From Data to Decisions: Exploring Next-Generation Weather Resources in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 1 September 2026: Meteorological experts from across Eastern Africa have gathered at the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) in Addis Ababa for a three-day workshop focused on unlocking the potential of next-generation weather data for improved forecasting, early warning and early action.
Held under the NOAA Multi-Hazard Forecasting Project, the workshop brings together 25+ experts and practitioners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia, alongside technical experts from TAHMO, and TomorrowNow.
The workshop is built around a critical question for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs): How do we move from knowing what weather data exists to knowing what data we can operationally trust and use?
Bridging the data-to-decision gap
The NOAA Multi-Hazard Forecasting Project aims to expand access to next-generation weather technologies and products and create an enabling environment for African NMHSs to use these resources to support early warning and early action.
The project focuses on three key areas: expanding access to high-resolution seasonal and subseasonal weather datasets; strengthening the capacity of NMHSs to apply these datasets in operational decision-making; and co-creating tools for quality control and rigorous assessment of existing datasets.
The technical workstream is enabling meteorological agencies to explore a growing range of datasets and technologies, including Google WeatherNext, ECMWF, IMERG, TAMSAT, CHIRPS and WindBorne, among others.
Through practical exercises and Jupyter Notebooks, participants are being equipped to explore, compare and validate these datasets against their own regional needs.
From data availability to operational confidence
Opening the workshop, TAHMO CEO, Dr. Frank Annor welcomed participants and thanked the experts and institutions for making time to participate in the training. He highlighted the importance of bringing experts together to strengthen the use of weather information across the region.
Mohammed Ali, Project Officer at WMO Ethiopia, reflected on his previous experience working with TAHMO and commended the organization for going the extra mile to support scientists through practical training. He called for stronger collaboration among countries, noting that weather and climate do not recognize national boundaries.
He also acknowledged the role of NMHSs and organizations such as TAHMO in bridging gaps and supporting the implementation of WMO guidelines and policies.
For Edward Muriuki, Acting Director General of the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KMSA), one of the persistent challenges facing scientists in the tropics is inadequate access to quality data.
He thanked TAHMO for contributing to addressing this challenge through the expansion of digital weather stations and emphasized the importance of the workshop’s central objective: Moving from simply having data to using data to make decisions.
Strengthening the science behind early warning
Officially opening the workshop, Dr. Fetene Teshome (PhD), Ethiopian Meteorological Institute and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia with WMO, emphasized the critical responsibility of NMHSs to provide timely, accurate and reliable weather information to safeguard lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.
He noted that the training provides meteorologists with practical skills to assess and validate weather datasets, ultimately helping institutions provide more truthful, accurate and reliable information to decision-makers and communities.
A regional approach to a shared challenge
The diversity of participants reflects the regional nature of weather and climate challenges.
The workshop brings together representatives from TAHMO, KMSA and EMI, alongside experts from TomorrowNow, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia. Participants include meteorologists, forecasters, climatologists and specialists working across different aspects of weather and climate services.
This regional exchange provides an opportunity for participants to share experiences, compare approaches and explore how next-generation datasets can complement existing observation networks and forecasting systems.
Building practical skills for the future
Over the three days, participants will work with different datasets and tools, exploring their strengths, limitations, quality and applicability to operational weather services.
The goal is not simply to introduce new data sources, but to help meteorological professionals develop a practical decision framework for selecting, validating and using datasets in severe weather services.
By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to have greater confidence in answering three fundamental questions:
Is the data reliable?
Is it relevant to our region?
Can we use it to make better operational decisions?
As Africa continues to strengthen its early warning and climate resilience systems, access to data is only the beginning. The real impact comes when that data can be understood, validated, trusted and transformed into decisions that protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.
The three-day workshop marks another step towards that goal, with participants expected to take the knowledge, tools and approaches gained back to their respective institutions and contribute to stronger weather and climate services across the region.
