WeatherQuest

15/10/2026

As we head into the second half of Autumn, the nights are getting longer and minimum temperatures are dropping, with clear nights potentially causing some surface frosts. This signals the start of the winter gritting season, and the operational need to keep car parks and footpaths safe for traversal. 🌃📉

Proactive treatment significantly reduces the risk of accidents, increasing safety for all. However, gritting too often when ice or snow isn’t expected is financially wasteful and can lead to environmental impacts. 🩹 ❄

WeatherQuest has over two decades of experience in winter gritting forecasting with our bespoke service IceQuest. Co-designed with our partners, IceQuest provides a tailored, accurate and easy-to-understand forecast service to help maintain a safe environment whilst reducing the aforementioned costs and environmental impacts. ⚠️ 🧊

We understand that the safety of staff and customers is a top priority for most businesses, and during winter, snow and ice provide their own specific risks. So, if you maintain your own grounds or provide an operational winter gritting service, IceQuest could be just what you need to stay one step ahead of the weather. 🏃‍🌨

To find out more about IceQuest, what the service provides and how to enquire, head over to our website using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/industry/winter-gritting/

Winter gritting Our industries / Winter grittingThe safety of staff and customers is a top priority for most businesses and snow and ice pose a particular risk which needs to be managed.Pro-active treatment of car parks and footpaths can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, enhan...

12/10/2026

On the 3rd of October, we celebrated WeatherQuest’s 25th anniversary year with familiar faces from across our journey! 🎊 🎉 🥳

Held at our home in the University of East Anglia (UEA)’s Enterprise Centre, the occasion brought everyone together for celebratory refreshments, reminiscent conversations, a special short film, speeches and an incredibly delicious cake! 🍴 🎬 🎂

It was wonderful to reconnect with people we had not seen in far too long and to celebrate what WeatherQuest is really about: its people. 🤝

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to those who could not make it. Each of you has helped shape WeatherQuest into the company it is today, and we are delighted to celebrate this milestone with you. On to the next 25! 🌧️ ☂️ 🔜

07/10/2026

Lets have a look back at the September monthly stats from the Met Office!

It was again, a warm month for all, with anomalies being between 2.5-3.5°C warmer than average across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, London and parts of Essex. For the majority of England, temperature anomalies were between 1.5-2.5°C. Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest and West Wales, and Cumbria all had anomalies of between 0.5-1.5°C. Only some parts of very northern Scotland and the Isles saw around average temperatures. 🌡️

Rainfall had a longitudinal split, with Wales, the Southwest and Northwest all receiving about average for the month. Across Northern Ireland and Scotland, values received were above average, with parts of Scotland receiving >175% of the monthly average. However, in the southern and eastern parts of the country, less than average rainfall was received. Widespread totals were around 75%, whilst parts of the Northeast and Yorkshire had less than 33%, with Bridlington specifically receiving below 20%. After the very dry and warm summer, the lack of rainfall recharge is prolonging drought conditions felt by many. 🌧️

Mirroring rainfall, the sunshine totals for western parts were slightly below average, hovering between 70-90%. For most, however, average levels of sunshine occurred in September. Some isolated parts in central southern England saw above average sunshine duration (110-130%), with similar values in Cambridgeshire, the Wash, Lincolnshire, the Northeast coast and the eastern coast of Scotland. ⛅

23/09/2026

The recent sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean have been incredibly high, sparking some concerns about potential rapid cyclogenesis and medicane formation in the region. 🌡🌊

Reliant on specific weather patterns occurring, medicanes are large scale storms systems that form in the Mediterranean and develop warm-core tropical storm/hurricane characteristics. 🌀

These Mediterranean hurricanes (hence the name medicanes) are rather rare but can bring devastating impacts to regions across southern Europe, northern Africa and western parts of the Middle East. 🌍

To find out how medicanes are formed, how strong they can get, and some past storm impacts, head over to our article using the link below:

https://weatherquest.co.uk/medicanes/

Recent sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean have been high, sparking concerns about medicanes, but what actually are they?

21/09/2026

🎉 Another ISO milestone for WeatherQuest!

We’re delighted to announce that WeatherQuest has achieved ISO/IEC 27001 certification for Information Security Management.

This latest achievement builds on our existing certifications:
✅ ISO 9001 - Quality Management
🌱 ISO 14001 - Environmental Management
🦺 ISO 45001 - Occupational Health & Safety Management
🧠 ISO 45003 - Psychological Health & Safety at Work
🔐 ISO 27001 - Information Security Management

For our customers and partners, ISO 27001 provides independent assurance that information security is embedded in how we operate, protecting the information, systems, and services that are relied on every day.
Achieving another internationally recognised standard takes a real team effort, so a huge thank you to everyone at WeatherQuest who helped us get there.

Quality. Environment. Health & Safety. Wellbeing. Information Security.

Five standards that reflect our commitment to doing things properly across the whole business.

16/09/2026

In 2026, both spring and summer have been exceptionally hot across the UK. Five major heatwaves affected the country during these two seasons, contributing to the warmest summer on record and the third-warmest spring. This year may have felt slightly different to other recent hot summers, but how does it actually compare? 🕵️

Below is an image that shows the number of days that have met or exceeded 30°C across the UK for the hottest summers of the 21st century so far, alongside the 1991-2020 30-year average. And 2026 definitely stands out, with the maximum being thirty days of 30°C or above, recorded at both Teddington and Heathrow. That is nearly double the second place of 2018, which had eighteen days at or above 30°C being recorded at Kew Gardens. Even as far north as York, around ten days reached at least 30°C in 2026. 🌡️

Although summer has ended and models show no signs of any weather in September breaching 30°C, the UK maximum October temperature ever recorded in the UK was 29.9°C, recorded on the 1st of October 2011 at Gravesend in Kent. It is therefore not impossible that more ≥30°C days could be recorded in 2026! 🍂

To dive deeper into the data, head over to the full article on our website, linked below:
https://weatherquest.co.uk/days-over-30-degrees-2026/

10/09/2026

Twenty-five years is a long time in weather forecasting, and an extraordinary amount of weather can happen in that time. Since WeatherQuest began, the UK has experienced record-breaking heat, exceptional rainfall, damaging storms, severe cold, drought, flooding and major changes in how extreme weather is forecast and communicated. In another of our celebratory 25th anniversary post series, we have chosen standout weather events from each year between 2001 and 2026: a timeline of memorable moments that affected communities, businesses and, in many cases, our clients too.

Head over to the link below to read the full article:
https://weatherquest.co.uk/25-years-of-weather-events/

08/09/2026

The Met Office has released the monthly stats for August!

August was warm across most of the UK, with temperature anomalies generally increasing further south. Northern and northwestern Scotland were the main areas close to average. Elsewhere, southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and northern Wales were around 0.5°C to 1.5°C above average. Anomalies were higher across the East of England, the Southwest, the Midlands and southern Wales, where temperatures were typically 1.5°C to 2.5°C above average. Central southern England recorded the largest anomaly, at 2.5°C to 3.5°C above average. These conditions contributed to the UK’s warmest summer on record, exceeding 2025 by 0.4°C. 🌡️

Rainfall was more spatially varied, influenced by localised thunderstorms, showers and the reach of wider weather systems. Across Wales and southern England, rainfall was generally 50-75% of the average, with London and nearby areas the driest at below 33%. Northern Ireland, the Midlands, western Norfolk and Yorkshire were closer to average, although some places, including Hull and Lichfield, received up to 200% of average rainfall. Northern England and southern Scotland were mostly between 50% and 125% of average, while northern Scotland was generally near or above average. Orkney received 125-150%, whereas Shetland was below 75% of its August average. ⛈️

Sunshine hours followed a similar north–south pattern to temperature, with totals generally decreasing northwards. The South and Southwest recorded more than 150% of average sunshine, falling to 130-150% across much of the Midlands and southern Wales. Further north, East Anglia, northern Wales, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire recorded 110-130% of average sunshine. Northern England and southern Scotland were close to average, while most of Scotland had below 90% of its usual sunshine duration. ☀️

02/09/2026

The start of September marks the release of the Met Office storm names for the 2026/2027 season. As we move into autumn and, later, winter, low-pressure systems and storms can become more intense, bringing wider-reaching impacts. Naming storms helps people stay informed about when they are expected to arrive and the potential disruption they may cause. 🌧️

Forecast models are currently indicating the possibility of unsettled weather at the start of next week, so please remain vigilant and keep up to date with the latest forecasts and weather warnings. ⚠️

If these storms affect you or your business, visit the forecasting section of our website to find out how WeatherQuest can help: ☂️

https://weatherquest.co.uk/service/weather-forecasting-2/

25/08/2026

A welcome change in the weather!

This summer has been exceptionally hot and dry, with multiple heatwaves and prolonged dry conditions affecting much of Europe. The rainfall accumulation map on the left shows total rainfall between 01/07/2026 and 15/08/2026. Across most of England and Wales, rainfall during this period was less than 5% of the average. Northwest Scotland was the only UK region to receive average or above-average rainfall. As a result, vegetation has become extremely dry, contributing to numerous wildfires across the UK. 🌳🔥

From the 16th of August, however, a much-needed change in the dominant weather pattern moved across the UK and Europe. As the high-pressure block finally shifted eastwards, unsettled Atlantic weather was able to move in, bringing some welcome rainfall. The accumulation map on the right shows the weekly rainfall total from 16/08/2026 to 23/08/2026. Despite this recent rain, much of the UK remains in drought and will need sustained rainfall over a longer period to support water resource recharge and wildlife recovery. 💧☂