By Dan Swarray
The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet) has advanced its digital capabilities following a week-long Digital Transformation Training Workshop from March 2–6, 2026, at its Forecasting House in Tower Hill, Freetown.
Supported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the workshop trained SLMet staff on global meteorological data frameworks, digital communication, and the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for standardized weather and early warning alerts.
Facilitators included Abubakr Salih Babiker, Technical Coordinator for Infrastructure at WMO’s Regional Office for Africa; Marta Baraibar, Innovation and Climate Services Expert; and Eric Otenyo of WMO’s Integrated Global Observing System Division. Sessions covered WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS2), the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), OSCAR/Surface, and the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS), improving data quality monitoring, weather station registration, and global data exchange.
A key outcome was the launch of SLMet’s enhanced digital platform, ClimWeb (www.slmet.gov.sl), which allows real-time weather updates, interactive climate maps, early warning alerts, and improved data sharing across Africa. Staff also received hands-on training in composing and distributing CAP alerts via websites, social media, and messaging platforms, strengthening early warning communication nationwide.
The agency outlined a roadmap for continued digital transformation, aiming to modernize data management, enhance communication strategies, and deepen collaboration with regional meteorological networks. SLMet said the upgrades position it as a modern meteorological service capable of supporting disaster preparedness, climate resilience, and timely weather information delivery in Sierra Leone.
