Monthly Archives: December 2011

World weather in 2011

Posted on 29 December, 2011 by

As the Earth continues its never-ending journey around the Sun our weather never ceases in its desire to redistribute the sun’s heat evenly across our planet. As it does so every year it can truly show us its raw power bringing floods, heatwaves, … Continue reading →

Posted in Met Office in the Media

Is it really that mild?

Posted on 21 December, 2011 by

Over the next few days we’re expecting maximum temperatures of up to 13 deg C in places, with fairly widespread mild temperatures expected in most places both by day and night. This is in stark contrast to this time last … Continue reading →

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What a difference a year makes

Posted on 21 December, 2011 by

Last year we had the coldest December in more than a century, with repeated heavy snowfalls and prolonged sub-zero temperatures. This year has been a starkly different story, with conditions so far this month being much more normal for the … Continue reading →

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Infographic: How often has it been a white Christmas

Posted on 20 December, 2011 by

It may not look like it will snow at Christmas this year, but we’ve taken a look back at how often we’ve seen snow fall or snow on the ground on Christmas Day over the past 50 years. For more … Continue reading →

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Met Office in the Media: 15 December 2011

Posted on 15 December, 2011 by

The windy and wintry weather forecast for the Met Office through this week is dominating coverage at the moment. The Daily Mail reported ‘Snow reaches the south’ using our video to support their story. Similar stories also ran in the … Continue reading →

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Communicating uncertain forecasts

Posted on 15 December, 2011 by

This has been a challenging week for the Met Office. As early as last weekend our forecasters identified the potential for some very severe weather to affect the UK at the end of this week. Our forecasting systems had identified … Continue reading →

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Met Office in the Media: 09 December 2011

Posted on 9 December, 2011 by

The severe weather that affected much of the north of the UK over the last day or so has just shown how important accurate weather forecasts are in keeping people safe and well. Our forecasts were in deed very accurate and … Continue reading →

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A golden conundrum

Posted on 9 December, 2011 by

Tonight the Met Office is to receive a Golden Bull award for using the phrase ‘probability of precipitation’ in forecasts on our new website. The Plain English Campaign, who judge the awards, say it’s poor communication and have questioned why … Continue reading →

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Met Office researchers fly into the violent Atlantic storm affecting Scotland

Posted on 8 December, 2011 by

Today’s violent storm in Scotland is a reminder of the enormous impact that weather can have on our lives, and of the paramount need for accurate forecasts of high winds. To help improve future forecasts, scientists from the UK academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Met Office in the Media

Climate change and extreme weather

Posted on 4 December, 2011 by

As the first week of COP17 in Durban draws to a close Peter Stott, Head of Climate Monitoring and Attribution at the Met Office Hadley Centre was interviewed by OneWorld TV about how our climate is changing today and what … Continue reading →

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