According to the latest weather report - 2020 State of Climate Services* published by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in the last 50 years approximately 80% of all disasters across the globe involved weather and climate-related hazards. More specifically, prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the WMO, highlights the importance of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effect when it comes to health, and economic systems as well as on the climate change disaster and risk management plans! Moreover, people in (less developed) countries with weak disaster management systems are facing the greatest risks. The combination of COVID-19 and weather-related disasters such are cyclones and earthquakes, made the effective response more challenging.

As it was presented in the report, all countries need to be prepared and able to react accordingly to save lives and protect homes of citizens. Moreover, in 2016. Paris Agreement identified Early Warning Systems as a top priority and majority of National Adaptation Plans recognizing them as a support for several important sectors: agriculture, food security, water sector and health. Currently, as majority of disasters are hydro-meteorological hazards by nature, development of advanced services based on weather data can be crucial for the sustainable protection and effective response plan. In other words, through provision of accurate hydrometeorological information, governments can organize better decision-making process, manage climate risks and effectively mitigate effects of climate change. The only challenge that remain is how to translate early warning alarm into proper and if possible, early action.