Public Weather Media Service

The Public Weather Media Service (PWMS) is a package of free (under licence) UK weather services, for eligible UK Broadcasters who sign up to the service, which is delivered by media-specialist Met Office forecasters. It provides Broadcasters with Met Office public weather service information for the UK (forecasts, weather warnings, observations, guidance, scripts and services), tailored for Broadcast media.

Why have we launched this service?

The Public Weather Service Customer group (PWSCG) tasked the Met Office to maintain reach and increase trust and engagement of the UK public with Public Weather Service forecasts and warnings. PWMS helps with this objective and ensures value for money and quality of service to the public.

Who is the service for?

The service is available to eligible UK Broadcasters. This is because providing Broadcasters with the PWMS will help deliver on the PWSCG's requirements and assist the Met Office's public task. In addition, the UK Broadcasters reach the vast majority of the UK public.

What are the benefits?

The public will benefit by having improved access to authoritative forecasts and warnings from a trusted source. Importantly, because our forecasts are used to inform cross government and emergency response this will increase public access to forecasts which are consistent with those that local, regional and national decision-makers use.

Broadcasters will benefit because they will:

• Be using trusted Met Office forecasts and warnings - the only Met Service endorsed by government
• Have access to trusted Met Office forecasts and warnings
• Be using specialist media-focused forecasts
• Have weather forecast service levels monitored and reported against PWSCG agreed quality levels
• Receive 24/7 operations, support and guidance
• Have opportunities to input into lifecycle plans for the service
• Have robust IT and service support
• Attend the annual science and innovation briefing
• Receive immediate benefits from improvements in forecasting, such as model improvements

For more information about this service or if you would like to be involved in its development please contact [email protected]