Science in the Met Office : thirteenth report of session 2010-12 / House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology.
Date:
2012
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Science in the Met Office : thirteenth report of session 2010-12 / House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    39/136 (page 35)
    beyond any historic record of rainfall in this country”.*” Other examples of collaboration include the relationship of the Met Office with the aviation industry to improve the understanding of the spread and effect of volcanic ash, and with the Highways Agency on the impact of weather on the road network.” A number of other examples were given by the Government in its submission.” 67. Following the success of the FFC in providing joined up scientific advice to Government and emergency responders and in recognition of the need for a similar approach to other potential natural hazards, the Met Office has set up the Natural Hazards Partnership (NHP).*' The NHP brings together thirteen collaborative government agencies to coordinate advice through a single contact point.” Within a year of being established, the NHP has “piloted a multi-hazards warning service and the expertise is being integrated into the Cabinet Office National Risk Assessment process to ensure the best use of scientific evidence in planning and preparing for natural hazard events”.”*° International partners 68. In order to achieve the scientific advances required to improve weather and climate services, it is important to collaborate both nationally and internationally.* International collaboration is particularly important “to provide the observations on which the Met Office depends” (see paragraph 28).*°° The Met Office represents the UK in the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), a collaboration that funds and operates a coordinated satellite network, which provides weather and climate data 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.*° There are also “intergovernmental arrangements” between Europe and other countries, “for the real time exchange of weather and climate related satellite data.’ While there are clear advantages in sharing the cost of obtaining satellite data, there are also some problems with relying on international partners for crucial meteorological observations. For example, on 24 October 2011, the Guardian reported that budget cuts in the United States Congress could affect a “critical weather satellite” that is relied upon by the Met Office and other national meteorological services around the world.’ When we asked the Minister about the extent to which the UK Government could influence its international counterparts in such a situation, he responded: a7 O92 248 «Ev wW4, para 13 [Prospect] 242 Q 12 [Professor Paul Hardaker] 250 Ev 72-75, paras 5.1-5.28 251 Ev 46, para 6.17 [Met Office] 282 Ey w17, para 29 [Research Councils UK] 283 Ev 74, para 5.18 [Government] 254 ~Q 111 John Hirst; and Ev 58, para 9 {European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts] 255 Ev 45, para 6.8 [Met Office] 256 Ey 45, para 6.9 [Met Office]; and Ev 58, para 17 [European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts] 257 Ev 45, para 6.9 [Met Office] 288 The Guardian Online, “Weather satellite budget cuts a ‘disaster in the making’ - Obama official”, 24 October 2011, www.guardian.co.uk