THE Mourne Mountains are to feature in the Met Office’s mountain weather forecasts for the first time.
The forecasts provide valuable, sometimes life-saving information to people who spend time in the mountains in England, Scotland and Wales. Now the weather conditions at the stunning local mountain range will be included for the first time in the detailed forecasts for specific locations across the UK’s hills and mountain tops.
As part of the Met Office’s routine improvements and updates to the service it provides, the Mournes have been added to the nine existing areas it already provides forecasts for.
Met Office officials say the service they provide has been shaped by working closely with people who visit and work in mountainous areas, with the forecasts designed to help those who visit the Mournes make decisions that may affect their safety and well-being.
Richard Orrell, manager of public weather services with the Met Office, said the organisation is pleased to be able to offer the mountain forecast to people visiting the Mournes.
“Mountain users in the area will be able to check and use these forecasts to help them plan their trip and be prepared for when the weather changes,” he explained.
“These forecasts are compiled by specially-trained meteorologists who often spend time in the hills and mountains and know the ins and outs of mountain weather. No one knows Britain’s weather like the Met Office, so our forecasts are the ones to trust when it really matters.”
Key features of the mountains forecast include details on weather conditions from valley to peak
which should help people to make better weather decisions about their trip.
Information on what impact the forecast weather is likely to have on people will also be available with the focus on what the weather will feel like on the summits with videos of typical conditions.
There will also be a ‘meteorologist’s view’ to help complete the weather picture for those planning on heading into the Mournes. This section of the forecast provides unique information from the Met Office’s expert mountain meteorologists in Aberdeen. The new service can be accessed directly from the Met Office website and is available in printed form.