Businesses, government organizations and other interested user in the U.K. can gain greater access to climate data and trends by use of a new information resource made available by the U.K. National Meteorological Office (Met Office).

The Climate Data Portal relies on technology developed by geographic information system developer Esri UK to provide insights on predictions of extreme conditions including heatwaves, floods or droughts. Users can digest the data in easy-to-use formats to improve decision making and inform the evolution of regional- or location specific plans.

Source: U.K. Met Office

The main users of the new portal are expected to be within government, insurance, transport, energy, land use, urban planning and healthcare industries. Data on temperature extremes, for example, can be used to understand the impact of future heatwaves on transport infrastructure or energy utility operations. Users have already testified that the portal makes working with climate data faster and more accurate.

According to Jason Lowe of the U.K. Met Office, “U.K. stakeholders can investigate their physical climate risks over the next 50 to 100 years. The most detailed climate projections reveal a greater chance of warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers and these help users plan and prepare for extreme weather, climate change and the reporting which new regulations, linked to climate change, will require.”