The UK Mobile Phone Blog

Met Office to send weather updates straight to your mobile phone!

July 9, 2008 at 4:02 pm by Dan | In Mobile News

In the coming days, the Met Office will announce plans to offer a range of weather update services aimed at mobile phone users.

The Met Office currently supplies meteorological data for news agencies and other content providers such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and other terrestrial broadcasters to repackage and pass on to consumers. Now, through a new studio in Millbank they will provide content directly to mobile phones.

At present mobile phone users can use the mobile internet to view weather forecast sites or sign up to various RSS feeds from providers such as the BBC whose service offers a three day forecast.

Though not an all new idea (The Met office have been producing static 2D weather charts for use on mobile phones through a deal with MobiTV) the new studio will enable it to publish its own tailored weather content directly to mobile phones and portable video devices around the clock.

Making use of innovative 3G video technology will enable 3D ‘fly through’ weather graphics similar to those seen on TV weather forecasts to be streamed directly to phones. Though we still wait for the day that Michael Fish broadcasts live weather forecasts on your phone, this new service will be invaluable for day trippers and barbecue enthusiasts across the country!

Although there are various other mobile weather services, Met Office spokesman Phil Johnson was keen to stress that the Met Office had an edge;

“customers want much more clarity and information around weather, and they want an authoritative voice.”

Expected to be available on both a subscription basis and as a one off service, this new announcement from the Met Office means we can cut out the need to trawl through teletext before heading for the beach!

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