£1.2 billion for the world’s most powerful weather and climate supercomputer
Predicting severe weather and the impacts of climate change will be faster and more accurate than ever before, thanks to confirmation of £1.2 billion government funding to develop a state-of-the-art supercomputer, Business and Energy Secretary and COP26 President Alok Sharma announced today (17 February 2020).
Data from this new supercomputer – expected to be the world’s most advanced dedicated to weather and climate – will be used to help more accurately predict storms, select the most suitable locations for flood defences and predict changes to the global climate.
The new supercomputer, to be managed by the Met Office, will also be used to help ensure communities can be better prepared for weather disruption, including through:
- more sophisticated rainfall predictions, helping the Environment Agency rapidly deploy mobile flood defences
- better forecasting at airports so they can plan for potential disruption
- more detailed information for the energy sector to help them mitigate against potential energy blackouts and surges
With the government announcing its Year of Climate Action, the news further demonstrates the UK is leading by example ahead of hosting UN climate conference COP26, where the world will meet to agree more ambitious action.
Business and Energy Secretary and COP26 President Alok Sharma said:
"Over the last 30 years, new technologies have meant more accurate weather forecasting, with storms being predicted up to 5 days in advance."
"Come rain or shine, our significant investment for a new supercomputer will further speed up weather predictions, helping people be more prepared for weather disruption from planning travel journeys to deploying flood defences."
The new supercomputer will also strengthen the UK’s supercomputing and data technology capabilities, driving forward innovation and growing world-class skills across supercomputing, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Professor Penny Endersby, Met Office Chief Executive said:
"This investment will ultimately provide earlier more accurate warning of severe weather, the information needed to build a more resilient world in a changing climate and help support the transition to a low carbon economy across the UK."
"It will help the UK to continue to lead the field in weather and climate science and services, working collaboratively to ensure that the benefits of our work help government, the public and industry make better decisions to stay safe and thrive."
"We welcome this planned investment from UK government."
Chair of the Science Review Group Professor Ted Shepherd said:
"The agreement to upgrade the Met Office high performance computer is welcome news. The improved processing power will deliver a step-change in weather forecasting and climate modelling capability for the UK, such as the further development of the Earth Systems Model, which involves collaboration with the many UKRI-NERC funded research centres."
"Improved daily to seasonal forecasts and longer-term climate projections will equip society with a greater ability to proactively protect itself against the adverse impacts of climate change."
The Met Office is at the forefront of supercomputing, using its current technology to drive advances in environmental forecasting.
As a result, detailed weather predictions for the UK now take place every hour instead of every 3 hours, providing crucial and timely updates when extreme weather is approaching.
The benefit of this has been felt recently: major storms Ciara and Dennis, and the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018, were forecast 5 days in advance, enabling local councils and emergency services to prepare and instigate resilience plans. Similarly, the Environment Agency has used the Met Office’s latest UK climate projections set out potential future flooding scenarios and how funding can be best allocated.
UK supercomputer breakthroughs
Today, the government also announced £30 million investment for advanced supercomputing services, providing researchers with access to the latest technology and expert software engineers. It will also help them speed up scientific breakthroughs like developing ‘food fingerprinting’ to detect chemical contaminants in food and improving drug design.
The funding will support 7 High Performance Computing (HPC) services run by universities from across the UK, including Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Edinburgh, and Durham University. The services will provide researchers with invaluable access to powerful systems to support ground-breaking work in areas from Artificial Intelligence, energy storage and supply, and therapeutic drug design, as well as boosting the skills of UK scientists.
UK government Minister for Scotland Douglas Ross said:
"The UK government investment in Edinburgh’s supercomputers helps keep our capital at the forefront of cutting edge technology."
"The University of Edinburgh facility will benefit scientists from across the UK as they are given the opportunity to use this new technology. This additional funding builds on the work of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal which is creating world-leading hubs for AI research."
"The UK government is committed to combatting the impact of climate change on top of creating thousands of high-earning jobs and ensuring businesses and public services in the UK are the first to benefit from the latest innovations."
source gov.uk
Industry: Data Centre / Data Center
Latest Jobs
-
- Senior Client Microsoft Security Delivery Consultant - Hybrid (London | Remote)
- London
- N/A
-
Senior Client Microsoft Security Delivery Consultant - Hybrid (London | Remote) We are seeking an experienced technical Security Consultant to help clients deploy and enhance their cyber defences across Microsoft and vulnerability management technologies. You will work with enterprise customers to deliver tailored solutions across threat detection, endpoint protection and exposure management, ensuring security platforms are efficient, integrated and aligned with operational goals. Whilst you won't do the design yourself- you will work alongside technical Presales to document, agree and then deliver the solution. You will have experience leading delivery the implementation and improvement projects, providing hands-on support with configuration, integration and optimisation. You will assess existing environments, recommend enhancements and guide clients on best practice to strengthen visibility and control. Strong experience with SIEM, XDR and vulnerability tooling (Microsoft & Tenable ecosystems ideal) Understanding of Azure security, identity and access controls Background in consulting or project-based cyber delivery Clear communication skills with the ability to engage senior stakeholders Extra points if you have the SC-100. You must be eligible to achieve UK Security Clearance to be considered for this role.
-
- Account Director | Cyber Security Consulting | UK - South East
- London
- N/A
-
Account Director | Cyber Security Consulting - Financial Services | UK - South East. New Role due to Growth We are looking for an experienced Account Director to develop and expand existing relationships across the financial services sector, working with investment firms, asset managers, private equity groups and strategic partners to deliver intelligent cyber consulting and a bespoke Cyber product offerings. You will act as a trusted advisor, helping organisations strengthen digital resilience, manage third-party and regulatory risk and adopt a proactive approach to cyber assurance. Key Responsibilities Manage a defined portfolio of financial clients, understanding business priorities and aligning tailored cyber solutions. Drive new client engagement while nurturing existing partnerships through a consultative, long-term approach. Present the benefits of advanced cyber services including threat intelligence, vulnerability management, incident readiness, and continuous risk monitoring. Collaborate with technical and delivery teams to ensure smooth engagement from proposal through to implementation and ongoing support. Prepare proposals, negotiate commercial terms, and clearly articulate value and business outcomes. Build trusted relationships at senior and board level. Ideal Profile Strong background in cybersecurity, consulting, or risk management within financial services. Skilled communicator with proven success managing and growing key accounts. Able to translate complex technical insight into commercial and strategic value for clients. Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and decision makers. Please note: Sponsorship is not available.
-
- SOC Analyst- Level 2- Hybrid Greater London
- London
- N/A
-
SOC Analyst- Level 2- Hybrid Greater London New opportunity created through continued growth. We’re looking for a SOC Analyst (Level 2) to strengthen a growing managed security team. You’ll work hands-on with Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR, investigating alerts, responding to incidents, and helping improve how clients stay protected. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys unravelling security events, thinking critically under pressure, and making a real difference day to day. What you’ll do · Investigate and respond to security activity across SIEM and endpoint tools · Analyse network and log data to uncover real threats · Support automation initiatives to streamline response processes · Help maintain visibility, data flow, and performance across SOC platforms What you’ll need · Practical experience using Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR · Confident working with KQL or similar query languages · Understanding of attacker tactics and response techniques · SC-200 certifications would be nice. · Experience supporting multiple customer environments Please note: Sponsorship is not available.
-
- Senior SOC Engineer - UK - New role due to growth
- London
- N/A
-
Senior SOC Engineer – New role due to growth We are hiring a Senior SOC Engineer to take the lead across security operations for a growing managed service. You will lead detection, response and onboarding activity across multiple clients, helping shape how the SOC evolves. Expect variety; from fine-tuning alerts and threat hunting to supporting customers and mentoring junior analysts. What you’ll bring · Strong experience across SIEM, EDR, and threat detection tools · Confident working with customers in a managed service environment · Skilled in scripting or query languages such as KQL or PowerShell · Knowledge of frameworks like NIST, ISO27001, MITRE ATT&CK · Calm communicator with a problem-solving mindset · Experience with Azure Lighthouse or delegated access models · Prior involvement in automation or SOC improvement projects Location: South East England- Hybrid role Please note: Sponsorship cannot be offered now or in the future.