"No playing outside"

Children are now predicting the weather of the future

A very unusual weather forecast is currently causing astonishment in front of the screen. On Thursday, television viewers all over the world will be presented with a special "forecast": The weather of the future, presented by children (see video above).

"For us, this is not just a weather report. It's our future," explains eleven-year-old Kaylee in the English-language version. Instead of focusing on the current weather, children show in one-minute spots how temperatures are rising worldwide due to climate change.

Children draw attention to the need for action
They describe the weather extremes that humanity can expect in 2050 if it does not take decisive action against global warming. They are based on data from the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). "I am Kaylee with a very special weather report," says Kaylee in her intro. She presents how the average temperature is rising all over the world - with dangerous consequences such as increasing and ever more severe forest fires and floods.

Broadcast in more than 80 countries
The campaign, called "Weather Kids", was conceived by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) together with the weather channel The Weather Channel. Broadcasters and online platforms in more than 80 countries, including the US news channel CNN and the French channel France 2, are participating.

The commercial was produced with five children in English, French and Spanish. There are also versions in Arabic, Hindi, Kiswahili, Mongolian, Brazilian Portuguese and Thai. An AI-translated version is available in German and other languages such as Polish, Danish and Italian.

Celebrity support
The campaign is supported by celebrity ambassadors, including the Danish "Game of Thrones" actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. "Our children will be our future weather reporters, climate journalists, emergency services and medical staff," he explained, referring to the increasingly noticeable effects of climate change. The campaign "shows us the faces of those who will be most affected by our climate measures".

Malaysian Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh said it was "critical for us to take meaningful action to protect the planet for our children and future generations". "Our decisions will affect the future of many generations to come," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.