History of the Meteorological Office

The Meteorological Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network is a young institution built on older records. The milestones below record the observations that preceded it, its establishment, and the services it began on its first day. They will be extended as the Office's programme comes into operation.

1. January 2004

   Observations begin at Central Exchange

   The operator of the Central Exchange began daily observations of temperature, rainfall, sunshine, wind and pressure for its own purposes. The series has continued without a break and is now the longest held by the Office and its provisional reference for the Network.

2. March 2011 and June 2016

   Observations begin at Southbank Terminal and Northgate Relay

   The operators of the coastal terminal and the northern relay began their own observations, including sea level at Southbank Terminal. Each series was kept to its operator's standard, and the three could not readily be compared.

3. Before September 2026

   Weather services arranged by each member organisation

   There was no common forecast for the Network. Each member organisation obtained forecasts as it could, no warning applied across sites, and observations were made at a few sites by different methods and to different schedules.

4. 10 August to 5 September 2026

   The transition period

   The stations of member organisations were transferred to the Office and brought onto a common observing programme. Radars were commissioned at Harbour Head on 17 August and at Ridgeway Summit on 24 August, upper-air ascents began at Central Exchange, and the numerical model ran on trial from 24 August. Trial forecasts were prepared and checked internally throughout the last fortnight.

5. 6 September 2026

   Office established

   The Meteorological Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network was formally established, with responsibility for forecasts, warnings, the observing network and the climate records of the Network. The forecasting centre at Central Exchange began continuous staffing.

6. 6 September 2026

   Official website launched

   The Office launched meteorology.gov.vin, carrying the forecast schedule, the warning levels, the register of stations, the observing programme, the climate records and the Office's press releases and statements.

7. 6 September 2026

   First forecasts, warning service and observing network

   The first Network forecast was issued at 05:30. The Office published its four warning levels and opened registration for warnings by email, and confirmed the twelve stations, two radars and upper-air station of its observing network.

8. Forthcoming

   Monthly outlook, verification and further arrangements

   The first monthly outlook will be issued on 5 October 2026. The first monthly climate summary and the first verification figures, for September, will be published in October. Arrangements for aerodrome and operational forecasts will be announced in the Newsroom.

Announcements are published in the Newsroom. For the Office's present responsibilities, see About the Meteorological Office; for the series it inherited, see Climate Records.