International Meteorological Organization

1853

Although there had been significant developments in meteorology in the 18th century, Matthew Fontaine Maury, of the US Navy, instigated the convening of the first true International Meteorological Organization from late August through early September of 1853. The Conference opened its proceedings at Brussels, Belgium on the 23d August 1853, in the residence of M. Piercot, the Minister of the Interior.

The Governments represented at the first International Conference, and the names of the officers who attended:--

• BELGIUM, by LAMBERT ADOLPHE JACQUES QUETELET, directeur de l'Observatoire royal. secrétaire perpétuel de l’Academie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique, and VICTOR LAHURE, capitaine de vaisseau, directeur général de la marine;

• DENMARK, by P. ROTHE, captain-lieutenant royal navy, director of the depot of marine charts;

• FRANCE, by A. DE LA MARCHE, Ingénieur hydrographe de la marine impériale;

• GREAT-BRITAIN, by FREDERICK WILLIAM BEECHEY, captain royal navy. F.R.S., etc., member of the Naval Department or the Board of Trade, and HENRY JAMES, captain royal engineers. F.R.S., M.R.I.A., F.G.S. etc.;

• NETHERLAND, by [[1]] MARIN HENRI JANSEN, lieutenant royal navy;

• NORWAY. by NILS IHLEN, lieutenant royal navy;

• PORTUGAL, by J. DE MATTOS CORRÊA, captain-lieutenant royal navy;

• RUSSIA, by ALEXIS GORKOVENKO, captain-lieutenant imperial navy;

• SWEDEN, by CARL ANTON PETTERSSON, first lieutenant royal navy;

• UNITED-STATES, by MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY, L.L.D., lieutenant United States Navy;

1873

Maury's initiative was followed by an agreement at an International Meteorological Conference in Vienna, Austria, September 1873 that an International Meteorological Organization (IMO) should be formed. The members of that Organization were the directors of meteorological services.

1953

Next came the World Meteorological Organization formed in 1953.

Internal link

• [[2]] The FIRST International Maritime Conference Held at Brussels in 1853 for Devising An Uniform System of Meteorological Observations at Sea -- August and September -- OFFICIAL REPORT. ( Source: WikiSource )

External link

• http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/0945.html -- Memories of the Bureau Of Meteorology: Chapter 2: International Meteorology