MET OFFICE News
Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 25 September 2008
The Met Office
forecast for the coming winter suggests it is, once again, likely
to be milder than average. It is also likely that the coming
winter will be drier than last year.
Seasonal forecasts from the Met Office are used by many agencies
across government, private and third sectors to help their
long-term planning.
Earlier this year, John Hirst, Chief Executive of the Met Office
and Michael Lake CBE, Director General of Help the Aged signed an
agreement to explore ways in which the two organisations can
actively use weather information to support the health and
well-being of older people.
The forecast of another mild winter across the UK has been
welcomed by Help the Aged who work with other agencies to support
older people.
Dr. James Goodwin, Head of Research at Help the Aged said:
"The onset of winter causes significant anxiety among many
older people. This forecast will assist policy makers to adapt
their strategies to ensure that the negative effects of winter
weather are reduced as far as possible."
In contrast to last year's exceptionally mild winter, this
year is likely to feel somewhat colder and although the forecast
of a milder winter is good news, we should still be prepared for
the risk of colder spells at times.
As Dr. Tish Laing-Morton, Clinical Director at the Met Office
explains: "Sudden cold snaps, especially within a generally
mild winter, can be a real problem for older people and others
such as those with respiratory illnesses. This is why the Met
Office has developed our Healthy Outlook service which helps
people suffering with COPD successfully manage their condition".
ENDS
For more information please contact the Met Office Press
Office on 01392 886655.
Notes to editors:
* Our seasonal forecasts indicate how
particular seasonal conditions may be more likely than others. The
forecast is for the whole season and is not able to forecast
specific details about any particular day or location within the
season.
* Forecasting skill varies for different weather
elements, and from season to season. The skill of our winter
forecasts is greater than that of our summer forecast and the
skill for temperature is higher than for rainfall.
* The 1971
to 2000 average winter temperature for the UK is 3.7 Degrees C.
The average winter precipitation for the UK is 332 mm.
*
Winter 2007/8 saw an average UK mean temperature of 4.86 Degrees C
and average UK precipitation of 386.6 mm
* The winter is taken
to be the complete months of December, January and February.
*
The Met Office is the UK's National Weather Service,
providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather,
climate change and environmental forecasts and severe weather
warnings for the protection of life and property.
* The winter
forecast will be updated monthly throughout the winter. Updates
will be published at 10am on 29 October, 25 November, 22 December
and 22 January.
* The Met Office works closely with government
departments such as the Department of Health supporting their Keep
Warm Keep Well campaign.
* Met Office CE John Hirst and
Michael Lake CBE, Director General of Help the Aged, have recently
signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising existing links
between the two organisations. The agreement outlines how
respective expertise will be deployed to benefit both older people
and providers of health and social care. It includes collaboration
on a range of issues such as providing warnings of weather likely
to exacerbate chronic illnesses as well as the effects of climate
change on the older population.