Met Office celebrates 150 years

Lord May of Oxford will perform the official opening

The Met Office is being officially opened in Devon on Monday as it celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The new £80m headquarters relocated to Exeter from Bracknell in September 2003.

Its supercomputers are now fully operational, resulting in a significant improvement in forecasting accuracy.

Chief meteorologist Ewen McAllum says the computers which analyse satellite images have made the biggest difference to the work of the Met Office.

The relocation of the Met Office with its staff of more than 1,000 has given a massive boost to the local economy.

As well as the state-of-the-art computers, the building includes a conference centre, sports and training facilities and restaurant.

The opening will be carried out by Lord Robert May of Oxford, who is the president of the Royal Society.