LocationsUpper-air observations resume at two Uzhydromet stations in Uzbekistan
August 10, 2026
Image: UNDP Uzbekistan
After a nearly 30-year hiatus, Uzbekistan is restoring upper-air observations at two stations in its national meteorological observation network. With financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has equipped the Mayskaya station in Tashkent Region and the Yakkatut station in Bukhara Region with modern atmospheric radiosounding equipment.
Radiosounding uses a radiosonde carried into the atmosphere by a balloon filled with helium or hydrogen. As it rises, the instrument measures key atmospheric parameters, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind characteristics at different altitudes, and transmits the data to a ground station. Observations are generally conducted twice a day and form part of the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Observing System.
Upper-air data are essential for analysing atmospheric processes and improving weather forecasting. They help meteorologists assess the likelihood of heavy precipitation and strong winds, while also supporting aviation safety and climate research. Equipping the Mayskaya and Yakkatut stations helps restore an important component of Uzbekistan’s national meteorological observation network.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to modernize Uzhydromet’s observation network and strengthen its capacity for hydrometeorological modelling and risk assessment, including the installation of automatic weather stations, modern X-band weather radars, electromagnetic equipment for measuring water velocity and discharge, and the development of a multi-module climate risk assessment platform.
More accurate forecasts can help ensure that people receive timely information about hazardous hydrometeorological events, support more effective planning of agricultural activities, improve the safety of transport infrastructure, and strengthen the preparedness of emergency response services. As the impacts of climate change intensify, strengthening observation systems is an important element of building the country’s resilience to climate-related risks and supporting the WMO’s Early Warnings for All initiative.
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The project “Enhancing Multi-Hazard Early Warning System to increase resilience of Uzbekistan communities to climate change-induced hazards” is a joint effort of UNDP, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Uzhydromet, funded by the Green Climate Fund. The project is designed to ensure modernization of the country’s early warning system into an impact-based MHEWS with the focus on floods, mudflows, landslides, avalanches and hydrological drought in the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan.
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