All UK observational information is gathered together on the UK Observations page. Tabs across the top highlight the different formats of information which are available:

• Last 24 hours table
• Pan and zoom maps
• Regional extremes
• Timeline 

Simply click on one of the tabs to display the forecast in that format.

The observations that you see will be based on the nearest weather observing site to you chosen forecast location. To view observations for another location you will need to change your observing location.

Last 24 hours table view

Table view

The observation table provides a detailed view of the weather for the last 24 hours. Past weather observations are taken around 150 sites across the UK and are available every hour. Weather elements generally cover, weather type, temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure and visibility, although some stations do not report all elements.

Past weather observations are available for the past 24 hours. Use the tabs above the table to display the observations for that day.

A guide to changing your observing location can be found here. 

You can use the customise button to choose which units are used on your past weather display e.g. Celsius or Fahrenheit for temperature. Additionally, you can select 'Options' to drag and drop columns or close them completely to modify the layout of the table and ensure you only see the information in which you are interested.

A key to the information and symbols included in the five day forecast can be found here. 

Map view

Map view

The map view allows you to view recent weather data for the UK for both specific observing locations and mapped information such as radar and satellite pictures. Observations cover a range of elements including weather, temperature, wind speed and direction. Alternatively, mapped observational information is available in the form of rainfall radar, visible and infra-red cloud satellite images and pressure maps.

To display your chosen observation type, select one of the options from the map menu on the right. A key is provided below the timeline if appropriate, you can also find a more detailed key here. 

You can pan and zoom around the map using the controls in the top left of the map or by using your mouse to click and drag the map and the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Zooming in on a location will display additional observations in that area.

To view observations for a particular time, click on the appropriate section of the time bar below the map. You can also animate your past weather observations using the play button. The time for which the observation is valid is shown to the left of both the time bar and the map menu.

Regional Extremes

Regional extremes

This tab provides daily extremes of temperature, rainfall and sunshine for your chosen region along with the locations at which they occurred. This information is updated every evening. The information shown is initial data as it is received; observations are subject to final quality control after publication on this website. This is particularly the case for rainfall totals during snow events.

Regional extremes are displayed for the area in which you chosen forecast location falls. To view extremes for another area you will need to change your forecast location.

Timeline

Timeline

The Timeline provides an alternative graphical representation of recent weather observations for a location. For each location we provide hourly observations of weather, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, visibility and pressure.

To display the forecast for a particular day you can select one of the tabs above the table. Alternatively click and drag the Timeline to move through the time period.

Weather, wind speed and direction are always included on the timeline; however you can select which weather element you would like to graph along with them. Select from one of the options in the display menu on the right hand side. You can hover over the graph to view a text description of the forecast for that time period.

A key to the information and symbols included on the timeline can be found here. 

Changing your past weather observations locations

The observations that you see are based on the nearest observing site to your chosen forecast site. If you want to view observations for another location you will need to change your chosen forecast site.

There are number of ways to change your forecast location and there are over 5000 to choose from.

Using the search box to select a new location

To change your location, enter a location (this could be a village, town or city) or a postcode into the search box and click on your chosen location. You can also search for world forecast locations by entering a location or world post/zip code. Select the appropriate location and your choice of forecast location from the list provided before clicking on the 'OK' button. Click on the star to add your chosen forecast to your favourite locations. You can save up to five locations as favourites. Favourite locations can be found by clicking in the search box.

You can move between the weather forecast, nearest observation site and climate for the location by clicking on the arrow next to the forecast location name and selecting either forecast, observations or climate.

Using 'find my location'

For web browsers that have geolocation capabilities, you can also use the 'find my location' button to automatically determine your location.

More information on how your web browser can use geolocation:

• Location aware browsing in  Firefox
• Using location sharing in  Google Chrome
• What is geolocation and why is it useful in  Opera 10.6
• Location services in  Internet Explorer 9.0
• About location services in  Safari 5

Once you have changed your forecast, the observations for the nearest available site will be displayed on the various tabs of the past weather observations page.