What is the role of weather/climate services in operational risk planning?

• A. They provide forecasts, climate normals, and hazard alerts that inform scheduling, sourcing, and contingency plans to reduce disruption.
• B. They determine corporate strategy
• C. They manage supplier contracts
• D. They design product packaging

Answer: (A)

Weather and climate services provide forecasts, historical climate normals, and hazard alerts that directly feed into operational risk planning. With forecasts, you can adjust production schedules, shift staffing, and time shipments to avoid weather-related delays. Climate normals help you understand typical seasonal conditions so you plan inventory, maintenance windows, and capacity with expected variability in mind. Hazard alerts give real-time warnings of storms, floods, heatwaves, or other events, allowing predefined contingency actions such as activating backup suppliers, rerouting logistics, or temporarily scaling operations. This combination helps reduce disruption by enabling proactive, data-driven decisions rather than reactive responses.

Other options don’t fit because they pertain to broader functions (corporate strategy, contract management, or product design) rather than the focused role of weather/climate information in anticipating and mitigating operational risks.