The Lesotho Meteorological Services (LMS) is the Government arm on weather, climate and the atmospheric environment. It is a Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources, formed in 1974. The institution operates a network of over 108 meteorological stations. These include two synoptic stations, 28 climatological stations and 78 rainfall stations. The Department has 31 professional personnel; 10 Meteorologists (Class I), 10 Weather Forecasters (Class II) and 11 Technical Officers (Class III and IV).

Mission

The LMS has as its mission to "apply and integrate the science of meteorology with social and economic activities, particularly in poverty reduction, employment creation, environment conservation and sustenance of primary production; maintain the natural balance in the atmosphere; develop climate change scenarios for Lesotho, assess present and future climate change impacts on the various social and economic sectors, and take lead in developing and implementing measures to adapt to climate change".

Mandate

The mandate of LMS is:

• To provide meteorological services
  - Weather and climate affect every facet of life and provision of Meteorological Services strives to harmonise human activities particularly developmental and social with weather and climate.
• To coordinate national effort to adapt to the changing climate
  - Climate change is already taking place and will continue to do so. LMS develops and implements national multi-sectoral strategies to adapt to emerging climate changes.
• To protect the atmospheric environment over the territory of Lesotho.
  - The depletion of the upper atmospheric ozone layer poses a threat to all forms of life on earth. LMS monitors the state of the atmospheric environment and the use of ozone depleting substances and implements the country programme for their phase out.

Responsibilities

Its responsibilities are to monitor and report on weather and climate, and act as a focal point on behalf of the Government on issues relating to climate change and depletion of the ozone layer.

Cooperation with other national and international organisations

LMS maintains contact with and is the official link between the Government of Lesotho and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol and the International Council for Science (ICSU) and other scientific bodies.

It also maintains linkages and fulfils obligations with meteorological regional institutions such as the SADC Drought Monitoring Center based in Harare, the African Centre of Meteorological Applications and Development based in Niger.

Lesotho Meteorological Services web site