Shropshire Council offering £90,000 for weather forecast expert
Shropshire Council is offering a £90,000 cash pot – for an expert to provide weather forecasts.
A new forecasting company is being sought by the council.
The authority is inviting bids from specialists who can predict the weather to help it look after the county’s roads throughout the winter.
The contract is worth around £90,000 and lasts for four years, with an option for a two-year extension.
Hugh Dannatt, contract service manager for highways and environment at Shropshire Council said that accurate forecasting was vital for the council as it seeks to keep the county’s roads operating throughout the winter months.
Bad weather can cause gridlock on Shropshire’s roads if the highways department cannot get gritters, snow ploughs or other equipment in place.
The company will be asked to use Shropshire Council’s existing weather stations and sensors alongside with their own resources for the forecasts.
Mr Dannat said: “Getting an accurate forecast of the weather over the winter period, October to April, is critical to the operation of the highways during the winter months.
“It enables Shropshire Council staff involved to make the correct decisions with regards to gritting the highways and helps them to ensure the right resources are mobilised at the right time.”
Mr Dannatt said that the tender process was designed to ensure the council gets the best value for Shropshire residents.
He said: “However, we also have to make sure we are getting the best service from the forecasting companies at the right price and we therefore have to “go to the market” at regular intervals.
“The current contract will have ended before October 1, 2017, and we are asking companies who have the ability to provide a price for providing the forecast information for the next four to six years.”
From October to April the council receives a morning summary, a 24-hour forecast each morning, a five-day forecast each afternoon, ice prediction graphs each afternoon, regular updates, and also subscribes to a 24-hour consultancy service from The Met Office.
The authority also has inspectors on call that can go out and see the situation on the ground.
The council treats around 28 per cent of the county’s roads with gritters in the event of bad weather, including all A and B roads, town centre shopping areas, and important cycle and pedestrian routes.
