Who knows what the weather's going to do?

Meteo France, the body charged with all thing meteorological in France has threatened to close most of the local weather centres in France, including the Chamonix and Bourg St Maurice offices.

In a move to regionalise the weather service, Meteo France claims that new software and forecasting models will be able to accurately predict localised weather patterns from regional centres. In the case of Chamonix, it is rumoured the nearest centre will be Lyon.

Engineers in Chamonix dispute this claim, counter claiming that these systems are not yet in place and there are doubts over the reliability. If all the local weather centres close, around 1000 out of 3500 jobs currently at Meteo France could go.

Indeed, few could have predicted this situation and now the local offices have gone on strike. Yesterday the centre in Toulouse for weather statistics also walked out.

Not only do staff in the local offices fear for their jobs, but, as Yan Giezendanner at the Chamonix Meteo Office explained, it's hard to imagine PGHM getting localised, highly accurate and up to the minute information to help them make the decision to send out a search party to the Grand Jorasses or not when it comes from a regional centre far away in Lyon.

For those avid skiers who like to check the weather daily in winter and alpinists in the summer the local weather compiled out of Chamonix and Bourg St Maurice is essential and many doubt a regional centre will give such good service.

Conveniently, the big boss of Meteo France is away in China at the moment and as Yann retorted: 'On hearing of the strikes, he said he had no intention of changing his plans', so it looks like the offices may close, but not without a good fight we feel...

Story source: Dauphine Libere