Today is World Meteorological Day, observed annually on March 23, it commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organisation. It celebrates the introduction of the convention that formally created the organisation. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations, emphasising the importance of weather, climate and water services and their role in sustaining human life and global development.

WMO started off as the International Meteorological Organization (IMO)  established at the first International Meteorological Congress in Vienna, Austria, in 1873. The organization aimed to establish meteorological station networks, with Zimbabwe having its first Weather Station five years later in 1878. These networks were linked by telegraph and improved weather forecasts. This contributed to shipping services' safety and efficiency.

The International Meteorological Organization became the World Meteorological Organization on March 23, 1950. It became the UN's specialized agency for meteorology, operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences in 1951; and the World Meteorological Day (WMD) has been observed on March 23 each year since 1961.

This year, Zimbabwe celebrated WMD on another special day, Friday 20 March 2026, the March Equinox. This is the day when we had equal day-time and night-time hours (12 hours each). And also marks the time when the sun is beginning to be more concentrated over the northern hemisphere, and we start getting more influence of cooling south-easterly winds. On that note, please find herewith the weather report and forecast, highlighting a period when we will have the effects of these cooling winds.