Met Office
The United Kingdom's national meteorological service, providing weather forecasting, climate science, warnings, observations and environmental intelligence.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Met Office is the United Kingdom’s national meteorological service and a government-owned provider of weather, climate and environmental intelligence. Established in 1854 as a small Board of Trade department under Vice Admiral Robert FitzRoy, it initially served mariners by collecting observations and distributing warnings. Its early work helped establish a systematic national forecasting service, including gale warnings issued through a network of coastal stations and the development of the Shipping Forecast, which remains one of the organisation’s best-known public services. Today, the Met Office operates as an executive agency and Trading Fund within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Unlike a conventional government department funded entirely through parliamentary votes, a Trading Fund is expected to recover much of its operating cost through revenue from services supplied to government, commercial customers and other users. The organisation nevertheless performs important public-interest functions, including national weather warnings, severe-weather advice, climate monitoring, emergency-response support and scientific evidence for public policy. Its forecasting work spans immediate observations and warnings, short- and medium-range weather prediction, seasonal outlooks and climate projections. The Met Office combines data from surface stations, ocean observations, aircraft, satellites and other international sources with numerical weather-prediction systems. Its Unified Model forms a core part of its forecasting and climate-modelling capability. The organisation also contributes to international meteorological cooperation and supports global aviation through its role as one of the World Area Forecast Centres. The Met Office supplies information to the UK Government, devolved administrations, emergency services, transport operators, businesses, broadcasters, researchers and the public. It supports planning for flooding, storms, heat, snow, drought and other hazards, while its climate-science programmes inform assessments of climate risks and adaptation. The service also maintains specialist capabilities for marine forecasting, aviation, defence, renewable energy, agriculture and other weather-sensitive sectors. The organisation’s institutional home has changed several times. It became an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence in 1990, moved to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2011, and later became associated with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy before transferring to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology after further machinery-of-government changes. Its principal headquarters has been in Exeter since 2003, with additional facilities and forecasting operations elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The name Meteorological Office was officially shortened to Met Office in November 2000. The modern brand therefore represents both a public-facing weather service and a research-intensive national capability. It continues to publish forecasts and warnings through digital channels and partner media while delivering paid specialist services and long-term scientific programmes for public and private-sector customers.
History
The Met Office was created on 1 August 1854 within the Board of Trade, initially to provide useful weather information to mariners. Vice Admiral Robert FitzRoy led the new service and promoted the systematic collection and communication of observations. The emergence of the electric telegraph made it possible to transmit observations rapidly, compare conditions across a wider area and distribute warnings more effectively. A decisive early development followed the loss of the passenger ship Royal Charter in a severe storm off Anglesey in October 1859. The disaster, in which hundreds of people died, strengthened the case for a formal storm-warning system. FitzRoy subsequently established coastal stations that could display visual gale warnings for vessels. By 1861, the service was also supplying forecasts to newspapers, extending its audience beyond maritime users. The Shipping Forecast later became a durable national institution and continues to be broadcast for marine users. As aviation expanded, the organisation developed more extensive observation and forecasting capabilities for airfields. Many observation sites were located at Royal Air Force stations, reflecting the importance of meteorology to military and civil aviation. During the First and Second World Wars, the service supported military planning and operational decision-making. In 1936, meteorological services for the Royal Navy were separated into their own forecasting arrangements, although the wider organisation continued to serve defence and civil customers. The Met Office grew from a principally observational service into a modern scientific institution through the development of numerical weather prediction, satellite meteorology, data assimilation and high-performance computing. Its forecasting systems combine observations from the United Kingdom and international partners with computer models of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface and cryosphere. The Unified Model became a central platform for weather forecasting and climate research and has also been used through international collaborations. Institutionally, the Met Office became an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence in April 1990 and was required to operate on a commercial basis as a Trading Fund. It moved to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in July 2011, later becoming associated with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and subsequently transferring to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Its headquarters moved from Bracknell to Exeter in December 2003. The name Meteorological Office was shortened to Met Office as the official public name in November 2000. The organisation now provides forecasts and warnings for the public, government and emergency responders; specialist services for aviation, shipping, defence, energy and other industries; and climate observations, projections and research. It supports the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, contributes evidence to UK climate-risk assessments and participates in international meteorological and climate-science programmes. Its public role is complemented by commercial services that help fund the infrastructure required for national forecasting and research.
- 2021
Microsoft supercomputing partnership announced
[15]The Met Office announced a partnership with Microsoft to build a major supercomputer dedicated to weather and climate applications.
- 2018
Penelope Endersby becomes chief executive
[4]Penelope Endersby took up the chief executive role in December, becoming the first woman to lead the organisation in that position.
- 2015
BBC changes principal weather provider
[13]The BBC announced that MeteoGroup would replace the Met Office for its principal weather-forecasting contract.
- 2011
Moved to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and National Severe Weather Warning Service launched
[13]A machinery-of-government change transferred the Met Office from the Ministry of Defence to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. A machinery-of-government change transferred the Met Office from the Ministry of Defence to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Met Office introduced the national warning framework used to communicate the potential impacts of hazardous weather across the UK.
- 2008
Severe-weather warning system revised
[14]The UK severe-weather warning framework was revised and an advisory stage was introduced.
- 2003
Headquarters moved to Exeter
[6]The organisation moved its principal headquarters from Bracknell to its operations centre in Exeter.
- 2000
Public name shortened to Met Office
[6]The official public name changed from Meteorological Office to Met Office in November.
- 1990
Became a Ministry of Defence executive agency and Hadley Centre opened
[13]The Met Office became an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence and operated under a Trading Fund model. The Met Office became an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence and operated under a Trading Fund model, and the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research was established, making climate modelling and climate assessment a major part of the organisation's work.
- 1936
Royal Navy forecasting services separated
[13]Meteorological provision for the Royal Navy was separated from the main Met Office structure.
- 1861
Coastal gale-warning network and newspaper forecasts developed
[3]FitzRoy established coastal warning stations, while the organisation began supplying forecasts to newspapers.
Products and positioning
A science-led national weather and climate authority combining public-service responsibilities, operational forecasting, research and paid specialist information services.
Public forecasting
UK weather forecasts
Forecasts covering current conditions and expected weather across the United Kingdom are published through the Met Office website, application and media partnerships. They support everyday decisions as well as planning by businesses, local authorities and public services. Forecasts for locations across the United Kingdom and selected international areas cover near-term conditions, temperature, precipitation, wind, visibility and other information relevant to everyday planning.
Weather warnings · 2011
National Severe Weather Warning Service
The service issues warnings when expected weather could affect people, infrastructure, transport or communities. It provides a common source of risk information for the public, emergency responders, government and other organisations preparing for hazardous conditions. The UK's national framework for warning about potentially disruptive or dangerous weather communicates the expected hazard, timing, geographical area and possible impacts for events including heavy rain, wind, snow, ice, thunderstorms and extreme heat. The UK's national framework for warning about potentially disruptive or dangerous weather. Warnings communicate the expected hazard, timing, geographical area and possible impacts for events including heavy rain, wind, snow, ice, thunderstorms and extreme heat.
Marine meteorology · 1861
Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast provides structured marine weather information for sea areas around the British Isles. Distributed through broadcast and other channels, it is one of the Met Office's longest-running public services and remains important to maritime users.
Climate science
Climate projections and risk advice
The Met Office produces climate observations, projections and analysis used in climate-risk assessment, adaptation planning and policy development. Its scientific work supports UK assessments and contributes to international climate research and reporting. UK Climate Projections information helps users understand possible future changes in temperature, rainfall, sea level and other climate variables, supporting adaptation planning, infrastructure decisions, policy development and research.
Aviation meteorology
Aviation weather services
Specialist meteorological information supports aviation operations, including forecasting and hazard information. The Met Office is one of the World Area Forecast Centres serving international aviation and supplies information for customers operating beyond the United Kingdom.
Forecasting and climate modelling
Unified Model
The Unified Model is a modelling system used across weather prediction and climate research. It allows atmospheric and related environmental processes to be represented computationally and supports forecasting at different spatial and temporal scales.
Weather forecasting
Public weather forecasts
Forecasts for locations across the United Kingdom and selected international areas, delivered through the Met Office website, mobile services and other distribution channels. They cover near-term conditions, temperature, precipitation, wind, visibility and other information relevant to everyday planning.
Climate science
UK Climate Projections
Climate projection information developed to help users understand possible future changes in temperature, rainfall, sea level and other climate variables. The material supports adaptation planning, infrastructure decisions, policy development and research.
Climate research · 1990
Met Office Hadley Centre research
Research covering climate variability, climate change, Earth-system processes, extreme events and the development of climate models. The Hadley Centre supports national and international climate assessments and translates research into information for decision-makers.
Professional meteorological services
Specialist meteorological services
Tailored forecasts, observations, modelling and advice for aviation, defence, marine operations, transport, energy, agriculture, emergency management and other sectors. These services apply the Met Office's operational science to decisions requiring greater detail or longer lead times than public forecasts.
Brand decisions
2021
Partnership to develop a weather and climate supercomputerStrategyBackground
The Met Office sought expanded high-performance computing capacity to improve weather prediction, climate modelling and climate-risk analysis.
Action taken
It announced a partnership with Microsoft to develop a major supercomputer dedicated to weather and climate applications.
Aftermath
The partnership was presented as a long-term investment in forecasting and climate-science capability; the supplied sources do not establish final performance or financial results.
2015
BBC weather-contract transitionStrategyBackground
The BBC was required to demonstrate value for money in its licensing expenditure and reviewed its weather-forecasting provision.
Action taken
The BBC announced that MeteoGroup would replace the Met Office as its principal weather provider, while retaining some Met Office information for selected services.
Aftermath
The decision reduced the Met Office's role in BBC forecasting but did not end its public warnings, government work or other media relationships.
Recent events
- 2021
Met Office announces partnership with Microsoft for a new weather and climate supercomputer[15]
Other
The Met Office announced a partnership with Microsoft to develop a major supercomputing capability dedicated to weather and climate prediction.
- 2015
BBC selects MeteoGroup for its principal weather-forecasting contract[13]
Other
The BBC announced that it would replace the Met Office with MeteoGroup for its main weather-forecasting provision, while continuing to use some Met Office information for particular services, including severe-weather content.
Met Office issues yellow warning for thunderstorms[16]
Other
The Met Office issued a yellow warning as heavy showers and thunderstorms were forecast to move across parts of the United Kingdom.
Sources16 sources
- 1Met Office official websitemetoffice.gov.uk
- 2Met Office — GOV.UK organisational profilegov.uk
- 3Met Office historymetoffice.gov.uk
- 4Met Office peoplemetoffice.gov.uk
- 5House of Commons Science and Technology Committee supplementary evidencepublications.parliament.uk
- 6Met Office overviewen.wikipedia.org
- 7Met Office: About us and our historymetoffice.gov.uk
- 8Met Office: Who we aremetoffice.gov.uk
- 9Met Office: Weather warningsmetoffice.gov.uk
- 10Met Office: Climate researchmetoffice.gov.uk
- 11UK Government: Met Officegov.uk
- 12https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/metoffice.gov.uk
- 13Royal Navy forecasting services separatedwikiwand.com
- 14Severe-weather warning system revisedsimple.wikipedia.org
- 15Microsoft supercomputing partnership announcedweownit.org.uk
- 16Met Office issues yellow warning for thunderstormsbbc.com
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