Today, on World Meteorological Day, the World Meteorological Organisation highlights the enormous importance of clouds for weather, climate and water.

Much of the science SPARC is coordinating contributes to the theme on Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity, which was identified as a Grand Challenge by the World Climate Research Programme.

Limited understanding of clouds is the major source of uncertainty in climate sensitivity, but it also contributes substantially to persistent biases in modelled circulation systems. This Grand Challenge focusses on how clouds couple to circulations in the present climate; how clouds and circulations respond to global warming or other forcings; and how clouds feed back on global warming through their influence on Earth’s radiation budget.

Find more information on the Grand Challenge, on World Met Day.