World Meteorological Day – Polar Meteorology: Understanding Global Iimpacts

Every year, on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), its 187 Members, as well as the worldwide meteorological communities, celebrate World Meteorological Day. This Day commemorates the entry into force, in 1950, of the Convention that created this specialized agency of the United Nations System. For the year 2007 was chosen the theme "Polar Meteorology: Understanding Global Impacts", in recognition of the importance of, and as a contribution to, International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, which is being co-sponsored by WMO and the International Council for Science (ICSU). To ensure that researchers can work in both polar regions during the summer and winter months, the event will actually be held from March 2007 to March 2009. The fundamental concept of the IPY is an intensive burst of internationally coordinated, interdisciplinary scientific research and observations focused on the Earth's polar regions and their far-reaching global effects. Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) organized a set of activities in order to inform the population about the different areas of human activities in which the meteorology plays an important role, in general, and, in particular, about the activities undertaken by SMG which contribute for the sustainable development of the Macao Special Administrative Region.The first commemoration activity of the "World Meteorological Day 2007", is "The Tropical Cyclone Name Nomination Contest", with the main objectives of the contest are to promote public awareness of the hazards related to tropical cyclones and to enhance the public understanding of the Tropical Cyclone Signal System in Macao. SMG will start to disseminate the four days forecast of the relative humidity. The forecast of this weather parameter is of great importance for different professional activities and the population in knowing before hand the condition of the content of water vapor in the atmosphere for their most varieties of objectives. A celebration ceremony will be held at SMG headquarters, on 23 of March at 10:00 a.m., with the presence of the Chief of Cabinet of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Dr. Francis Wong, the ceremony for the signing of the "Cooperation Agreement between Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and the Macao University of Science and Technology in the area of remote sensing", and through the promotion of the media about the importance of the cooperation with the university in the development of interdisciplinary in scientific knowledge in MSAR. A presentation for university students about the theme of this year will also include in this occasion.