Civil Contingencies Advisors

Engagement with Local Resilience Groups

The Met Office Advisors (Civil Contingencies) engage with the appropriate multi agency resilience groups across the UK ( e.g. Local Resilience Fora in England and Wales). These groups are made up of representatives from responder organisations such as the emergency services, local authorities, health sector and utilities. By engaging with these groups the Advisors have built up a good understanding of how weather impacts on these organisations.

Engagement with central government and the devolved administrations.

Advisors will also engage with civil contingency co-ordinating departments in Central Government and the devolved administrations, particularly when severe weather is expected to have a major impact on the public.

The Advisors can assist the emergency planning community to:

• Help emergency responders assess the risk in their particular area from predicted or ongoing severe weather allowing preparations to be put in place to mitigate the impacts
• Help in the preparation and participation of multi-agency exercises by developing realistic weather scenarios and exercise injects.
• Provide guidance on the use of Met Office services available to emergency responders through presentations, workshops and exercises
• Help with weather-related risk-assessments as used in community risk registers

Although Advisors generally work normal office hours they have a flexible approach, particularly during severe weather when early starts, late finishes, and weekend working is not uncommon.

The role of the Advisor during an incident is:

• To represent the Met Office at multi agency meetings/telecons
• Ensure that responders have consistent information and fully understand the information that has been provided by the Met Office such as severe weather warnings, chemets etc.
• Acting as a point of contact for the Met Office and sourcing specialist advice from Met Office HQ when needed
• Help with interpretation of information on Hazard Manager

On-site forecasters

We can supply highly-skilled Met Office forecasters to work at other organisations' locations to fully understand weather issues and provide bespoke solutions. Our on-site consultant team provide the National Traffic Operations Centre (NTOC) with advice on the likely impact of current and forecast weather up to 10 days in advance. Our forecasters work as part of the National Highways team and are independent meteorologists supported by information from the Met Office.

For more information about our services for Government, please email us or contact our customer centre