Weather forecasting has changed dramatically over the past 40 years, from pencils, erasers and the use of conceptual models of the atmosphere, to model driven products and highly technical support. The human forecaster/meteorologist remains firmly at the heart of the service to the customer but not at the heart of the production of data and products, as was the case through much of the last century.

This paper will look to the future, guided by what the external environment may look like and what may be the requirements that a Weather Service should satisfy. It will examine how the forecasting process in the UK is likely to evolve over the next 10 years or so and therefore what part the meteorologist will play in that journey.