March 23 marks the 65th World Meteorological Day, with the theme of “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together.” Planet Earth faces unprecedented climate challenges. 2024 was the hottest year on record. Global warming has triggered frequent and intensified extreme weather events, emphasizing the importance of early warning systems in disaster prevention and mitigation.
In March 2022, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative. From global consensus to national action, China is implementing its National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 to build a climate-resilient society. Ensuring universal access to meteorological early warning systems is not only a shared vision of the international community but also an important mission of China’s meteorological departments.
China Meteorological Administration (CMA) will continuously enhance the meteorological science and technology, improve public services, deliver more robust scientific, institutional, and governance support to achieve the goals of EW4ALL initiative, and contribute more wisdom and plans to building a community with a shared future for mankind, said Chen Zhenlin, head of the CMA. CMA has made great efforts to step up meteorological disaster monitoring, forecasting, and warning as well as prevention and response capabilities.
Today, the new-generation National Emergency Early Warning Information Release System disseminates 82 types of warning information to designated emergency responders within one minute, achieving 99.1 percent public coverage. Enhancing meteorological science and technology capabilities underpins more timely, accurate, and widespread early warning dissemination, said Chen Zhenlin. China has effective early warning mechanisms such as Progressive Service and High-Impact Alert and Response systems.