August update and reminder to collect your monthly data

As we've just moved into meteorological Autumn, we are starting to see some more unsettled weather with bands of rain, heavy showers and thunderstorms, bringing some welcome rainfall for areas that have seen very little over the last few months.  

And as we move towards the decommissioning of WOW later this year, we are approaching another milestone in the transition to our new data supply. Please be assured that your contributions will continue to benefit the Met Office until the site is decommissioned. In the month ahead we will be focussing on sharing information with the broader academic community and running internal testing of the new data supply system. 

As always, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you to download any monthly data you may wish to retain. You can export up to 31 days of data via the website by following these instructions:  

• Choose your site  

• Select ‘View Full Observation’ at the bottom of the right hand panel  

• Select table and enter the dates  

• Press ‘Export’  

Thank you for being part of the WOW community and for your ongoing support  

July update and reminder to collect your monthly data

 

After seeing record temperatures for June, for some parts of the UK, we saw a return to the heat for July with two additional heatwaves. We’d like to thank everybody who has contributed to WOW during this time.

Over the past month we’ve continued to make progress towards a new data supply and can now share that we have signed contracts with our new data suppliers - Netatmo and Synoptic Data. This means we are now receiving valuable data from Davis Automated Weather Stations, in parallel to those you provide, ready for ingestion and testing by our internal teams.  

Please be assured that your contributions will continue to benefit the Met Office right up until the site is decommissioned. In the month ahead we’re going to be focussing on sharing historic data with our international partners who have helped to make WOW possible or who have made use of your observations over the years.  

As this month ends, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you to download any monthly data you may wish to retain. You can export up to 31 days of data via the website by following these instructions:   

• Choose your site   

• Select ‘View Full Observation’ at the bottom of the right-hand panel   

• Select table and enter the dates   

• Press ‘Export’   

Thank you for being part of the WOW community and for your ongoing support   

June update and a reminder to collect your monthly data.

 Following a week of record June temperatures for some, the temperatures for the coming week have returned to average, before a return of the heat as we move into July. 

In unprecedented times like these, observations from citizen scientists are more valuable than ever and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to WOW not just over the last week but over the years.  

We are continuing to make progress towards a new data supply and hope to be able to share more news with you very soon. In the meantime, please be assured that your contributions through WOW will continue to benefit the Met Office right up until the site is decommissioned. In the upcoming month we are focusing our efforts on improving the security of the platform and investigating additional ways to share and communicate our plans with you. 

As this month ends, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you to download any monthly data you may wish to retain. You can export up to 31 days of data via the website by following these instructions:   

• Choose your site   

• Select ‘View Full Observation’ at the bottom of the right-hand panel   

• Select table and enter the dates   

• Press ‘Export’   

Thank you for being part of the WOW community and for your ongoing support   

 

Website update and reminder to collect your monthly data.

As we mentioned in our December update, the Met Office will be retiring the Weather Observations Website (WOW) later this year. As we move towards this retirement, please be assured that your contributions will continue to benefit the Met Office right up until the site is decommissioned. In the meantime, we are focusing our efforts on maintaining the security and stability of the platform, ensuring it remains a safe and reliable resource for all users during this transition period.  

As this month ends, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you to download any monthly data you may wish to retain. You can export up to 31 days of data via the website by following these instructions: 

• Choose your site 

• Select ‘View Full Observation’ at the bottom of the right hand panel 

• Select table and enter the dates 

• Press ‘Export’ 

Next month, as part of our normal tender and renewal process, we will be updating the mapping provider that underpins some of the maps on the WOW website. While we expect this transition to be largely seamless, you may notice some small visual or functional changes. If you do encounter any technical issues, please provide us with any feedback so we can investigate these promptly. 

Thank you for being part of the WOW community and for your ongoing support 

Important Update: Retirement of the Weather Observations Website (WOW)

After more than a decade of supporting crowd-sourced weather observations and citizen science, the Met Office will begin retiring the Weather Observations Website (WOW) from January, with full decommissioning planned for late 2026.

WOW has played a vital role in enabling the public, voluntary climate observers, and international partners to contribute weather data across the UK and the world. WOW data contributes to the Met Office’s operational, research, and public engagement activities. It helps improve forecast accuracy, supports aspects of climate science, provides additional observations, and encourages collaboration between professionals and the public. Your contributions through WOW have made a real difference across these areas and we are incredibly grateful for the invaluable data and support you have provided over the years. 

As we move towards the retirement of WOW, please be assured that your contributions will continue to benefit the Met Office right up until the site is decommissioned. In the meantime, we are focusing our efforts on maintaining the security and stability of the platform, ensuring it remains a safe and reliable resource for all users during this transition period. 

While there will be no direct replacement for WOW in the UK, we plan on working directly with AWS (Automatic Weather Station) providers. While this means we will no longer have a direct connection with some of our citizen observers, we remain committed to receiving valuable data and as motivated as ever to collect your observations. 

Thank you for being part of the WOW community and for your ongoing support. 

A celebration of volunteer service

 In a quiet but vital corner of the United Kingdom's climate monitoring efforts, a dedicated network of volunteers continues to play a crucial role in tracking long-term precipitation trends. These individuals, often working behind the scenes, contribute daily to a partnership between the Met Office and the Environment Agency -alongside the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) - helping to maintain one of the most comprehensive rainfall observation networks in the world.

At the heart of this effort is the Met Office’s team of seven Regional Network Officers, who are responsible for inspecting every storage rain gauge across the UK, typically on a three-year rotational basis. These gauges, read at 0900 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) each day by volunteers, provide invaluable data that is shared with both the Environment Agency and the Met Office. The readings help scientists and policymakers monitor changes in rainfall patterns over decades, even centuries, offering insights into climate variability and informing flood risk management.

Yesterday, a special event in the North East of England brought together a group of long-serving volunteers to recognise their exceptional contributions. The gathering, jointly organised by the Met Office and the Environment Agency, saw several individuals receive long service awards with some marking decades of daily commitment to public service.

These awards not only celebrate the volunteers’ dedication but also highlight the enduring importance of citizen science in the UK’s environmental monitoring infrastructure. As climate change continues to reshape weather patterns, the data collected by these volunteers becomes ever more critical.

Their work is a testament to the power of community engagement in science, and today’s celebration serves as a reminder that even the smallest daily actions, like reading a rain gauge, can have a profound impact on our understanding of the world around us.

Written by Karl Shepherdson
Images courtesy of Steve Kritkos 

Partially Migrated Accounts

We've noticed that some users have only partially completed or were unsuccessful in migrating their accounts to the new login system. If this applies to you, you'll receive an email from wow@metoffice.gov.uk in the coming weeks or months with detailed, step-by-step instructions to help you complete the migration successfully. 

We apologise for any confusion and appreciate your patience as we work to get everyone fully set up on the new system as smoothly as possible.