Forecasts from the Met Office help the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in its mission to save lives at sea. Providing in-depth details about offshore wave conditions or wind speeds, our pioneering science and forecasting expertise can help the RNLI plan for the very latest weather.
What started with a telegraph storm warning service in 1861, has now advanced to in-app Met Office beach forecasts for the public. And, as we conclude our 170th anniversary celebrations and the RNLI its 200th, we look back on a successful collaboration spanning many decades.
Forecasts that can help save lives
It all began with Captain, (later Vice-Admiral), Robert Fitzroy, who proposed the concept of a Meteorological Department (later Met Office) in 1854. Fitzroy was driven by the belief that it was possible to save lives, in particular at sea, built on his long understanding of the dangers of severe weather in the maritime environment, and the possibilities afforded by the latest technology of the day.
Fitzroy developed a national storm warning system to alert vessels both in harbour and along the coast of approaching gales. He used a combination of canvas cones and drums hoisted on a mast to warn of severe weather incoming.
Fitzroy also wrote the first ever public weather forecast in The Times newspaper in the same year, meaning the general public were also made aware of incoming severe weather.
Fitzroy, and indeed the Met Office, were a force behind some of the RNLI’s earliest drowning prevention work. He designed a new barometer for use in fishing harbours, with an easy-to-read design that would give some of the poorest coastal communities a better way of anticipating the weather locally. The RNLI saw the value in these and supplied them to lifeboat stations around the country too.
And to this day, we continue to strive to operate at the forefront of scientific discovery, helping organisations like the RNLI ensure people stay safe.
Our forecasts provide the RNLI with the information they need to prepare for and take action in response to deteriorating weather conditions and storms. Their volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards drop everything to respond to emergencies, and they rely on our expert weather knowledge for their safety. RNLI National Water Safety Partner, Samantha Hughes, said: "We know that people love to visit the coast and enjoy the sea in all weathers, which is why weather forecasts from the Met Office are so important.
"Met Office weather warnings are vital to us when sharing our lifesaving safety messaging during periods of extreme weather and it has been great to collaborate together over the years, sharing knowledge and experience that is unmatched."
Today, Fitzroy’s storm warning service is known as the Shipping Forecast. Issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, it is the longest running national forecasting service in the world, and is still a vital tool in helping people make critical safety decisions at the coast and at sea.
From marinecalls...
Back in the 1980’s, we offered seafarers a dedicated ‘Marinecall’ telephone service, where people could be told the latest coastal conditions for their area, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure safety for those at sea. Fast-forward 40 years, and we now offer an equally 24/7 service, with our daily forecasts via the internet, straight to your phone.
... and forecasts for RNLI lifeguards
In previous years, we produced beach safety forecasts for RNLI lifeguards. The service helped lifeguards identify days where there would be enhanced levels of beach use, thus helping to manage risk for beach users.
…to our specialist beach forecasts for the public
Our dedicated beach forecasts help the public to make informed decisions about visits to the coast. With the rise in water sports such as paddleboarding and sea swimming in recent years, the forecasts aim to raise awareness of how to respect the water and stay safe in and around it. Produced in consultation with the RNLI, the forecasts, which are available for around 500 locations, are embedded on our website and app, giving information about wind direction, wave height and direction, tide times and safety information.
One shared goal; to help people stay safe at sea
We chose the RNLI to be our corporate charity for 2015-2018, working together to utilise our collective expertise, reach and influence, to educate the public on staying safe. Our work together has produced a range of content with advice about how to stay safe and make the most of trips to the beach, including videos such as this one about summer beach safety and this one on how to keep safe on a paddleboard or kayak.
Our partnership keeps evolving and we continue to work together today because, 170 years on, our purposes still align; to help people stay safe in all weather, in and near the water.
