John Hirst
Chief Executive, Met Office
Which events or policies have dominated your attention during 2012?
Providing weather services for the ‘greatest show on Earth’ was a huge but exciting challenge, and the Met Office rose to the occasion with great success. Organisers, athletes and coaches were unanimous in their praise for our weather advice throughout the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with several national coaches saying it was the best meteorological service they had ever had at a Games. This year also saw a big step forward in maximising the huge potential of our cutting-edge climate science, which we are developing with research institutions around the world. In October, the World Meteorological Organization agreed a plan to implement the Global Framework for Climate Services, laying the foundations for more effective use of climate information to tackle global challenges such as water, agriculture and food security, health, and disaster risk management.
How have the shape and capabilities of your department changed during 2012?
We have expanded and improved our capabilities across the board as we continue to harness our scientific research and the latest technology. During the Olympics we trialled a range of new weather forecasting capabilities and we’ll be evaluating those in the coming months. We continue expansion of space weather forecasting capabilities, as we work alongside partners in the US to enable early warning of potentially disruptive solar radiation. The Natural Hazard Partnership, the Environmental Science to Service Partnership, and the flourishing success of the Flood Forecasting Centre, are all important capability developments this year. We’ve made huge progress in utilising social media, too, and this was recognised when we were ranked ninth this year in the top ‘100 Social Brands’. We also ranked in the ‘Top 100 Business Superbrands’ for 2012 – a great achievement for a government service.
Which aspects of the CSRP are most important to your department?
The encouragement to work across boundaries is very important for us. The products and services we provide are truly world class, have a huge range of applications and can form a vital part of decision-making over different timescales. These products and services are already widely used, but there is so much more potential. By working across boundaries we can show people how our information can be harnessed for their needs.
What are your main challenges for 2013?
Our challenge is to maintain our position as a world leader in weather and climate services. Our innovation has been superb over recent times – this year we won two honours at the UK IT Industry Awards for our work with PA Consulting Group and Google to deliver the Weather Observations Website. It’s going to be an exciting challenge to continue finding innovative ways to exploit new technology and collaborations to improve services at low cost. We’ll continue to work with international partners to maximise the potential of our science and advice around the world – contributing to operational and strategic decisions which will help save lives and property around the world. And we’ll also be continuing to focus on how our data, advice and services can contribute to economic growth here in the UK.
Tell your colleagues a good joke for Christmas
Sticking with the weather theme, but not vouching for quality, here’s mine:
“It’s raining cats and dogs outside.”
“I know – I just stepped in a poodle.”