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Forecasting
Development
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Forecasting Development is part of the Met Office's
Forecasting Division. This division provides forecasting services to
all customers, and comprises
the National Meteorological Centre (
NMC) at Exeter, all Weather
Centres (including the BBC) and defence locations, both in the UK and
overseas. Day staff at Met Office HQ develop and maintain operational
forecasting and production systems.
The Forecasting Development branch investigates how to solve customer
problems through research and development (R&D;) work. The most active
area for R&D; is defence meteorology, but civil aviation and flood prevention
are also important issues.
Forecasting Development managers hold regular meetings to review the
progress of development projects, such as those involved with automated
forecasting or the production of forecast products for a specific customer.
A recent example looked at progress on improving the prediction of
icy roads for next winter.
Other work has involved research into aircraft icing or rainfall prediction,
through to forecasting applications, such as ocean wave models or the
icy road model.
More about R & D
Forecasting Development also looks at strategic development issues.
Managers follow whether the groups of work items required to take forward
these strategies are all in place and proceeding on schedule. This
is particularly important when work is spread widely across the organisation.
Two new areas that have recently been added to the list of strategic
areas are 'Internet product development' and 'improved telecommunications
for dissemination of forecasts'.
Long-term development is also important, and it's necessary to look
at the next year's work programme and discuss the draft programme of
development work for the next financial year - especially funding.
Managers in Forecasting Development regularly attend international
conferences to keep up with the latest developments in the science
and technology of weather forecasting. Recent conferences have been
held in Sydney, Davos (Switzerland), Helsinki, Bologna, and Pheonix
(Arizona).
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