Synoptic Data, a public benefit corporation operating a real-time environmental data platform, has been awarded a contract by the UK Met Office to provide weather and environmental observation data services.
Through the partnership, Synoptic will provide streamlined access to thousands of third-party surface observations from networks across Europe, including the UK and Ireland, supplementing data generated by the Met Office and other national meteorological services. Synoptic’s platform will handle data aggregation, quality control and secure dissemination to support operational forecasting and research teams, while also coordinating with multiple network operators to simplify access to observational data.
An independent economic evaluation conducted in 2024 by London Economics estimated the Met Office would deliver £56bn (US$75bn) in benefit to the UK economy over the following decade through further development of its weather and climate capabilities. The Synoptic partnership is intended to support that aim, including plans to increase access to third-party real-time weather and environmental observations to strengthen situational awareness, forecasting and prediction, particularly during severe weather.
Bruce Truscott, associate director of observations at the Met Office, said, “Individuals providing regular automated observations from their own equipment and other third-party data sources are very important to the Met Office. These observations supplement our own networks and are making an increasingly significant contribution to our forecasting services. Our new partnership with Synoptic will play a key role in our strategic aim to grow and secure access to greater volumes of these data, supporting our purpose of ‘helping you make better decisions to stay safe and thrive’.”
The contract is initially for two years, with an optional two-year extension and a further optional one-year extension, which together could provide up to five years of continuous service.
Ashish Raval, president and CEO of Synoptic, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening national meteorological and hydrological services through public-private collaboration: “By improving access to high-quality environmental observations, we are helping the Met Office enhance forecasting, support forecasting model research and development, and continue delivering economic value to communities and industries across the United Kingdom.”
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