Will ‘supercomputer’ help UK defend itself from floods?

The £97m system is said to be 13 times more powerful than the one currently used by meteorologists and will be able to perform more than 16,000 trillion calculations per second.

Met Office chief executive Rob Varley said the device will lead to a step change in weather forecasting and climate prediction, and deliver better forecasts and advice to support UK business, the public and government.

“It will help to make the UK more resilient to high impact weather and other environmental risks,” he said.

The device – which will weigh 140 tonnes, the equivalent of 11 double-decker buses – will have 120,000 times more memory than a top-end smartphone.

It will be able forecasters to give hourly updates and highly detailed weather information for local areas.

The world-leading High Performance Computer will also help to predict flooding, strong winds, fog and heavy snowfall more effectively.

‘Protecting homes’

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: “We are a country fascinated by the weather, so it’s no surprise that from early barometers to this weather supercomputer, we’ve always led the way in developing technology to predict the weather.

We’ve always led the way in developing technology to predict the weather. Danny Alexander

“This £97m investment is a crucial part of the government’s wider drive to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research. By bringing world-class technology to the south west, we are also boosting regional investment and expertise, creating a stronger economy and fairer society.”

It is hoped that the new technology will bring £2 billion in benefits to the economy by giving people more advanced warning to protect their homes and businesses against extreme conditions.

The first phase of the supercomputer will be operational next September and the system will reach full capacity in 2017.