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About - Caribbean weather organizations

Regional 

• CMO, Caribbean Meteorological Organization

• CIMH, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology

Caribbean Meteorological Organization, CMO

The English speaking Caribbean have a common organization, the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO). The CMO comprises the following sixteen (16) member states: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands. Among other responsibilities, the CMO undertakes the coordination of the joint scientific activities of the respective National Meteorological Services, the establishment of joint technical facilities and systems, the provision of joint training facilities, and the promotion of a reliable severe weather warning system to safeguard the region.

There are four arms of the CMO.  The Governing Body of the Organization is the Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMC), comprising government Ministers responsible for meteorology or their representatives.  The CMC meets annually to, among others, set policy, approve joint projects and budgets.  The Headquarters Unit of the CMO is located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and is headed by a Coordinating Director.  Coordination of joint activities and project formulation and implementation are among the functions undertaken by the Headquarters.  The CMO’s training arm, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), is located in Barbados.  The CIMH, originally the Caribbean Meteorological Institute, provides training for the region’s weather observers and technicians, weather forecasters, specialists in hydrology, agrometeorology and other related disciplines.  The CIMH provides training to the Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology in cooperation with the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus.  The CIMH also serves as the CMO’s research and climate centre, as well as the regional instrument calibration and maintenance centre.  The Caribbean Meteorological Foundation (CMF) was established to raise funds for the promotion, through the CIMH, of the study and research of meteorology and allied sciences.

Read more about CMO from the fact sheets:

• CMO Fact Sheet #1 (Feb 2004)

• CMO Fact Sheet #2 - CIMH (June 2003)

• CMO Fact Sheet #3 - NMSs (June 2003)

• CMO Fact Sheet #4 - Scientific & Technical Support (May 2003)

Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, CIMH

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), is located in Barbados.  The CIMH, originally the Caribbean Meteorological Institute, provides training for the region’s weather observers and technicians, weather forecasters, specialists in hydrology, agrometeorology and other related disciplines.  The CIMH provides training to the Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology in cooperation with the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus.  The CIMH also serves as the CMO’s research and climate centre, as well as the regional instrument calibration and maintenance centre. CIMH issues also the Caribbean Precipitation Outlook, a three month seasonal forecast for the region.

Read an essay by Dr. Colin Depradine, the Principal of CIMH, on Forecaster Training.

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