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UAE launches SMS weather warning system to track natural disasters: How it works

The platform, developed by Mofa and NCM, provides readings from thousands of weather stations across the globe, offers forecasts expected in the next ten days

UAE citizens living abroad or those travelling can now be alerted about extreme weather conditions from around the world, thanks to a new platform called the "Early Warning System for All".

Through this platform, launched on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) aims to monitor weather conditions and natural disasters and inform citizens via text messages.

Mohamed Alebri, Director of the Meteorology Department at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, said the initiative is the result of a partnership between the NCM and Mofa with the aim to raise awareness among UAE nationals abroad and take proactive measures in cases of natural and climatic disasters so as to ensure their safety and security.

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“It’s a platform designed to monitor and signal all severe weather conditions and natural disasters, including earthquakes, severe weather, floods, volcanic eruptions, and droughts. This system enables Mofa to detect and track such activities worldwide. As a result, Mofa can alert UAE nationals and residents globally about any severe weather conditions, like flooding, happening in different countries,” said Alebri.

Comprehensive global real-time data

The official said the new platform, which was developed over several months, offers the most comprehensive global real-time and historical data, the most robust database of forecast models, and the most advanced forecast engine, all backed by extensive validation results.

“The platform provides comprehensive data, including readings from thousands of weather stations across the globe, tracks temperatures, and offers forecasts for heavy rainfall or storms expected in the next ten days. It’s not just about observation; it also serves as an early warning system, helping to predict what lies ahead.”

How does it work?

The ‘Early Warning System for All’ was developed with a clear focus — to inform people about how and why they need to act to save lives and reduce losses.

Explaining how the Mofa monitors alerts from their operational room round the clock, Alebri said, “If a weather alert arises, it will automatically display on their screens.”

He further explained: “For instance, if there are flood warnings in a particular country, the experts can click on it to access all relevant details, including intensity, date, and timing. The Mofa will then send messages to locals, informing them about the situation. Additionally, there will be instructions advising them to exercise caution or take necessary actions. This will help UAE nationals travelling or living abroad, including tourists, students, or citizens working abroad. This service is already available within the country.”

What led to its launch?

Communities worldwide have been devastated by various natural disasters, from raging wildfires, and unprecedented storms to devastating floods.

Experts globally have time and again warned that as the climate crisis escalates, people can expect the severity and frequency of extreme events such as floods, fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes to rise further.

Elaborating on this, Alebri said: “Due to the climate change, we have recently experienced severe weather fluctuations, including an increased frequency of earthquakes. Therefore, we met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they wished to understand how we (NCM) could alert and warn UAE nationals travelling and living abroad about these natural disasters. Initially, this was a challenging task because monitoring all countries worldwide was difficult.

To address this, the NCM aimed to automate the process first by collecting data globally. “As a member of the World Meteorological Organisation, and with the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) being part of other international earthquake associations, we gathered extensive data. We then developed a platform with an algorithm to create a warning system that tracks natural calamities worldwide."

“The development of this system took a couple of months and involved significant effort. Ultimately, the results were impressive and received high praise from Mofa,” he added.

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