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Weather data for business

Why use the Met Office for weather data?

You can rely on us to provide accurate, quality data because we are recognised weather and climate experts and a world-leading scientific organisation.

We work with you to:

  • supply historical data, forecast data, specialist datasets and analyses
  • understand how the weather affects your operations and business outcomes
  • integrate weather data into your business operations
  • improve resilience and profitability
  • prepare for climate change

Our weather data services at a glance.

We transform public weather data to address specific business outcomes. We extract and derive data and create bespoke datasets.

The table below is just an overview; we produce many more datasets and analysis reports, including the concise and cost-effective Weather Analytics for Business Insights.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Contact our science consultancy team for a bespoke solution.

Historical and current weather data

Dataset Time period Frequency Locations Parameters Format Typical use
Observered data from weather stations and rain gauges Station-dependent (some going back over 100 years)

Station-dependent:

Minute

Hourly

Daily

Monthly

UK

Worldwide

Many including:

Temperatures

Wind

Precipitation

Solar radiation

Available as long-term averages (e.g. 1981-2010) and return periods

CSV

Contextualising weather conditions in space and time

Impact of weather on business operations

Climatology studies to guide planning

Investigating extremes

Historic wind at height data - Operational archive Model-dependent Hourly Worldwide Wind speed and direction at any hub height CSV

Training power forecasting models

Risk assessment

Historic wind at height data - Hindcast 1979 to June 2015 Hourly

Europe, gridded:

4x4kms at single locations

Wind speed and direction at any height<

CSV

PDF

ASCII

Climate vulnerability and risk assessment

Financial feasibility studies

Evidence for insurance purposes

Rainfall radar data (gridded data) From 2008

5-minute intensity

Hourly totals

UK, gridded:

From 1x1km at single locations

Rainfall intensity

Rainfall totals

CSV

Water supply and demand

Flood risks

River flow modelling

Regional data From 1961

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

Regional split replicates the ITV broadcast and NCIC regions

Many including:

Temperatures

Rainfall

Sunshine

Degree days

CSV

Weather sensitivity analysis

Demand model analysis i.e. footfall

Atmospheric dispersion (model data or weather station derived) Station-dependent (some going back over 100 years) Monthly, broken down hourly UK

Air temperature

Mean wind speed

Mean wind direction

Hourly rainfall

Total cloud amount (oktas/8ths)

Relative humidity

CSV

Planning permissions

Predicting the concentration and deposition of airborne pollutants i.e. odours; particles

Air quality assessments

Emission inventories

Soil moisture (gridded data or weather station derived)

Gridded: from 1961

Station-based: varies per station

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

UK

Station-specific

Gridded: 5x5kms, 40x40kms

Rainfall runoff

Actual / potential evapo-transpiration

Soil moisture deficit

Crop stress

CSV

Crop management

Flood management

Trafficability

Forecast data

Dataset Time period Frequency Locations Parameters Format Typical use
Location-specific modelled data

Historic: hourly from appr. 2011

Forecast: up to 14 days ahead

Hourly

3-hourly

6-hourly

Daily

UK:

9,000 postcode sectors

Latitude & longitude

Gridded

58 (many at various heights), including:

Temperatures

Wind

Precipitation

Snow

Solar radiation

Cloud

Probability

CSV

Producing high-density data that goes beyond the observation network

Business operations

Health and Safety

Supply and demand analysis

Location-specific wind production forecast 5 days ahead Hourly Worldwide

Many including:

Wind speed and direction

Solar radiation

Temperature

Precipitation

CSV

Operational energy forecasting

Planning operational maintenance

Energy consultancy

Severe weather and real time updating (short-range forecasting data) 6 hours ahead

Rainfall: 15 minutes

Other parameters: hourly

UK, gridded:

2x2kms at single locations

Many including:

Precipitation

Cloud

Visibility

Wind

Temperature

Lightning

FTP

Web portal

Flood forecasting

Waste water management, planning and modelling

Renewable energy

Power generation

Leaf fall and low adhesion forecast Up to 10 days ahead (autumn only) Hourly UK

Leaf fall risk

Low adhesion risk

Wind-throw risk

Traffic volume

CSV

PDF

Rail industry
Modelled hindcast marine wind and wave data 1980-2018

UK: 3-hourly

Europe: Hourly

Worldwide

Wind

Wave

CSV

NETCDF

Planning sea defences

Offshore operations

Marine consultancy

World Area Forecast System (WAFS) data for aviation 36 hours ahead 6-hourly Worldwide

Wind

Temperature

Humidity at various flight levels

Significant weather hazards (icing, turbulence, CB, volcanic ash)

GRIB

BUFR

PNG

Flight planning

In-flight hazards

Road surface temperature forecast 5 days ahead Hourly

UK

Worldwide

Many including:

Surface temperature

Sub-surface temperature

Road state

Surface water (water, snow, ice)

CSV

PDF

Web portal

Road winter/summer maintenance

Gritting

Rail and runway operations

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Climate change data

Dataset Time period Frequency Locations Parameters Format Typical use
UK Climate Projections 2018 - Historical data From 1862

Daily

Monthly

Seasonal

UK, gridded:

1x1km

2x2kms

25x25kms

60x60kms

Temperature (maximum, minimum, mean)

Precipitation

Sunshine

Mean sea level pressure

Wind speed

Relative humidity

Vapour pressure

Days of snow

Days of ground frost

CEDA catalogue (free in raw format)

Web portal

Planning

Climate vulnerability and risk assessment

UK Climate Projections 2018 - Projection data

Sea rise: until year 2100

Exploratory: until year 2300

Annual UK

Temperature (maximum, minimum, mean)

Precipitation

Sunshine

Mean sea level pressure

Wind speed

Relative humidity

Vapour pressure

Days of snow

Days of ground frost

CEDA catalogue (free in raw format)

Web portal

Planning

Building design

Decommissioning

Climate vulnerability and climate change risk assessment

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Call us

We are available 24/7.

0370 900 0100

Email us

Fill out this short form and we'll get back to you.

Contact Us form

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