Meteorological data collection in Malawi dates way back to the early 1890s when the country became a British Protectorate. Data then were recorded by administrators at the BOMAs, missionaries, farmers and a few interested individuals. Thus the station network then merely reflected the logistics of the recorders or owners of the stations rather than technical aspects. A good number of stations were sited along the Shire River and a concentration existed over the Shire Highlands in the tea estates.

Records at these stations were taken once or twice a day but at no-fixed hours. Observers were mostly untrained volunteers and as such stations did not operate consistently. For example, of the 102 stations which operated in the 1930s and 1940, only a handful were still operating by the mid 1940s, most of them only recording rainfall.

The building of a systematic network of stations under a meteorological authority begun in the mid 1940s. It was the need for aviation weather services that prompted the opening of the first few stations but soon other needs came in. Since then the logistics for sitting a station have changed and several technical aspects are considered. Apart from trying to build a homogeneous network, the Meteorological Department considers the opening of new stations for specified user parties. During the past few years stations have been opened to cater for the needs of development projects in agriculture, forestry, water resources, fisheries, wildlife, education, etc.

We offer different services to the public on climate and weather such as on Aviation, Marine, Agriculture and livestock management, water resources etc.

Our Mission: to provide reliable, responsive and high quality weather and climate services to meet national, regional and international obligations through timely dissemination of accurate and up to-date data and information for socio-economic development.