Nearly half of the world's population today is not yet covered by early warning systems that can save the lives of people at risk when severe weather events like storms strike. With recent disasters like tropical cyclone Freddy we learn that even when information on how the weather will be is available, people still suffer the impacts if this information does not trigger the appropriate actions at the local level. Moving towards forecasts and warnings that focus on what the weather will do is key to enable decisionmakers to take timely measures to protect people and their livelihoods from the potential impacts of weather hazards. While impact-based forecasting as an enabler of anticipatory action is not a new concept and global guidelines on how to develop impact-based warning services exist, we still have a long way to go to reach communities at risk.

This session invites the community to participate in a highly interactive dialogue between national meteorological and hydrological services, disaster management authorities, humanitarian partners, and local actors to exchange lessons learned and remaining challenges in delivering inclusive warnings and finds ways to improve collaboration to reach the most vulnerable from forecasts to warnings to early actions.