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28/10/2014
Met Office Unveils New £97m Supercomputer
A new £97m Met Office supercomputer has been unveiled.
The supercomputer will be 13 times more powerful than the current system used by the Met Office and will have 120,000 times more memory than a top-end smartphone.
Enabling forecast updates every hour and the ability to provide very high detail weather information for precise geographical areas, the world-leading High Performance Computer (HPC) will help the UK to predict disruptive weather events such as flooding, strong winds, fog and heavy snowfall more effectively.
The supercomputer's computing power also opens up the potential for higher resolution models, which would have the ability to pinpoint more detail for small scale, high-impact weather.
Scientists will also explore the benefits of adapting the resolution to improve UK winter forecasts out to months ahead, and assessing the specific regional impacts of climate change such as floods, droughts and heatwaves.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: "We are a country fascinated by the weather, so it's no surprise that from early barometers to this weather supercomputer, we've always led the way in developing technology to predict the weather.
"This £97m investment is a crucial part of the government's wider drive to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research. By bringing world-class technology to the south west, we are also boosting regional investment and expertise, creating a stronger economy and fairer society."
The first phase of the supercomputer will be operational in September 2015 and the system will reach full capacity in 2017.
(CD/JP)
The supercomputer will be 13 times more powerful than the current system used by the Met Office and will have 120,000 times more memory than a top-end smartphone.
Enabling forecast updates every hour and the ability to provide very high detail weather information for precise geographical areas, the world-leading High Performance Computer (HPC) will help the UK to predict disruptive weather events such as flooding, strong winds, fog and heavy snowfall more effectively.
The supercomputer's computing power also opens up the potential for higher resolution models, which would have the ability to pinpoint more detail for small scale, high-impact weather.
Scientists will also explore the benefits of adapting the resolution to improve UK winter forecasts out to months ahead, and assessing the specific regional impacts of climate change such as floods, droughts and heatwaves.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: "We are a country fascinated by the weather, so it's no surprise that from early barometers to this weather supercomputer, we've always led the way in developing technology to predict the weather.
"This £97m investment is a crucial part of the government's wider drive to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research. By bringing world-class technology to the south west, we are also boosting regional investment and expertise, creating a stronger economy and fairer society."
The first phase of the supercomputer will be operational in September 2015 and the system will reach full capacity in 2017.
(CD/JP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
