According to the organisation, it will provide “improved access” to pertinent information across “60 different data layers.” A spokesperson said: “Built using geospatial technology from Esri UK, the portal makes it easier for any business or government organisation to combine open climate data with their own data and reveal the future impact of extreme conditions on their operations, including heatwaves, floods or droughts.
“The main users are expected to be within government, utilities, engineering, urban planning, transport and energy.”
The portal is described by the Met Office as presenting “complex scientific climate projections in easy-to-use formats”, thereby making them “ready to visualise and analyse in GIS and non-spatial applications, or integrate into business processes for improved decision making.”
It is anticipated that the data will enable verticals to gain a greater understanding of the impact of climate change, a it is specific to them. One example offered by the Met Office is the ability of the transport sector to predict days on which the railway infrastructure might overheat.
Head of climate services at the Met Office, professor Jason Lowe, said: “Historically, climate science has defined the problem. Now it’s moving to help with the solution, providing information at a local level which is highly relevant to UK organisations.
“By combining the Met Office’s latest projections with Esri UK's geospatial tools, the reach and value of this data is greatly extended. UK stakeholders can investigate their physical climate risks over the next 50 to 100 years. The most detailed climate projections reveal a greater chance of warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers.”
