The future of the service had been in doubt after the Harbours and Airport Committee, who has responsibility for the department, explored the possibility of using a UK-based forecasting service to cut costs.
But now the Met Office is transferring from Harbours to the Environment and Public Services Committee, meaning that the service is safe – for the time being at least.Harbours will relinquish control of the department from 1 January next year.
Although it will continue to be based at the Airport and still provide aeronautical forecasting, this will be charged to the Airport on a commercial basis.The transfer of responsibility is part of a wider initiative to bring the Island’s many environmental services, which are currently spread across a number of States departments, into a single structure answerable to the Environment and Public Services Committee.
