Devolved administrations

How our services can support you

As experts in climate modelling and operational weather forecasting our information can be used to inform policy and assist Devolved Administrations in their decision-making. Making use of Met Office services can help you make effective decisions, in a number of areas including contingency planning, risk management and understanding the impacts of climate change.

How we work with ministers across the UK and Europe

Services for Scotland

We are committed to helping the Scottish Government plan to reduce, mitigate and prepare for the effects of climate change. With a dedicated Edinburgh office and our forecasting centre in Aberdeen we cover a range of services which help deliver against Scottish Government objectives.

To help protect lives, homes and livelihoods, the Met Office and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have the set up the Scottish Flood Forecasting Service - a partnership that provides Category 1 and 2 responders with better indications of flood risk.

Safer Scotland

  • A team of Edinburgh-based Public Weather Service Advisors work with Scottish Resilience, a department of the devolved Government, to ensure everyone is prepared for high-impact weather.
  • The National Severe Weather Warning Service keeps people informed of severe weather through TV, radio and the web.
  • Daily weather forecasts, supported by dedicated heavy rainfall warnings and visual information systems, support the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in their flood warning activity.
  • New radar systems to improve Scottish coverage have been installed, which will lead to more accurate forecasts of extreme rainfall.
  • The United Kingdom Coastal Monitoring and Forecasting service provides forecasts and warnings of tidal alerts around the coasts of Scotland.

Impact of weather on Scotland's trunk road network - case study

Healthier Scotland

We are working with Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) and local doctors to support people self-managing some long-term conditions known to be impacted by weather conditions. Our Healthy Outlook service helps those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Wealthier Scotland

The Met Office in Aberdeen delivers forecast services to commercial and public customers, including the North Sea oil and gas extraction industry.

Greener Scotland

The Met Office Hadley Centre is a recognised leader in climate change prediction and impact assessment. Working with the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER) we have helped produce an assessment of climate trends for Scotland. Using Met Office wave data, the University of Edinburgh completed a project for the Scottish Executive looking at the potential for wave power generation in the seas around Scotland.

Working with Wales

We work with the Welsh Government to monitor air quality during major incidents. Our enhanced mountain area forecasts for Wales are produced in association with the WAG, Sports Council for Wales and Wales tourist board.

Working with Northern Ireland

To help agencies manage the impact of heavy rainfall events we supply dedicated heavy rainfall warnings to the Northern Ireland Rivers Agency. We support the Department of Social Development in their delivery of the Northern Ireland Cold Weather Payments scheme.

Contact us

Email us or contact our Customer Centre for more information about the Met Office's services for government, and how we could help you in the following areas:

  • Weather and climate change
  • Flood risk
  • Transport
  • Health
  • Sustainability