World Meteorological Day was observed globally on March 23, 2026 with the theme 'Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow'. The day commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on March 23, 1950, which brought together national meteorological services into a coordinated UN agency. It was first formally observed as World Meteorological Day on March 23, 1961.

The 2026 theme underscores the critical importance of sustained, high-quality observational networks — including weather stations, radiosonde balloons, ocean buoys, satellites, and weather radars — for accurate forecasting, early warning systems, and climate monitoring. Without reliable real-time observational data, numerical weather prediction models cannot provide the 5–15 day forecasts that protect lives and livelihoods.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, used the occasion to highlight its expanding observational infrastructure: over 800 Automated Weather Stations, 37 Doppler Weather Radars (target: 60 by 2027), and contributions to WMO's Global Basic Observing Network. IMD's 'Mausam' app now serves 10 crore users.

For Rajasthan, accurate meteorological observation is existential — the state encompasses arid Thar Desert (over 60% of area), semi-arid transition zones, and the Aravalli belt. Advance weather monitoring supports kharif and rabi crop planning, locust control, flash flood prediction in Hadoti (Chambal catchment), and heatwave preparedness in districts like Churu, Barmer, and Bikaner, which regularly record India's highest temperatures.