The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has appointed Prof. Celeste Saulo of Argentina as the first female Secretary-General.

Prof Saulo will begin her term of office on January 1, 2024, after Prof Petteri Taalas, who has served his two-year term.

Prof. Saulo was appointed after winning the required two-thirds majority of votes from delegates at the quadrennial World Meteorological Congress in Geneva, the 193-member WMO's main decision-making body.

She is anticipated to lead the organization that is at the forefront of international efforts to monitor and combat climate change and increasingly harsh weather.

Prof. Saulo stated that in contemporary times when inequality and climate change are the most serious global problems, the WMO must contribute to the enhancement of Meteorological and Hydrological Services in order to protect communities and the economy by providing timely and effective services and early warning systems.

She indicated that her objective is to lead the WMO toward a scenario in which the voices of all members are heard equally, with a focus on the most vulnerable, and in which the measures it takes are tailored to the needs and unique characteristics of each of them.

“……the WMO must contribute to strengthening the Meteorological and Hydrological Services to protect populations and their economies, providing timely and effective services and early warning systems,” Prof. Saulo said.

Prof. Saulo has been the Director of Argentina's National Meteorological Service since 2014 and is currently the WMO's First Vice-President.

Prof. Saulo pursued a career in academia, combining her passion for science and teaching with university administration and the application of scientific findings to societal concerns.

She promoted fundamental organisational changes at Argentina's National Meteorological Service, based on management that aims for concrete results, fulfils societal expectations, articulates at national, regional, and worldwide levels, and cultivates equity, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Prof. Saulo has had a long association with WMO and was elected to the Executive Council in June 2015. In April 2018, she was elected as WMO's Second Vice-President, and in June 2019, she was elected First Vice-President, becoming the organization's first female leader. Prof. Saulo formerly served on a number of WMO expert scientific bodies.

She was a member of the World Weather Research Program's (WWRP) Scientific Steering Committee until 2018. She has also served on the WCRP/CLIVAR Panel for the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems and the Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction.

Her extensive teaching expertise has primarily been in the areas of numerical weather prediction, atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, mesoscale meteorology, cloud dynamics, and cloud microphysics.

Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of the National Center of Meteorology, United Arab Emirates Permanent Representative, and President of the WMO Regional Association for Asia, will be the next WMO President.

During the presidential elections, Dr Al Mandous received the most votes. First Vice-President Daouda Konate (Cote d'Ivoire), Second Vice-President Eoin MORAN (Ireland), and Third Vice-President Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra (India) were chosen. A new Executive Council has also been appointed.

Dr Al Mandous has been the UAE's Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization since 2008 and the President of the Regional Association for Asia since 2017.

He is a member of the World Meteorological Organisation's Executive Council and has chaired the Panel on Tropical Cyclones.

He is a member of the League of Arab States' Permanent Committee on Meteorology and the Gulf Cooperation Council on Meteorology.

After the World Meteorological Congress, Dr Al Mandous assumes the Presidency. In December of this year, the United Arab Emirates will host the UN Climate Change Conference COP28.