History of the IMGW websites development as a communication tool

At the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) until 2006 one official web site www.imgw.pl was operational, where the information about the Institute and weather forecasts was placed. After the Institute's management was changed in 2006, it was decided to separate the IMGW home page containing the information on the Institute from the other one displaying weather forecasts. Forecasts were moved to the new www.pogodynka.pl portal (pogoda = weather).

In the paper the reasons leading to launch two separate web pages are discussed in detail, along with programme assumptions for the new weather portal. Hits were also analysed since its launching, that is from 6 November 2006 till 30 June 2010. Relationship between costs incurred during the above mentioned period and online advertising revenues were studied.

In the summary achievements are assessed (a large number of hits received as well as prestigious awards), and plans including programme assumptions are discussed. To illustrate the problem it should be stressed that our weather online reached in the middle of May 2010 almost 1 mln hits daily and became the largest monothematic weather portal in Poland, while at the time of its launching it attracted several thousand impressions monthly only. It took just 2.5 years to finally pay off the costs involved. At the same time a discussion on placing ads on the home page of the state Institute has started.

At some times, the impact of the weather can be more serious than at others and may threaten the safety of life and property. Our online advice helps people to mitigate the effects of high-impact weather.