WISER EWSA

Co-producing early warnings of thunderstorms in southern Africa

WISER EWSA

Weather awareness-raising posters

These posters raise awareness of different weather conditions and provide advisory actions. They were developed in response to demands from our urban populations in Boane, Kanyama and Katlehong, and the content and presentation was also designed with inputs from community observers and mobilisers. Community observers and mobilisers played a key role in raising awareness of weather, and distributed these posters in key community locations with high foot traffic, such as schools, health centres, churches and shops and guesthouses.

(Click on the thumbnail to download a print ready A2 version of the poster)

Mozambique (Portuguese and Changana)

South Africa (English and isiZulu)

Zambia (English and Nyanja)

Early Warning for All Song

This song was written and performed by a Mozambican artist who has a visual disability, Rafael Bata. It was used in Boane to raise awareness of the importance of early warnings and how to act upon them. It has been widely sung in communities and schools.

“Previsão do tempo para todos” (Early warnings for all) by Rafael Bata of Mozambique

Video clips

An inclusive approach to co-producing and sharing weather information – this clip outlines how WISER EWSA expanded use of nowcasting and worked with marginalised urban populations, including people with disabilities, to co-produce early warnings of thunderstorms.

Testbed: Forecasters and community observers co-produce nowcasts using real-time data – this clip shows how WISER EWSA used testbeds to bring together meteorologists, communities, researchers and community engagement specialists to innovate, generate and communicate a new weather service.

Testbeds: Introducing a season-long “king-size” testbed in WISER EWSA – this clip explains how, after a successful two week testbed in early 2024, the WISER EWSA project expanded its ambition to a season-long testbed covering the 2024-25 rainy season (October to April).

Involving learners in weather information-rain gauges in urban Lusaka – this clip shows how a school in Kanyama (Lusaka) installed a rain gauge and started reading rainfall data to provide to Zambia Meteorological Department and as part of the educational process for learners.

Explaining the impact table used in impact-based forecasting – this clip was recorded in one of the testbed sessions in Zambia to explain to community members how to understand and interpret the impact table which is used in weather forecasting and nowcasting.

ZMD Director Edson Nkonde explains weather and climate services in Zambia – this clip elaborates how weather and climate are changing in Zambia, and the implications this has for the provision and communication of new weather and climate services.

Newsletters

Highlights newsletters were published in November 2024 and June 2025 detailing key achievements of the WISER EWSA programme.

June 2025

November 2024

Sibo Says book

Sibo Senses a Storm is a custom story book targeting senior primary learners that builds on South Africa’s well-known educational character, Sibo. In Sibo Senses a Storm, Sibo learns about weather, weather forecasts, and acting on weather forecasts to reduce risk. The book is available in English and isiZulu for South Africa, Portuguese for Mozambique and English and Nyanja for Zambia.

(Click on the thumbnail to access the online digibook)

English (South Africa)

isiZulu (South Africa)

Portuguese (Mozambique)

Nyanja (Zambia)

School posters

School posters were developed for distribution to schools alongside the Sibo Says book. The posters are educational resources that outline the difference between weather and climate, where to find out about weather, and advice on preparing for different weather conditions. It was designed to prompt classroom discussion around weather.

(Click on the thumbnail to download a print ready A1 version of the poster)

English (Zambia)

Nyanja (Zambia)

Portuguese (Mozambique)