International Meteorological Committee

The International Meteorological Committee (IMC) was a precursor to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The IMC was formed in 1880 by directors of national weather services to foster international cooperation in weather forecasting. This organization emerged as weather-station networks and telegraphic communication made synoptic forecasting a reality by the late 19th century. However, early forecasts were often inaccurate due to reliance on individual experience and rudimentary rules of thumb. The IMC was later succeeded by the WMO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1951 to promote global meteorological observation systems and the development of national meteorological services.12