The water sector in the UK faces a unique set of challenges, from managing drought and flood risk to ensuring the safety and reliability of water supplies for millions of people.
The Met Office plays a pivotal role in supporting water companies, government agencies, and emergency responders with trusted weather and environmental insights. In this article, we’ll explore the breadth of the Met Office’s work with the water sector, highlighting the tools, partnerships, and expertise that help keep the nation’s water infrastructure resilient and responsive.
Working with water companies to plan for drought
Water scarcity is a growing concern, particularly in regions that receive less rainfall than the national average. The Met Office collaborates closely with water companies such as Anglian Water, which operates in the driest part of the UK, receiving just 71% of the UK’s average rainfall.
By providing expert input into drought planning, the Met Office helps these companies develop robust strategies to manage water resources, anticipate shortages, and protect customers from the impacts of prolonged dry periods. This partnership ensures that even in challenging conditions, water companies are equipped with the latest climate data and forecasting expertise to make informed decisions.
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Delivering hyper-local, real-time weather intelligence
Rapid changes in weather can have immediate and significant effects on water networks. The Met Office’s Nowcasting tool delivers short-range forecasts with data updated as frequently as every 15 minutes, covering areas as small as 2km. This hyper-local, real-time intelligence allows water companies to monitor weather developments closely and take swift action to protect their infrastructure.
Whether it’s responding to sudden downpours that could overwhelm drainage systems or anticipating temperature drops that might lead to pipe bursts, the ability to see what’s happening at a granular level is invaluable for operational resilience.
Bespoke weather services for the water industry
The Met Office provides tailored weather services to address the specific needs of the water sector. These services help companies manage changes in demand and respond to bursts or leaks in the distribution network.
Traditionally, short-range forecasts have supported water demand modelling for a few days ahead, but new sub-seasonal prediction capabilities extend this outlook to four weeks. Using the Met Office’s Decider tool and impact-based forecasting, the system predicts risks to clean water supply and wastewater treatment operations from five to 28 days in advance. These forecasts provide both the likelihood of impacts and seasonal context, enabling water companies to plan resources and mitigate risks more effectively.
In partnership with Thames Water and other UK water companies through an Ofwat-funded innovation project, the Met Office is trialling these services to improve decision-making. Early warnings allow companies to adjust maintenance schedules, manage staffing, and prepare infrastructure for periods of high demand or heavy rainfall. Thames Water reports that the system supports production planning and risk assessments, reducing costly cancellations and improving resilience against severe weather impacts.
By understanding the interplay between weather and water systems, the Met Office enables water companies to optimise their operations, reduce waste, and maintain high standards of service for customers.
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Flood forecasting and response partnerships
The Met Office is working closely with the water sector to strengthen operational resilience in the face of growing demand and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. By combining scientific expertise with innovative forecasting tools, the Industry Science and Consultancy team is helping water companies anticipate weather-related challenges and maintain reliable service delivery for customers.
Flooding remains one of the most significant risks to the UK’s water infrastructure. In 2009, the Met Office and the Environment Agency established the Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC), a partnership designed to enhance the UK’s ability to forecast, mitigate, and respond to flood events.
The FFC’s expertise was demonstrated in 2019, when 600 homes in Wainfleet were successfully evacuated following 2.5 times the monthly rainfall in just three days. The timely information provided by the FFC was instrumental in protecting lives and property.
The Met Office and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are working in partnership to monitor rainfall, river levels and sea conditions to forecast the possibility of flooding in Wales.
In Scotland, the Met Office works with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to deliver the three-day Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, providing daily updates to the public since 2022.
Across Wales, England, and Scotland, the Met Office is part of partnerships that deliver five-day ahead flood guidance statements to nearly 6,000 emergency responder email addresses every day. These services ensure that those responsible for public safety have the information they need to act quickly and effectively.
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The Met Office’s work with the water sector is characterised by collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to public safety. From drought planning and real-time forecasting to flood response and emergency management, the Met Office provides the trusted insights that water companies and responders rely on, when it matters most.
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