Met Éireann seeks replacement as weather observation network nears shutdown
About 150 Irish amateur weather watchers contribute to the WOW network. Its planned closure threatens access to their past observations and interrupts the existing route for new ones.
Met Éireann is seeking a replacement for the UK-hosted Weather Observations Website, or WOW, as its planned closure in late 2026 approaches. About 150 amateur weather watchers across Ireland send observations from private stations to the network, The Irish Times reported on 18 October. Its retirement will interrupt the existing route for displaying their readings and put access to past observations at risk.
What WOW’s closure means for Irish weather stations
The UK Met Office plans to decommission WOW in late 2026, according to Met Éireann’s WOW notice. The Irish Times reported December as the planned shutdown month. Neither source gives a precise day. Met Éireann says the hosting network began its retirement process in January.
When that process is complete, observations will no longer be uploaded to or displayed on Met Éireann’s WOW-IE map and data pages through the existing network. That affects people who contribute readings from their own equipment as well as people who use the map to see observations from those stations.
Met Éireann says these volunteer readings supplement its official stations. They can fill gaps in coverage and help track weather fronts or severe weather. The Irish Times reported that the readings are not official data: equipment differs between contributors, and Met Éireann cannot quality-control every observation to the same standard.
How contributors can preserve past WOW readings
Met Éireann advises users to download station data they are permitted to keep before WOW is retired. It says observations now available through wow.met.ie will no longer be accessible there after decommissioning. The Irish Times reported that historical WOW data will not be transferred to the replacement platform, making a download important for contributors who want to retain their records.
Met Éireann’s proposed replacement platform
Met Éireann says it is working with European partners to explore another platform for its data and for interested station owners’ observations. Its acting head of observations told The Irish Times that the service was cautiously aiming for an early 2027 start. The launch date and how contributors would use the new platform remain unsettled.
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Sources and context
- Met Éireann in scramble to save amateur weather watchers’ network from shutdownThe Irish Times
- Weather Observations Website — About WOWMet Éireann
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