The GHX model is something which has been created in house at Metcheck which we think provides the most accurate weather forecasting model available.
It's easy to say that we are the best and we are the most accurate blah blah! But The GHX model is something which is a little bit special.
How often does it run?
The GHX is run hourly for the UK and Ireland and a minimum of every two hours for other parts of the world.
What makes it unique?
The problem with relying on one model is that if it is wrong then the rest of the model is likely to be wrong too. Not just that, but some models have weaknesses with things like low cloud, rain and temperatures. The GHX goes one step further by blending models as each run comes through. This means an ensemble of ensembles which provides the most likely outcome of the weather.
But sure this is just an average?
Ahh, that's what some other sites do. The problem with this is you end up with a very generic forecast. The GHX will monitor satellite and radar images every 5 minutes to see what is happening and then scan the models to see which one is handling the scenario the best. So, if there is fog, low cloud or rain happening right now if your area then the GHX will know this and see which model is handling it the best and weight accordingly.
Models Used
Oi! As if we would tell you our secret ingredients.... Heinz wouldn't do it!
All we can say is that for the 0-96 hour weather forecasts we use a blend of thirteen weather models. Then from 96 to 120 hour we use a blend of six and then finally for 120 hour to 240 hours ahead we use four global weather models.
So why doesn't everyone do it?
They could... We just got there first!
What difference do I see?
In short, you will see far more accurate forecasts on the site than you see elsewhere. This isn't just because we have more models available, but instead of data changing every 6 hours as a new model comes through you will find our forecasts only slightly change with each hourly update to the GHX.
How often is it updated?
The actual model is updated hourly for the UK and Ireland and every two hours for the rest of the world.
Can I put GHX forecast data on my website?
You certainly can and we are so proud of it we give the raw data away for free! You have two possible ways of putting the data on your site :-
JSON Raw Data (Advanced)
Weather Stickies (Easy)
The GHX itself is constantly worked on and updated at Metcheck. Not just that, but if we find a new model available then we simply plug it into the GHX to make our forecasts even more accurate.
