Keep up with the ever-changing elements on the webWith rolling news channels on your TV, a national forecast is rarely more than 30 minutes away for those with access to satellite or Freeview.
But what if you require more in-depth, or more local, data? Perhaps you are wondering if it’s wise to make that journey, attend a sporting event, or just whether to carry an umbrella? By looking online you can find a mass of detailed weather information, offering far more than TV or radio.
The Meteorological Office site at
www.metoffice.gov.uk contains a wealth of reliable data - including local, national, Europe and worldwide forecasts. Details such as temperature, wind speed and rainfall are instantly available. Check here for long-range predictions, up to 30 days ahead. Do be aware however that even experts can struggle to accurately forecast weather more than about five days out, and view these as guidelines only.
The Met Office is meanwhile charged with issuing Severe Weather Warnings in the UK - you can check these here for any area of the UK.
The BBC site at
www.bbc.co.uk/weather is another invaluable online resource. You can catch up with the latest animated national TV weather news here - and enter your postcode for a detailed five-day forecast in any locality.
If you need coast, sea and winter sports weather reports you can find them on this site as well.
It’s not specifically a weather site, but detailed information on adverse weather conditions and other road trouble spots is available in England on the Highways Agency website at
www.highways.gov.uk/traffic/traffic.aspx - while the Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales and Traffic Watch Northern Ireland websites cover the Celtic nations.
If you need an up-to-the-minute guide to exactly where the rain/snow bands or showers are you can track their progress very precisely at
www.raintoday.co.uk – satellite images are updated every 15 minutes. To see further afield check
www.meteox.com – it does the same job across a large part of Western Europe, including the British Isles.
Should you want an even deeper level of detail or are seeking very specialised information, see
www.greatweather.co.uk – a portal of weather sites. Do bear in mind however that some of the sites it contains are very specialised and demand a level of expertise.
As with any online weather data, do consider the source. Is it provided by professionals or an enthusiastic amateur?