Providing tomorrow's weather today: Reserve meteorologists deploy on ops at RAF Akrotiri
RAF Reserve meteorologists have finished a deployment to Cyprus during months of tensions in the Middle East.
The Mobile Met Unit (MMU) arrived at RAF Akrotiri soon after the airbase was hit in a drone attack in March.
Working alongside civilian meteorologists from the Met Office, the unit briefed aircrews on the weather conditions across the region before carrying out their sorties.
Expert capability
"The MMU came out to provide additional capabilities to the permanent Met Office staff," said Flying Officer Robyn Waldie, a Senior Operational Meteorologist.
"That gave us a little bit more resilience and more of that expert military capability to people on the ground here."
MMU personnel are Met Office meteorologists, deploying as Royal Air Force reservists.
Around 30 meteorologists are in the unit based out of RAF Waddington.
Fg Off Waldie completed her Reserve Officer Initial Training at Cranwell, commissioning in 2024.
Now the 27-year-old from Rochdale forecasts as both a civilian and reservist meteorologist.
"It means that we can go out to anywhere in the world, be that an operation or exercise, and give specialised weather forecasts that aid in those tactical and strategic decisions," she said.
Tomorrow's weather today
The Mobile Met Unit became the first Sponsored Reserve unit in 2000, supporting Op Herrick in Afghanistan and Op Telic in Iraq.
This is a special form of reservist service for employees of companies that provide support services to the MOD.
Met Office staff were mobilised during the First World War and were integral in the planning of D-Day.
The MMU's motto – tomorrow's weather today – comes from the Second World War meteorological flight, No. 520 Squadron.
"What happens up in the air is ultimately determined by the weather," added Fg Off Waldie.
"The more we can predict what's going to happen, the better we can work around the weather and with it, rather than against it."
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