The presentation of weather information via the media in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian National Meteorological Services Agency (NMSA) has been disseminating weather information and forecasts via the media since 1951. The quality and reach of the NMSA's broadcasts have improved markedly since 1993 after the installation by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of an NRI MEDIA System which combines ‘blue screen’ computer and video technologies in a low‐cost broadcasting package. The quality of Ethiopian weather forecasts and bulletins is now amongst the highest in Africa. Its success has raised the profile of the NMSA significantly. Recognising these benefits, the UK Meteorological Office (UKMO) has, under Voluntary Co‐operation Programme (VCP) funding, sponsored several other installations in Africa and elsewhere. In this paper we include a short history of Ethiopian weather broadcasts, discuss the present systems used and their national impact and outline the spread of similar services in other developing countries.