THREE new weather forecasting contracts, which will help keep drivers moving, have been signed by the Met Office, DTN and MetDesk. 

The Weather Forecasting Information Service (WFIS) comprises of two regional winter season contracts and one all year-round national contract, which will provide National Highways’ decision-makers with round-the-clock weather forecasting information to support them in making accurate and timely operational decisions.  

The four-year contracts will see the Met Office provide weather advisories and contingency planning forecasts for National Highways’ National Traffic Operations Centre (NTOC) in Birmingham, with MetDesk delivering winter service forecasting information in the north and south of England, and DTN in central England.  

The new regional contracts will provide weather intelligence for England’s strategic road network by providing road maintenance managers with precise location and route-based forecasts. This will help teams make critical informed decisions about weather-related maintenance and management, particularly in adverse weather situations. 

James Cross, weather forecasting manager at National Highways, said: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at National Highways. The comprehensive data provided by our new forecasters gives our teams the confidence they need to ensure that the effects of severe weather on the strategic road network and our customers are mitigated as far as practicable.”

Between the three contracts, National Highways has access to highly-detailed weather information. This includes 24-hour forecasts, two-to-10-day forecasts, site specific forecasts and route-based forecast mapping.