Technical Regulations: Basic Documents No. 2. Volume I – General Meteorological Standards and Recommended Practices. 2019 edition.

Abstract

1.The Technical Regulations (WMO‑No. 49) of the World Meteorological Organization are presented in three volumes:Volume I – General meteorological standards and recommended practices Volume II – Meteorological service for international air navigation Volume III – Hydrology. Purpose of the Technical Regulations 2. The Technical Regulations are determined by the World Meteorological Congress in accordance with Article 8 (d) of the Convention. 3. These Regulations are designed: (a) To facilitate cooperation in meteorology and hydrology among Members; (b) To meet, in the most effective manner, specific needs in the various fields of application of meteorology and operational hydrology in the international sphere; (c) To ensure adequate uniformity and standardization in the practices and procedures employed in achieving (a) and (b) above. Types of Regulations 4. The Technical Regulations comprise standard practices and procedures, recommended practices and procedures, and references to constants, definitions, formulas and specifications. 5. The characteristics of these three types of Regulations are as follows: The standard practices and procedures: (a) Shall be the practices and procedures that Members are required to follow or implement; (b) Shall have the status of requirements in a technical resolution in respect of which Article 9 (b) of the Convention is applicable; (c) Shall invariably be distinguished by the use of the term shall in the English text, and by suitable equivalent terms in the Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish texts. The recommended practices and procedures: (a) Shall be the practices and procedures with which Members are urged to comply; (b) Shall have the status of recommendations to Members, to which Article 9 (b) of the Convention shall not be applied; (c) Shall be distinguished by the use of the term should in the English text (except where otherwise provided by decision of Congress) and by suitable equivalent terms in the Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish texts. References to constants, definitions, formulas and specifications: Members should use the definitions, formulas, values of constants and specifications indicated in the relevant Guides published by the Organization.