António Guterres used a platform at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva to underscore the practical, lifesaving value of climate science and weather forecasting at a moment when those disciplines are under renewed political pressure. He praised the U.N. weather agency for its role in keeping watch for climate‑related disasters and stressed the importance of science-based early warning systems that help communities prepare for storms, floods and heat extremes.

The speech arrived amid what Guterres and other international officials characterize as an assault on scientific institutions in the United States. The Trump administration has been identified as leading an anti‑science push, while the president has dismissed climate science in blunt terms, having called climate change "a con job." Such rhetoric and policy shifts have raised alarms across capitals and aid organizations about the potential erosion of global cooperation on data sharing, satellite monitoring and coordinated emergency response.

Meteorological agencies and humanitarian responders rely on a patchwork of national and international resources—observations from ground stations, satellites, ocean buoys and atmospheric models—that must be sustained and shared across borders. Experts warn that when major contributors to that system reduce funding, withdraw from cooperative arrangements, or politicize scientific agencies, the quality and timeliness of forecasts can suffer, diminishing governments’ and communities’ ability to act before calamities strike.

Guterres framed the debate in practical terms. In a world where the frequency and intensity of extreme weather are shifting, he said, accurate forecasting and robust early warning networks are among the most effective tools to reduce casualties and economic losses. For low‑income countries and small island states that lack extensive domestic monitoring infrastructure, international cooperation on weather data and models is indispensable.

The clash over science in the United States has wider diplomatic ramifications. Washington’s stance affects transatlantic and global scientific partnerships, multilateral funding flows, and the political coherence of international climate action. Allies and rivals alike watch how U.S. domestic politics translate into policy at multinational institutions, influencing how quickly innovations in forecasting and climate adaptation are scaled worldwide.

At the same time, Guterres’s defense of the World Meteorological Organization signals an international determination to protect the norms of evidence‑based policymaking. The secretary‑general emphasized the agency’s mission in humanitarian and development work as more than technical: it is a linchpin of resilience in a warming world.

The coming months will test whether meteorology and climate science can remain insulated from partisan battles in the United States. For many countries and vulnerable populations, the stakes are immediate: reliable forecasts mean time to evacuate, to shore up defenses, and to mobilize relief. Eroding trust in the science behind those forecasts risks turning preventable weather tragedies into avoidable disasters.