met office web site

[gus_honeybun]

looks like the geeks up in exeter are having fun today. unfortunatly, I can't find any TAF's for today.

www.metoffice.com/aviation/index.html

[Who has control?]

TAFS & METARS working fine. The site format has changed, but every thing is working.

[bcfc]

They're not in Exeter yet and I can get them OK.

[Evo7]

I can - lots of BR and RASH, as you'd expect - but it's a pain in the backside. There's far more to click through, it spooks my firewall and then takes ages to load.

I guess it works, which is more than can be said for their attempt to 'upgrade' a week or two ago which was well and truely b0rken. But what was wrong with the old one....?

[FlyingForFun]

Hmm, didn't work for me either, until I re-registered.

I prefer the old one - as Evo said, too many clicks needed. And it won't remember my logon details either, so I need to re-enter them each time.

FFF
---------------

[gus_honeybun]

found them

must say, the site looks a bit more polished once you get in.

[WeatherJinx]

Had to log in again, but once in I found the new layout to be good. What's the betting they're limbering up to start charging for it?

[Evo7]

(edited after I've found my way around)

There's content divided into free (214/5s, TAF, METAR etc.) and subscription bits - £56.40 a year for rainfall radar etc.

[Aussie Andy]

Exeter is there:

METAR: EXETER EGTE 121350Z 23004KT 190V260 9999 SCT025 BKN045 17/12 Q1019

TAF: EXETER EGTE 121209Z 121322 20005KT 9999 SCT025 TEMPO 1319 7000 SHRA BKN014

[WeatherJinx]

The free stuff is still there plus some good enhancements, and the premium stuff is optional - on first sight I'd say it was a good effort.

[distaff_beancounter]

Evo7 I have just managed to get into the site, but had to log in again, after the usual guessing game of ..em... "I wonder which of my favourite passwords I used here?"

I did not click on the "free months trial" 'cos that always costs eventually.

But, as you seem to have gone there, what is on offer if we do pay? AND, is it something that was previously free?

And, after a quick look at the Av forecasts, it looks as if everyone who is desperate to do their QXCs should chose this Sunday, rather than Saturday, in the southen half of the UK.
BUT, of course that assumes that the forecasts will be accurate

[Evo7]

distaff

The free stuff from the old site is still free. The subscription bit looks quite like Avbrief, but more expensive. Without signing up for their free trial (and I share your feelings towards them) it's hard to tell which is better. The Met office promises you:

Graphical Displays
Rainfall radar - British Isles and Europe
Lightning observations
European synoptic charts
British Isles synoptic analysis
Visible satellite pictures
Infrared satellite pictures

Text forecasts

Three-day planner - S England/S Wales,
N England/N Wales and Scotland

Trial products

Cloud, precipitation and pressure charts
Visibility forecasts
Jetstream / 300 hPa forecast

Registered aviation users can upgrade to the subscription service for £56.40 incl. VAT per year. As a special launch offer for a limited period only, the subscription service is available free for a month to registered users, so why not take advantage of this offer?

edit: found a trial of the visibility forecast - looks quite useful.

[pulse1]

Weather on the new website looks just as bad as it did on the old one!

DB,

Your comment on the Sunday weather puzzles me as it looks decidedly iffy for Sunday, at least in the southwest. I'm planning to take Mrs P to EGBJ on Sunday so I hope you are right. It looks like my main problem might be low cloud.

Still, as usual, it will keep me in suspense until departure time or even until I get there, have to turn back or get stuck there.

[bcfc]

Todays Pilot has a write up on the new Met Office web site this month. Worth a read.

[distaff_beancounter]

Evo7 Thanks for the info. If the weather is naff again this Sunday, I will stay in & have a browse through the site.

pulse1 My weather forecasting is usually as accurate/inaccurate, as that of the Met Office, so you can take that which way you like (I was being a bit parochial & only really looking at the South-East, 'cos that is where I fly).

So far, during this lovely British summer, I have had to do one diversion due to weather, even with an IMC rating. I have also sat around at the flying school on numerous occasions, just hoping the weather will improve, before giving up & going home.

This Saturday, it will be off to the INDOOR shopping centre to exercise my credit card. So I don't care what the weather does

But, I do hope it is good for those of you who are trying to get airborne.

[davidhorton]

New Met Office Web Site - Logging In

In spite of enabling cookies, it doesn't remember user name or password. Also takes longer to access TAF's/METAR's/F214/F215 etc. Are they trying to put free users off?

[Evo7]

I get the same problem. Then again, PPRuNe seems to forget who I am from time to time, so it's probably something on my PC...

[AerBabe]

It does remember my password, whereas I'm sure the old one didn't (this is more likely to be due to my computer skills, rather than the software )
I like the little pop-up explanation of services when you wave your pointer over them
Mind you, it's a pain to find those services to start with

[QDMQDMQDM]

I also have cookies enabled and it doesn't remember me. Better interface, though, when they do get the probs sorted.

QDM

[sennadog]

It's driving me up the wall at the moment. It won't remember any cookies whereas my passwords always used to work which needless to say I cannot remember and I've spent a few calls to them to help me out even trying to log on as a new user on Mrs.Sennadog's to no avail!

What I have seen of the site looks impressive although it does seem more time consuming to get the relevant information.