Met Éireann Divisions
Information Technology Division


Computer Applications and Platforms
The IT Division is responsible for the procurement, installation, support and maintenance of a wide range of computer hardware and software to support the growing needs of the organisation and its customers. Complex data processing systems are installed for numerical weather prediction, weather graphics production, display and plotting as well as the various computer-based platforms required to support the day to day needs of desktop users. The IT Division liaises with all other Divisions in Met Éireann, most notably with the Research and Applications Division regarding numerical prediction and graphics systems, with the Instruments and Environmental Monitoring Division on such matters as the computing aspects of the Weather Surveillance Radar systems, Weather Satellites and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and with the Climatology and Observations Division regarding the Climate Database.

Aviation Weather Database
This Division maintains a real-time database of current aviation data, which includes METARS, TAFS, Long TAFS, SIGMETS, Local Warnings and Local Area Forecasts for the regional airports. This database can be interrogated using a specialised Request/Reply protocol on AFTN and it can be accessed through a menu-based Self-Briefing-Unit (SBU) specially designed for use by airline pilots and helicopter pilots from the Irish Air Corps.

Telecommunication Links
Met Éireann is linked to the Regional Meteorological Data Communications Network (RMDCN) which facilitates the constant exchange of global weather data between National Meteorological Services. The RMDCN link is centrally managed by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Reading, UK. This link is also used for the routine reception of Boundary Condition data and medium range weather forecast products. This Division supports Wide Area Network (WAN) links to the Airports, the link to the Internet, dial-up links to the weather observation stations and WAN links to a range of customers sites such as Television Stations and the Fast Ethernet LAN at Head Quarters. The IT Division is also responsible for the reception of aviation weather data from a large area which spans from 120 W to 50 E and from about 70 N to 20 N (roughly from Los Angeles to Tbilisi and from Tromso in Norway to the Canary Islands). (See overview map below). Aviation weather data from airports throughout this area are routinely routed over two circuits to Met Éireann from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at Heathrow Airport, London, via the Irish Aviation Authority(IAA) and via the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN).

IT Division Staff
The IT Division is staffed by a team of 16 people including 9 people who are engaged in project management, procurement and installation of new systems, applications development, support and maintenance of existing systems. There are 6 people on rostered duties in the IT operations section providing 24-hour operational support and monitoring for all the mission critical systems.