The UK’s Most Advanced Underwater Glider to Play a Key Role in Weather Forecasting

The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the Met Office are collaborating to collect critical data aimed at improving weather forecast accuracy and enhancing the analysis of North Sea conditions. Operated by NOC engineers, state-of-the-art underwater gliders navigate the North Sea, measuring parameters such as salinity and temperature, and transmitting these data in near real-time to the UK Met Office.

This project, set to run over the next three years, aims to significantly enhance the collection and distribution of North Sea data. These data will be used for both weather and ocean forecasting, which is crucial for vessels operating in the North Sea. The new temperature and salinity data will be fed daily into the Met Office’s forecasting models as part of a broader initiative to increase observational data inputs. These models will run on a next-generation supercomputer, supporting the UK Met Office’s ongoing efforts to improve forecast accuracy. NOC’s expert engineering team has extensive experience in remotely operating gliders under challenging conditions, providing the Met Office with the necessary infrastructure to collect highly accurate real-time ocean data.

NOC has demonstrated excellence in delivering innovative technology to institutions such as the UK Met Office, including its most advanced underwater gliders. These gliders can operate independently for extended periods, while their cutting-edge sensors excel in collecting critical information on ocean conditions. A key driver of this project is to enhance the understanding of ocean circulation and the potential of glider-based data collection, which is vital for informing future ocean modeling conditions and weather patterns. Moreover, this initiative will provide timely support for crucial UK services such as search and rescue, pollution response, and marine biodiversity monitoring.

Understanding the relationship between the atmosphere and the ocean is fundamental to improving weather and climate predictions. The data collected by these gliders offer deeper insights into key aspects of weather systems that affect our daily lives. Since the 1990s, NOC has collaborated with the UK Met Office to develop ocean models, laying the foundation for advancements in weather forecasting capabilities. Over the next three years, NOC’s gliders will collect an unprecedented volume of data from the North Sea for use in Met Office forecasting simulations. This data will include thousands of temperature and salinity measurements—key drivers of ocean-atmosphere interactions.