Described as ‘cloud-based’ (an AI-driven computerised cloud that is), it can make or break your UK holiday well before it’s even started, according to the publicity. It’s said to run on 100% renewable energy, but that implies it’s off-grid, otherwise it gets the same mix of electron sources as everyone else on the electricity grid.
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The Met Office has unveiled a new supercomputer which it says produces better forecasts, reports BBC News.

The weather agency says detailed estimates up to 14 days in advance will become the norm, while rainfall predictions will also be more accurate.

The new cloud-based system, which was launched on Monday, can perform 60 quadrillion calculations per second. It is being operated by Microsoft’s cloud-based Azure, making it the first system the Met Office is not running by itself.

And it ends a long wait for the weather prediction tech, which was first announced in 2020 and originally slated for 2022.

According to the Met Office, this is the world’s first cloud-based supercomputer dedicated to weather and climate science.

It said one of the benefits of the tech will be improving forecasting at airports, while it could also give the energy sector more detailed information to help it plan for potential blackouts and surges.

And it said the supercomputer, which is entirely powered by renewable energy [Talkshop comment – really?], will also improve predications on ongoing challenges caused by climate change, such as flooding and wildfires.

Secret location
The new supercomputer, which can perform more than four times the number of calculations per second than its predecessor, contains 1.8m core processors.

While the exact location of the infrastructure is a secret, the Azure supercomputing service is physically located in the south of England and is split across two data centres.

After recent hacks of British institutions such as M&S and Co-op, cyber security is on “everyone’s thoughts” according to the Met Office’s chief information officer Charles Ewen.

But he said he is happy with the security of the new system and is “very confident this is a big enhancement” on its predecessor.

“There’s never been a more critical time for weather and climate intelligence,” said Prof Simon Vosper, the Met Office’s science director.

“We know the climate’s changing, as we know the risks of hazardous weather.

“The supercomputer will unlock our ability to deliver those improved services where they’re needed.”

In February 2020, the UK government pledged £1.2bn for the project, external and said the old supercomputers would reach the end of their lives in 2022.

Full report here.

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop

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May 20, 2025 at 05:19AM

via Watts Up With That?

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May 20, 2025 at 04:05AM

CFACT to CEO: “Now that BlackRock has “backed away” from climate politics, how does continuing to push climate disclosure policies not amount to soft ESG activism under a new name?”

via CFACT

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May 20, 2025 at 03:42AM

By Paul Homewood

Kathryn Porter’s new report on electricity prices has already garnered a lot of attention:

This evening my latest report: The true affordability of net zero, was launched at an event hosted by The Lord Offord of Garvel, Shadow Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero in the House of Lords. The event was attended by MPs, Peers and members of the energy community as well as the press. It’s the first time a report of mine has received quite so much attention. Ahead of the launch it was covered by UnHerd and the Telegraph.

My report reviews in depth the costs of renewable generation and their impact on our bills, driving British industrial electricity costs to the highest in the developed world, and our domestic costs to fourth highest. We’re told this is due to the cost of gas, yet our gas bills are only 15^th highest in the world. According to international energy price statistics published  by the UK Government, as of June 2024 (the last month included in the dataset), large British firms were paying 27.91 p /kWh for electricity while those in the EU paid just 10.80 p /kWh. But this was not always the case. Back in July 2011 there was almost no difference between the price paid by industrial consumers in the UK versus those in the €7.48 p /kWh compared with 7.04 p /kWh.

My report sets out all of the additional costs applied to bills as a result of net zero policies which in 2023-24 amounted to over £17 billion, and are projected to increase to over £20 billion per year in 2029-30. My analysis indicates that had Britain continued with its legacy gas-based power system in the period since 2006, consumers would have been almost £220 billion better off (2025 money) even taking into account the impact of the gas crisis.

Read the full report here.

I would highlight two graphs, the first of which disproves the lie that our electricity prices are high because of high gas prices:

The second shows the full cost of policy costs:

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

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May 20, 2025 at 03:34AM