Météo-France Faces Criticism Amid Automation and Staff Cuts Impacting Forecast Accuracy

Météo-France, the national meteorological service of France, is under increasing scrutiny for the accuracy of its weather forecasts following significant automation and staff reductions. The service, employing 2,600 individuals including 600 forecasters, has seen nearly a 20% reduction in workforce since 2012 and an 18% cut in public funding from 2013 to 2022. This austerity has led to a shift from expert meteorological analysis to reliance on automated systems like 'Alpha', triggering criticism over forecast reliability.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot highlighted that a recent snowfall event in northern France was underestimated, underscoring concerns over forecast quality. Unions and staff have reported that automation has resulted in erroneous predictions, such as an implausible 28°C forecast in Strasbourg during winter, fueling frustration and strikes among meteorologists.

Météo-France operates with data from 13,000 weather stations across France, traditionally synthesized by experts but increasingly processed automatically. Despite recent efforts to stabilize funding and staffing levels, the service continues to grapple with the challenges posed by climate change and the heightened need for precise forecasts to support critical sectors like agriculture and transportation.

This ongoing tension reflects broader debates about the balance between technological efficiency and professional expertise in public services, with calls from various public figures for audits to assess Météo-France’s performance. While the service also manages real-time weather alerts—such as the recent yellow wind alert for Morbihan amid Storm GORETTI—the underlying issues of automation and reduced human oversight remain central concerns as the country faces volatile weather conditions.