Weather prediction game challenges public to beat the scientists - again

An interactive weather forecasting game has returned, allowing everyone from amateur meteorologists to school pupils to take on world-leading scientists at the University of Reading.

The Weather Game challenges players to predict things like maximum temperature, total sunshine and total rainfall over a series of weekends, in multiple locations around the world.

Players use forecasts on weather apps and websites like the BBC and Met Office to make their predictions, and points are awarded for accurate estimates.

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“The Weather Game always proves just how skilful weather forecasters have to be, and we hope some players might go on to follow in the footsteps of television presenters like Laura Tobin and Tomasz Schafernaker, who learnt their trade at Reading.” - Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, Department of Meteorology

Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, Head of the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, said: “Following last year’s success, we’re pleased to again invite players of all ages and abilities to test their forecasting skills alongside Reading’s world-leading weather and climate scientists.

“The Weather Game always proves just how skilful weather forecasters have to be, and we hope some players might go on to follow in the footsteps of television presenters like Laura Tobin and Tomasz Schafernaker, who learnt their trade at Reading.”

The game returns as a public competition for a second year in 2021, having been popular among staff and students at the University for a number of years. It is also played by scientists and students at Reading’s partner institutions – such as the University of Oklahoma in the USA, where some Reading undergraduate students spent part of their degrees, and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology in China.

The 2020 edition proved how difficult weather forecasting can be, with very few of the nearly 300 players correctly predicting any of the requested elements, and a 12-year-old girl beating dozens of experienced meteorology experts to finish 11^th overall.

Players in the 2021 game must sign up at weathergame.reading.ac.uk and submit their forecasts by 7pm on Friday 11 June, with the game running for six weeks.