United Nations, March 24 (IANS/WAM): In a message on the occasion of World Meteorological Day, the UN has called upon more young people to take up meteorology as a profession.

Seeking to increase awareness among young people about climate change and mobilise them as champions for action, the UN marked this year's World Meteorological Day with a call for more young people - especially women - to become meteorologists, a profession which makes a vital contribution to the safety and well-being of society.

'Weather and Climate: Engaging Youth' was this year's theme for the day, which was observed Sunday, and the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) noted that today's youth would benefit from the dramatic advances being made in the ability to understand and forecast the earth's weather and climate.

Most will live into the second half of this century and experience the increasing impacts of climate change, it said.

"Atmosphere and ocean temperatures continue to increase, ice caps and glaciers around the world are steadily declining, sea level is rising and a number of extreme weather and climate events are becoming more frequent and/or more intense," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in his message.

In order to help increase understanding of weather and climate, WMO revamped its online Youth Corner ahead of World Meteorological Day.

It is available in English, French, Chinese and Spanish, and is being translated into Arabic and Russian. The WMO has also updated its book, 'A Career in Meteorology', to encourage more young people to enter this varied and challenging profession.

Ahmed Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's envoy for youth, said the focus on youth was timely.

"Youth represent the majority of populations in many countries around the world and have an increasingly strong social and environment awareness and they have the power to transform our societies to low carbon and climate resilient future," he said in a video message.