Finland to support development of Ukraine’s weather services, benefiting authorities and farmers

The cooperation project between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center will be extended by four years. The new stage of the project aims to further improve Ukraine’s weather and early warning services and their accessibility, helping society enhance its preparedness for extreme weather events. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs will provide a total of EUR 2 million in funding for this Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI) project in 2026–2030.

The project seeks to provide Ukrainian citizens, authorities and businesses with more reliable and up-to-date information on weather and natural hazards and to support rescue operations and preparedness. Reliable weather information is essential for many occupational groups, such as farmers.

“Finland supports the reconstruction of Ukraine and society’s resilience through concrete measures that increase people's safety. High-quality weather and early warning services are an important element in the resilience of a society,” says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

The project will focus on digitalising weather and maritime services, as well as improving the accuracy of weather forecasts and the accessibility of services across Ukraine. The project will develop digital forecasting systems and mobile services by utilising Finnish meteorology expertise and technology, while also improving the competence of Ukrainian experts.

The project will build on the results of the previous stage, which significantly strengthened Ukraine's capacity to produce reliable and up-to-date weather observation data and improved the quality of forecasts and warnings. At the same time, Ukraine’s weather warning systems were upgraded to become internationally comparable, which has improved the accuracy and accessibility of warnings and the operational capability of the authorities.