Nowadays, talking about the weather is not small talk anymore. And it’s the most critical conversation for our future and the future of our children. 

The theme of World Meteorological Day 2024 is therefore “At the Frontline of Climate Action.”This World Meteorological Day (WMD), our call is simple: the time for meaningful Climate Action is now. We have interviewed some experts to talk about this year's theme of World Meteorological Day (WMD).

"The warming climate caused by human activities has already posed an increasing threat to the human society. The issue of carbon neutrality is not only related to the Earth's natural systems, but also closely linked to human activities."

Said ZHANG Renhe, Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

"Climate change has a profound impact on the development of human civilization and the continuation of cultural traditions. For coffee drinkers, climate change may only be reflected in the price of coffee, but for those who grow coffee, climate change not only affects the job they live on, but also disrupts their traditional diet, culture and art."

Said YE Qian, Professor of Beijing Normal University (BNU)

"As global temperatures continue to rise, the climate system is increasingly approaching a tipping point. Once a climate tipping point is breached, drastic changes can occur rapidly. With its global impacts, climate change is making extreme weather more frequent and severe."

Said WEI Ke, researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

"Climate change is affecting every country in every continent, disrupting their economic development and their people's lives. If no action is taken, the global average surface temperature may continue to rise in the 21st century, possibly by more than 3°C, with parts of the world being even warmer."

Said ZHOU Bing, Chief Expert on Climate Services of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA)

"In recent years, the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as persistent high temperature, heavy precipitation,freezing rain and frozen snow has posed a great challenge to forecasters."

Said DONG Quan, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Centre (NMC)

"In face of extreme weather and climate events, the most effective way to save the human society is early warning, which can reduce disaster losses by 30 percent if given 24 hours in advance."

Said ZHANG Xingying, Deputy Director-General, Department of Science and Technology and Climate Change, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA)

"When I was in Antarctic, I heard a dull loud sound one night, and in the morning I found that a nearby iceberg had been lost. I knew that it must have been there for many years, I stared in that direction, lamenting its demise."

Said ZHAO Yong, Senior Engineer, Agricultural Meteorological Experiment Station, Tai'an, Shandong, China

Editor: XU Nenyu