Ukrainian agriculture and aviation benefit from improved weather warnings
New weather services help society prepare for dangerous weather phenomena.
Ukraine’s land weather warnings were integrated into the European MeteoAlarm information exchange system in January 2024. This pan-European information exchange reduces the damage and dangerous situations caused by hazardous weather phenomena affecting Ukraine.
The new system benefits not only citizens but also the authorities, rescue workers, agriculture and aviation.
The system was developed by the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UHMC) in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
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.
IMPACT OF FINLAND’S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
The project between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UHMC) began in early 2022, with funding of EUR 2 million allocated for 2022–2025. Key objectives of the cooperation include the modernisation of weather service production methods and the exchange of weather and early warning information with European sister institutions and partners.