WMO Information System 2.0: Powering Global Weather and Climate Resilience with OGC Standards
How a New Global Network is Turning Weather Data into Life-Saving Action
By: Tom Kralidis (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Jeremy Tandy (UK Met Office), Enrico Fucile (WMO), and Rémy Giraud (Météo-France)
8 September, 2025
When a heatwave strikes or floods threaten life, every second and every byte of data counts. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is helping ensure that countries around the globe have faster, easier access to critical weather, climate, and water data via the WMO Information System (WIS) 2.0.
Why It Matters
Extreme weather is hitting harder and more often — and the window for action is getting smaller. Whether it’s a heatwave, cyclone, or flash flood, the difference between timely data and a delayed forecast can mean the difference between safety and catastrophe.
“With WIS 2.0 and OGC standards, it has never been easier to discover, access, and use global weather, climate, and water data.”
Tom Kralidis
Environment and Climate Change Canada
WIS 2.0 speeds up the flow of reliable, actionable information between countries, agencies, and communities. It makes data easier to find, easier to use, and available in real time — not just to meteorologists, but to emergency managers, planners, public health officials, and innovators everywhere.
By combining open standards, modern web technology, and global cooperation, WIS 2.0 turns weather, water, and climate data into a true life-saving asset — giving the world a better chance to prepare, respond, and recover.
Breaking Barriers to Global Data Exchange
As a modern successor to WMO’s legacy systems, WIS 2.0 represents a transformative step toward open, real-time, and interoperable data exchange on a global scale.
The effort reflects the power of sustained collaboration – WIS 2.0 is a direct outcome of the ongoing partnership between WMO and OGC, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2009. The MOU has played a vital role in aligning global standards with operational meteorological needs.
For decades, the WMO’s Global Telecommunication System (GTS) served as the backbone for international weather and data sharing. But in a world of exploding data volumes — from higher-resolution modelling, satellites, dual-polarization radar, and high-frequency observations — combined with today’s internet-scale connectivity, the GTS was no longer enough.
Two major policy milestones paved the way for this transformation: the WMO Unified Data Policy, which committed Members to openly share core Earth system data, and the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON), which mandated consistent, global observation coverage. These reforms prioritized transparency, accessibility, and equity in data sharing — laying the foundation for WIS 2.0.
WIS 2.0: Modernized, Open, and Cloud-Ready
Launched on January 1, 2025, WIS 2.0 is revolutionizing how 193 WMO Member States and Territories exchange Earth system data.
Built on OGC standards and modern web protocols, WIS 2.0 offers a low-barrier, cloud-ready architecture that is:
- Open by design – using widely adopted OGC APIs and formats like GeoJSON, NetCDF, and WaterML.
- Event-driven – delivering real-time updates via the lightweight MQTT protocol.
- Easy to implement – with open-source software like WIS2 in a Box.
- Discoverable and interoperable – through OGC API – Records and the WMO Core Metadata Profile.
Its “clean break” architecture replaces aging systems with a modular design:
- WIS2 Nodes for data publication.
- A Global Discovery Catalogue for metadata search.
- A Global Broker for real-time notifications.
- A Global Cache for data delivery.
- A Global Monitor for system performance.
Each component uses open protocols and APIs, making WIS 2.0 accessible with common industry tools — even without deep meteorological expertise.
Real-World Impact: Faster Access, Better Forecasts
Already, WIS 2.0 includes more than 80 WIS2 Nodes sharing hundreds of datasets, publishing millions of data granules daily. Open-source tools help any country join, even with limited resources.
These capabilities are translating into faster, more accurate forecasts and better preparedness for extreme events such as cyclones, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves. The benefits reach far beyond meteorology — from GIS analysts to disaster managers to urban planners.
Looking Ahead
As climate risks intensify, the demand for open, fast, and reliable data will only grow. WIS 2.0 is already a cornerstone of initiatives like Early Warnings for All, supporting both operational decision-making and long-term climate research.
By 2030, 90% of WMO Members are expected to transition from GTS to WIS 2.0. Along the way, WMO and OGC are refining standards for environmental data retrieval (OGC API – Environmental Data Retrieval), process execution (OGC API – Processes), and consistent visualization (OGC API – Maps). They are also advancing event-driven architectures through OGC API – Pub/Sub.
This collaboration is not just about technology — it’s about saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and making science-based decision-making accessible to all.
WIS 2.0 is public, and data designated as “core” under the WMO’s Unified Data Policy is free and unrestricted. Learn more at WMO WIS2 Implementation.