National Examination for Certified Weather Forecasters

Further to weather forecasting services for the general public, JMA is in a position to exclusively issue the warnings, such as typhoon warnings and torrential rain warnings, as a single authoritative voice of the nation. On the other hand, private weather companies and parties other than JMA are obliged to be authorized by the Director-General of JMA so as to conduct their own forecasting services, where the weather forecasts must be prepared by Certified Weather Forecasters qualified by JMA. Such a certification system was established in 1993 in compliance with the amended Meteorological Service Act of Japan, which allows the private weather forecasting companies to provide the public and private sectors and industries with more user-oriented and individually tailored weather forecasts.

With the designation of the Director-General of JMA, JMBSC is responsible for the national examination for Certified Weather Forecasters. The examination of basic meteorological knowledge and forecasting techniques is executed twice a year to present the official qualification of the Government of Japan. In 2019, around 300 people passed the examination.

Today, a number of Certified Weather Forecasters are actively involved in the weather forecasting in private weather companies separately from JMA. A part of Certified Weather Forecasters server as the weather casters on TV/radio and as consultants on application of meteorological information. Further to weather forecasting, Certified Weather Forecasts are playing a vital role in promulgation of weather information and knowledge on both professional and voluntary bases.