The Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have announced a series of national workshops aimed at revolutionizing how weather warnings are delivered and acted upon across the region.
Starting this August, four Caribbean nations will participate in specialized training focused on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and Impact-Based Forecasting and Warning Services (IBFWS). The initiative marks a strategic shift from simply predicting “what the weather will be” to identifying “what the weather will do and what it means for us”.
The workshops are designed to bridge the gap between technical meteorological data and real-world emergency response. By utilizing IBFWS, agencies will now consider who and what may be affected by a weather event, allowing for more coordinated decisions across multiple sectors.
The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) serves as the technological backbone of this effort, providing a standardized format for disseminating alerts across various communication channels simultaneously. The goal is to ensure that when a warning is issued, it triggers a chain of pre-established procedures and responsibilities between meteorological services and disaster management agencies.
Regional Workshop Schedule
The series will roll out across the following countries throughout August 2026:
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines: 17–18 August
- St. Kitts and Nevis: 20–21 August
- Antigua and Barbuda: 24–25 August
- Jamaica: 27–28 August
Strengthening the Early Warning Chain
This project is supported by the CREWS Caribbean Project Phase 2 and contributes to the broader “Early Warnings for All” (EW4All) global initiative. By bringing together meteorologists, disaster managers, and representatives from critical sectors, the CMO aims to strengthen the entire “early warning chain”.
Ultimately, these efforts are expected to lead to earlier decision-making, better inter-agency coordination, and significantly reduced disaster impacts across the Caribbean.
