BBC names new weather supplier

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The corporation announced last year that it was to end its 94-year association with the Met Office.

MeteoGroup has offices in 17 countries around the world and is the UK's largest private sector weather business. The BBC says the decision will mean it can “further modernise its weather forecasting by "making the most of new technology and science to bring our audiences an even better service".

Nigel Charters, project director for BBC Weather procurement, added: "We always want to give viewers and listeners the clearest, most accessible and accurate information which is why we've carried out a thorough, regulated procurement process to test all the organisations that applied on a wide range of areas including data, forecasting, graphics and technology."

The Met Office will continue to send its official severe weather warnings to the BBC, but will no longer be on a contract to provide its daily weather forecast. The BBC announced last year it was no longer considering the Met Office in an open tender process for a new five-year contract to supply radio and TV weather reports.

The Met Office is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

MeteoGroup was set up in 1986 as Meteo Consult BV in the Netherlands by a leading TV weather presenter, Harry Otten, as one of the first European private weather businesses. It currently supplies the weather for National Grid, Channel 4 and Sky News.