(MENAFN Press) GENEVA Switzerland February 3 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The urgent need to boost Africa's resilience to natural hazards like the devastating floods which recently hit southern Africa is high on the agenda of meetings of ministers responsible for meteorological services and their directors.
The African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) on 13-14 February will focus on how to improve the provision and use of weather and climate services which will be vital to help the continent cope with shocks caused by extreme weather and climate change. It will be preceded by a meeting from 3-9 February of Permanent Representatives of African countries with WMO who are directors of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and by Technical preparation meeting for AMCOMET on 10-12 February. All meetings are being hosted by the Government of Cabo Verde.

'The global warming trend continued in 2014 resulting in heat-waves flooding and droughts. The first weeks of this year have been marked by flooding in Malawi and Mozambique and a deadly tropical cyclone in Madagascar' said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

'Africa is extremely vulnerable to the increasing impacts of climate change which will worsen food insecurity and water stress for the continent's growing population' said Mr Jarraud.  Full Article

Source:  MENAFN, WMO