Ukrainian agriculture and aviation benefit from improved weather warnings

New weather services help society prepare for dangerous weather phenomena.

City of Verkhovyna in Western Ukraine. Picture: Maria Savenko / Flickr Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Ukraine’s land weather warnings were integrated into the European MeteoAlarm information exchange system in January 2024. This pan-European exchange of information helps reduce the damage and risks caused by hazardous weather affecting Ukraine. The new system benefits not only citizens but also authorities, rescue services, agriculture and aviation.

Cooperation between the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UHMC) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute also led to the modernisation of ten weather observation stations and the introduction of a digital forecasting system.

The forecasting system has improved the accuracy of weather forecasts and enabled the development of new automated weather products for authorities. At the same time, new services for citizens, including online weather services and a mobile application, have been introduced.

Background

The war of aggression started by Russia in 2022 has destroyed much of Ukraine’s weather observation capacity. Consequently, Ukraine’s ability to provide high-quality weather and early warning services has been weakened. Reliable weather services are needed for various safety and rescue tasks, as well as in sectors such as agriculture and aviation.

Support and funding

The project between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UHMC) began in early 2022 and received EUR 2 million in funding for 2022–2025. Key objectives of the cooperation were to modernise weather service production methods and to strengthen the exchange of weather and early warning information with European counterpart organisations and partners.

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