Responsibility for the operation of the institute, which is located in Barbados, rests with the sixteen Commonwealth governments which comprise the CMO.
With the dissolution of the West Indies Federation in 1962, the Caribbean Meteorological Service (CMS) was formed in 1963.
The CIMH consists of 16 current or former British colonies in the Caribbean region: The CIMH, originally the Caribbean Meteorological Institute, provides training for the region's weather observers and technicians, weather forecasters, and specialists in hydrology, agrometeorology, and other related disciplines.
The CIMH provides training to the Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology in cooperation with the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill.
CIMH issues also the Caribbean Precipitation Outlook, a three-month seasonal forecast for the region.