§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding the accuracy of weather forecasts in recent months; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeOne formal representation has been received.
The ability of the Meteorological Office to provide a good indication of the changes in the character of the weather for periods up to six days has improved markedly in recent years as a result of the continuing development of numerical methods of weather prediction that exploit the capabilities of the most advanced computers and the weather observations made from satellites. Work currently in progress at the Meteorological Office is expected to allow greater detail to be provided with greater accuracy on a more local basis in the short period weather forecasts.