20 October 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Enrique A. Manalo visited the Met Office in Exeter, England on October 15, upon the latter’s invitation, and was briefed on the global operations of the UK’s national weather service.

Hosted by Dave Britton and Dr Andy Brown, the visit included a presentation on the international development work and strategies of the Met Office, including its partnership with the Philippines.

Paul Davies, Chief Meteorologist, led the demonstration on Met Office’s operations particularly its monitoring of weather patterns in the Philippines, among others.

The Met Office has existing collaborations with the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Ambassador Manalo lauded the partnership between the Met Office and PAGASA noting the importance of institutional capacity development in weather and climate knowledge, and the need to strengthen disaster and risk management systems in the Philippines.

Founded in 1854, the Met Office pioneered weather forecasting. It has been at the forefront of developments in weather and climate science. It has supported British military operations, the aviation industry, climate media and communication, and disaster risk management and early warning systems in many parts of the world. END