Category Archives: Met Office News

Jet stream brings cool and changeable start to August

Posted on 16 August, 2017 by

After an unsettled and cool end to July, August has continued in a similar vein. Many places have been showery and cool so far, with a southward-shifted jet stream to blame. This has directed areas of low pressure, which normally … Continue reading →

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Torrential monsoon rains wreaking havoc across parts of southern Asia

Posted on 14 August, 2017 by

Torrential monsoon rains over the last seven days have reached life-threatening levels for communities south of the Himalayas from Nepal to Bhutan and northern India to Bangladesh. Severe floods and landslides have wrought havoc. Already across the affected region communities … Continue reading →

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When will summer return?

Posted on 3 August, 2017 by

It often seems that summer starts hot and sunny but by the time the main holiday period begins, the rain has set in … it is disappointing and frustrating that the weather doesn’t always live up to our hopes, as witnessed … Continue reading →

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The Fujiwhara effect: When Tropical Cyclones go dancing

Posted on 26 July, 2017 by

Did you know that Tropical Cyclones sometimes go dancing? This interesting phenomena is called the Fujiwhara effect*, which can be seen this week in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. Sometimes, when tropical cyclones get close to … Continue reading →

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What is causing my hay fever?

Posted on 7 July, 2017 by

It’s that time of year again when grass pollen is in the air across the UK. For many people this brings all the symptoms of hay fever: runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. The NHS says hay fever is one … Continue reading →

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Measuring the hot spell of June 2017

Posted on 23 June, 2017 by

The last week has seen high temperatures across large parts of England and Wales in what has been the longest continuous hot spell in June since the hot, dry summer of 1976. Temperatures of 30°C or more were recorded somewhere … Continue reading →

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Could navigational buoys help with Met Office forecasts?

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by

For the first time the Met Office has set up a trial to see if it is possible to use navigational buoys to gather weather data from near coastal areas. The Met Office has just 10 weather observation buoys around … Continue reading →

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Heavy rain boosts rainfall totals for Southern England

Posted on 18 May, 2017 by

The mid-month statistics for May (1-17 May) show the month got off to a dry start, although the heavy rain yesterday brought up rainfall totals in some areas. It has also been a sunny and moderately mild early May for … Continue reading →

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Early April statistics

Posted on 28 April, 2017 by

Early provisional statistics for April (1st-26th) show that overall it has also been a sunny and warm month so far compared to the long-term 1981-2010 average. Following on from the mid-month statistics, Middlesex remains the driest historical county with 2.7mm … Continue reading →

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Big data – big challenge

Posted on 21 April, 2017 by

The Met Office is facing new and increasing challenges because of the huge volume of data that we manage and produce. Alex Longden, who leads the team responsible for data provision for the data re-use community and private weather sectors, … Continue reading →

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