Monthly Archives: February 2016

Could sudden stratospheric warming bring a cold start to spring?

Posted on 29 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

Our atmospheric scientists are predicting a dramatic change in high altitude winds 50km above the ground and the imminent occurrence of an event known as a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) in early March. Professor Adam Scaife, Head of Monthly to … Continue reading →

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Cyclone Winston leaves a trail of destruction in Fiji

Posted on 22 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

Our blog on Friday 19 February reported the potential threat to Fiji from powerful Cyclone Winston. As predicted, the cyclone crossed the islands causing much destruction from exceptionally strong winds and heavy rain. Late on Friday (UK time) Cyclone Winston … Continue reading →

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Fiji declares ‘state of natural disaster’ as Cyclone Winston batters islands

Posted on 19 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

With the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Winston, the government of Fiji has declared a state of natural disaster and has imposed a curfew. Reports from Fiji suggest severe damage to towns and villages as 200mph gusts swept across the islands. Estimates suggest … Continue reading →

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Snow for parts of the UK

Posted on 16 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

UPDATED 17/02/2016 A frontal system interacting with cold air across the UK will bring a risk of wintry weather further south over the next 24 hours or so, with rain, sleet and snow in the forecast for some parts and … Continue reading →

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Sentinel-3: A new window on the changing state of our oceans

Posted on 16 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

Climate change is much discussed, says Dr Simon Keogh of the Met Office, and to inform the conversation the Met Office uses historical scientific data including sea-surface temperature records, based on data from the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) series … Continue reading →

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Keep your eyes peeled for eyes in the sky

Posted on 12 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

On a clear night, when looking up at the heavens, it may be tempting to imagine that those little lights in the night sky are just stars, planets or aircraft, says Dr Simon Keogh, in the latest of a series … Continue reading →

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Without satellites, would forecasting regress to the 1970s?

Posted on 11 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

The 1970s may be memorable for many things, but the accuracy of weather forecasting wouldn’t make the shortlist, says Dr Simon Keogh who leads the Met Office Satellite Data Products and Systems group with the third post in a four-part … Continue reading →

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A man-made constellation in the night sky

Posted on 10 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

Thanks to a ring of satellites operated by Europe, USA, Japan, China, India, Russia and South Korea we now have large-scale coverage of the Earth and an insight into how our complex weather patterns are changing hour-by-hour, day-by-day and year-by-year, … Continue reading →

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Looking down on the weather: a brief history

Posted on 9 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

Today we can be inclined to take rocket launches for granted, says Dr Simon Keogh who leads the Met Office Satellite Data Products and Systems group in the first of a series of blogs on satellites. There was once a … Continue reading →

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Storm Imogen brings gales to southern areas of Britain

Posted on 7 February, 2016 by Met Office Press Office

An area of low pressure, which will bring some very strong winds across southern parts of the UK as it moves eastwards on Monday, has been named as Storm Imogen. Gusts of 60-70 mph are possible in southern England and … Continue reading →

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