The WMO Information System (WIS) is a project designed to enhance WMO’s existing Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and to establish a common ICT infrastructure for all WMO programmes and related international initiatives.
GTS has long served as the backbone of the World Weather Watch Programme (WWWP) －a push-based distribution system for operationally critical data. WIS extended the GTS functions to allow many organisations that do not have the access to GTS, to obtain data online. WIS consists of two parallel parts: GTS and DAR (Discovery, Access and Retrieval). WMO continues its efforts to enhance and improve of GTS, while new DAR functionality is integrated into all WMO and related international programmes. At the center of DAR is a catalogue of the entire WIS. GISCs collect all metadata from WIS Centres in their areas of responsibility, and exchange metadata sets with one another.
Organization of WIS
WIS consists of three types of centers:
- GISCs (Global Information System Centres), responsible for:
- Management of AMDCN (the Area Meteorological Data Communication Network)
- Services relating to data intended for global distribution (known as a GISC Cache)
- Cataloguing of the entire WIS
- DCPCs (Data Collection or Production Centres), designated for each WMO programme activity. They typically engage in:
- Production of specialized information (e.g., for RSMCs)
- Collection and archiving of information in a domain (e.g., for WMO WDCs)
- Telecommunication hub activities (e.g., for GTS RTHs)
- NCs (National Centres) can be established in each WMO member state. They are responsible for:
- Collecting national observation data and submitting them to the WIS network
- Domestic data distribution networks and in-country authorization of WIS users.
More information on WIS can be found on the
WMO WIS Pages.