climate and water. Having a public education programme is the main means of achieving this aim.

Users of public weather services

The aim is to foster a better understanding and awareness of public weather services in terms of their availability, the terminologies used, the way they can be used to the greatest effect and their socio-economic benefits. The target audiences include:

-  General public with their diverse needs and interests.

- People involved in economic activities (e.g. farming, fishing, energy supply, transport, and building and construction) and recreational activities.

-  Reporters and editorial staff involved in the mass media.

-  Hazards community including people involved in managing, mitigating and handling hazards (e.g. media, governmental bodies, emergency managers, and non-governmental and volunteer organizations).

-  Governmental authorities (e.g. high -level policy and decision makers).

The WMO publication titled 'Strategy for Developing Public Education and Outreach' provides guidelines to NMHSs on public education and outreach.