For ITV Weather, the wind of change is blowing
By Mona Lukha, Head of ITV Weather
It's a national obsession, has the power to make or break days and it's the most talked about subject in the country.
Weather is a prominent part of our daily lives and it remains just as important a part of ITV’s output as it did when weather began on the channel in 1955.
From today, ITV launches a new look to its weather service across national and regional news and Good Morning Britain.
It was time to review and refresh our output, so ITV commissioned research to understand how viewers and consumers engage with the weather.
The results from this research gave direction to the new design of weather graphics and presentation.
Research has showed that 62% of us check the weather at least once a day. And for many it’s the first thing they do in the morning.
Figures from 2015 by Opinion research agency found that 58% of adults say they check the weather either within an hour of getting up or before leaving the house in the morning.
So it's no surprise that weather is the most talked about subject in the Britain. In fact, UK adults talk about the weather on average six times per week and, perhaps bizarrely, women talk about the weather more than any other subject.
Our research told us that while symbols are nostalgic, they are a little tired and out-dated.
Technology has advanced and the public have changed the way they access weather information. Viewers were keen to see a greater visual understanding of how the weather will impact their location, and a stronger sense of how the weather changes over time in their local area.
So from today, you can expect to see an hour-by-hour forecast. We have introduced new higher resolution maps that will provide a detailed weather forecast with a consistent look across ITV News and Good Morning Britain.
What you will see is the result of a lot of hard work. We have agonised over how the maps look, from the land and sea to how cloud, rain and wind appear on your screen. The colours had to be just right.
ITV is proudly continuing its partnership with the Met Office to ensure our weather bulletins will deliver accurate forecasts.
Not only is accuracy important for a weather forecast, but also you told us that you want a forecast supplied by a trustworthy supplier.