On the Subject of Weather
My needs from weather forecasting services have changed over the years, particularly with my heading into hill country as opposed to visiting places that could be called honeypots. The fact that hill country can generate its own weather and microclimate drives the needs of those who frequent it further beyond that of mainstream users and what is provided by the forecasts geared towards them. The result is that this listing of weather information sources has been made with the hill wandering in mind and the order in which weather websites are listed and any comments on them reflect that.
This is my first port of call for weather information these days, partly because of the BBC's insistence on changing how they present their forecasts but also due to what they offer for planning an outdoors excursion. Naturally, the main provider of the U.K.'s weather forecasting has a lot to offer and they upped their game not so long ago. National, regional and location five day forecasting is the main offering with longer range forecasts to be had too. Mountain area forecasts for Scotland's Eastern and Western Highlands, the Cumbrian fells, Snowdonia the Brecon Beacons, the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District attract particular mention. In addition, there are surface pressure maps for three to four days at a time and very useful rainfall radar charts. Add weather warnings to the mix and a very rounded service in on offer here.
Mountain Weather Information Service
There is no way that a list of weather website for use when planning an outdoors outing can exclude the venerable MWIS. The Scottish hills are the mainstay here with Southern Uplands, Southeastern Highlands, Cairngorms and Monadhliath, Western Highlands and Northwest Highlands all getting a seven day service. Also getting a seven day offering are the Cumbrian fells with the Peak District and Snowdonia receiving attention for three days a week (Friday to Sunday inclusive). Complimenting this is their sharing of Met Office synoptic charts for the North Atlantic whose usefulness cannot be disputed so long as you know know to read the things but you always can go to the Met Office website for explanations of the various symbols on there.
This is Ireland's main meteorological service and they got better in recent times too. Though more of a general service with specialisations for industries like agriculture and fishing, their forecasts do give you an idea of what you might get. Outlooks are given up to five days ahead and and three day variants are split into region and county too.
This is a recently discovered upstart and very useful it is too. Forecasting is a little further into the future than the more cautious Met Office or Met Éireann but everyone should know things are less certain the further ahead you look anyway. It's a useful overview of what lies ahead and with some quirky insights too.
Accuweather U.K. and Ireland
Accuweather.com International
When Online Weather existed, I was a regular visitor because of its regional weather overview maps but it got taken over by Accuweather and that meant changes when it became Accuweather U.K. and Ireland. Sadly, those useful overview maps are gone now but longer term weather forecasting is its compensation, as precarious as that can be for a grouping of islands on the eastern fringes of the North Atlantic. One thing that has stayed the course is the mountain forecasting section and it is that which guarantees Accuweather a place on this listing, especially for the coverage of Irish mountain areas. While some in Ireland may not have the most favourable opinion of the accuracy of the forecasts, having a few different sources of information helps to build up a more complete picture. Accuweather.com International may seem a surprising inclusion when there is a local variant but there have been times when it has been better for location forecasting than its British and Irish counterpart.
You cannot really avoid mentioning the BBC when it comes to U.K. weather. However, their offering isn't the first port of call for me anymore since they changed their way of doing things. Now that the presentation is largely visual, I find myself wanting that little extra but they are a public service broadcaster and that shines through here. Symbols have gone the way of the dodo and it is left to colour coding to highlight cloud, rain and so on. In its own way, it does work but an old fashioned synoptic map has no substitute for me and I go elsewhere these days.
The idea of paying this spot a visit has been in mind for a while now so it shoud be no surprise that I found the website for its weather service. That trip could remain on the to do list for a while yet…
The Weather Outlook
weather.co.uk
I cannot say that I have ever used either of these very much but I'll add them for a greater sense of completeness. The first one concerns itself with looking ahead in a more general fashion while the second is a variation on the Accuweather theme.
