2nd WMO-IMO Symposium on Extreme Maritime Weather

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Extreme Maritime Weather: `Bridging the Knowledge Gap Towards Safer Shipping’

The Symposium aims at finding possible solutions to minimize the risks created by extreme maritime weather events – those which are dangerous to any ship at sea and are a threat to life, property, and the marine environment, notwithstanding also the economic impacts to the global blue economy. It will also provide an update on developments, building upon the first Joint Symposium in 2019.

The Symposium will be part of several IMO activities being organized in connection to the World Maritime Theme 2024 ʺNavigating the future: safety first!.ʺ It will also serve as a contribution to the UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Early Warnings for All initiatives.

Date: 23-26 September 2024

Location: in person at IMO Headquarters, London. 

Programme

Please find the provisional programme here. 

The programme includes sessions on:

Day 1

  • Session 1: Opening and welcome remarks

  • Session 2: Impacts of extreme weather on safety at sea

  • Session 3: Weather and ocean observations and data collection to improve safety at sea

Day 2

  • Session 4: Digitalization pf metocean information and its dissemination of information to ships

  • Session 5: Enhacing knowledge opportunities for seafarers and forecasters

Day 3

  • Session 6: Improved weather warnings and forecasts through better products and services

Day 4

  • Session 7: Strengthening collaboration

  • Session 8: Bridging the knowledge gap towards safer shipping: summary report and closing

Participation and registration

Participation is open to all IMO and WMO Member States, UN agencies, IGOs, NGOs and other participants. Registration is mandatory for participation. Further information on registration procedures can be found here.  

Participants from WMO should register via the link on this page.

Context

Extreme maritime weather events – those which are dangerous to any vessel at sea – threaten life, property and the marine environment and can adversely affect the global blue economy.  Despite decades of investments in weather forecasting that have substantially improved predictability of such events, ships still transit into hazardous conditions, resulting in damage and, often, loss of cargo, personnel injuries or deaths, and environmental damage. Incidents of ships encountering extreme weather in recent years underscore the urgent need for action by the shipping and metocean communities.

Given the risk of extreme weather to shipping, WMO and IMO are bringing together experts for a second International Symposium, building on outcomes of the first WMO-IMO symposium in 2019. The 2019 symposium identified key areas for urgent attention, including the need for maritime users to better understand meteorological and ocean data. There are particular challenges for ships trading in polar regions and for ships not subject to mandatory IMO standards, such as small coastal cargo ships, large pleasure yachts and fishing vessels.

Such issues must be addressed. Ensuring the safety of seafarers against a variety of risks, including weather risks, must be a priority, as those seafarers are essential to global supply chains and economies worldwide.

The close cooperation between IMO and WMO ensures that ships have automatic access to meteorological maritime safety information including meteorological warnings and forecasts through the IMO/WMO Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service (WWMIWS). The two Organizations coordinate to provide maritime safety information, undoubtedly contributing to safer voyage planning.

Outcomes

This second International Symposium will advance the dialogue on these critical issues and determine how the metocean and maritime communities can work together to help minimise the risks of extreme and hazardous weather to ships at sea.

Further reading