Go to Met Office homepage Weather warning issued - go to UK severe weather warnings

Aviation responsibilities

International responsibilities

WAFC London

The Met Office is one of only two World Area Forecast Centres (WAFC) — the other is WAFC Washington. Since 1984, WAFC London has provided international forecasting services to meet Annex 3 to the ICAO Convention on Civil Aviation. This means having the ability to provide global forecasts of upper winds and temperatures for all flights throughout the world. This specialised information enables operators to optimise safety and fuel consumption for their aircraft.

  • Providing global upper-wind and temperature data twice each day
  • Delivering significant weather data (SIGWX) charts every six hours for FL250 and above
  • SIGWX covers international flights operating over Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Atlantic
  • Includes operational meteorology (OPMET) TAFs, METARs and SIGMETs

WAFC London Performance Indicators

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

We enhance safety for the north-east Atlantic routes, provide reports and forecasts for the movement of volcanic ash plumes within our area of responsibility, and cover the UK, Iceland and the north-eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Our Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre

International data distribution

The powerful satellite distribution system, SADIS, which gets essential information to aviation users across half the planet, is delivered and maintained by the Met Office.

The SADIS system

Met. Watch Office (MWO)

We are responsible for the provision of en route hazardous weather warnings (SIGMETs) to aircraft within our area of responsibility.

National responsibilities

Services for the CAA and NATS

We provide expert advice and guidance to the UK Met. Authority and air traffic control centres, including:

  • gridded winds and temperatures for the assignment of Atlantic tracks;
  • inspections of aerodrome observing services;
  • investigation of meteorological-related Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs);
  • offshore helicopter forecasts and observer training.

Met. observer training

We provide a fully accredited observer training programme for air traffic control staff, including the use of semi-automatic observing equipment.

  • Tailored to the requirements of specific UK airports
  • Fully accredited training
  • Carried out at the Met Office College in Exeter, Devon or on site at your own organisation

Observer training courses

Forecaster training courses

Aerodrome observing

  • Delivering technical expertise on semi-automated meteorological observing systems (SAMOS)
  • Working with NATS to develop fully automated observing systems for aerodromes

Offshore helicopter operations

Our offshore web is a dedicated online service used by helicopter operation centres across the UK.

  • Aimed at satisfying offshore helicopter safety requirements
  • Developed in consultation with NATS and helicopter operators
  • Specially designed to support helicopter operations
  • Includes route winds, temperature and liquid water charts (from which risk of icing may be deduced), sea-state information and local area forecasts and warnings