New Met Office service helps insurers with storm claims
The Met Office has launched a postcode weather mapping system called ClaimCheck that uses computer modelling to tell insurers the weather at any place and time to help with insurance claims.
Met Office senior scientist, Simon Jackson, said: "We use a wide variety of observing instruments such as satellites and rainfall radar, as well as physical models to build a more complete picture of the weather. Over 10 million of these 'modelled weather analyses' are used each day to supplement the traditional observing network."
The Met Office said ClaimCheck wopuld allow insurers to manage their claims - helping them provide a clearer, quicker and fairer service for their customers. It requires only a postcode and date to provide all the relevant weather information needed to assess a claim.
Cathy Durston, head of Met Office Consulting, siad: "We have for some time recognised the problem caused by the limitations of traditional observing networks. The practice of interpolating conditions based on limited observations is unsound because of influences such as mountains and other geographic features on the weather. ClaimCheck plugs the gaps in weather reports providing insurers with the same quality information as used by our forecasters."
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