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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Met Office ends season forecasts | Met Office ends season forecasts |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Met Office is to stop publishing seasonal forecasts, after it came in for criticism for failing to predict extreme weather. | The Met Office is to stop publishing seasonal forecasts, after it came in for criticism for failing to predict extreme weather. |
| It was berated for not foreseeing that the UK would suffer this cold winter or the last three wet summers in its seasonal forecasts. | It was berated for not foreseeing that the UK would suffer this cold winter or the last three wet summers in its seasonal forecasts. |
| The forecasts, four times a year, will be replaced by monthly predictions. | The forecasts, four times a year, will be replaced by monthly predictions. |
| The Met Office said it decided to change its forecasting approach after carrying out customer research. | The Met Office said it decided to change its forecasting approach after carrying out customer research. |
| Explaining its decision, the Met Office released a statement which said: "By their nature, forecasts become less accurate the further out we look. | Explaining its decision, the Met Office released a statement which said: "By their nature, forecasts become less accurate the further out we look. |
| Tricky forecasts | Tricky forecasts |
| "Although we can identify general patterns of weather, the science does not exist to allow an exact forecast beyond five days, or to absolutely promise a certain type of weather. | "Although we can identify general patterns of weather, the science does not exist to allow an exact forecast beyond five days, or to absolutely promise a certain type of weather. |
| "As a result, 'seasonal forecasts' cannot be as precise as our short-term forecasts." | "As a result, 'seasonal forecasts' cannot be as precise as our short-term forecasts." |
| It said the UK is one of the hardest places to provide forecasts for due to its "size and location", making it "very hard to forecast much beyond a week". | It said the UK is one of the hardest places to provide forecasts for due to its "size and location", making it "very hard to forecast much beyond a week". |
| However, it said its short-term forecasts are "extremely accurate". | However, it said its short-term forecasts are "extremely accurate". |
| The Met Office, based at Exeter in Devon, added that it would work towards developing the science of long range forecasting. |