WeatherNet Ltd

With 25 years’ experience, WeatherNet provides legal weather services, historical weather data, forensic meteorologists, and expert witness interpretation to the legal profession and all those involved in criminal or civil litigation. WeatherNet can assist in all matters of Forensic Meteorology. WeatherNet help lawyers, solicitors, the police force, barristers, insurance companies, the public and the civil engineering and construction community with a cost-effective and accurate analysis of historic weather data where the weather may have affected the outcome of the case. WeatherNet can help legal related weather cases for the UK and worldwide. With the Met Office no longer providing this service and WeatherNet now an authorised supplier of Met Office data, our services have become increasingly valuable to our legal clients.

This historic weather information is given in an easily understood Legal (CPR) Weather Report or as a Certified Witness Statement. All Legal (CPR) Weather Reports and Certified Witness Statements benefit from showing past weather data that is utilised, an interpretation, conclusion and a statement of compliance and truth. This information complies with civil and criminal court requirements (CPR Part 33 and/or 35) and the Jackson reforms that our clients can trust and rely on.

Legal (Non-CPR) Weather Reports are also available for reference or as a guide only. These legal weather reports can not be disclosed as evidence in a court of law as the report would not be fully researched and would only show a snapshot of raw daily or hourly data in the surrounding area of the incident. No interpretation, conclusion, statement of truth etc. would be enclosed within this report.

WeatherNet has access to historical weather data from a wide range of different meteorological sources, including our own exclusive network of urban based meteorological stations.

To date, WeatherNet have prepared more than 2500 related legal weather reports since 1997 for the legal industry. On average, WeatherNet service 100 new legal weather reports per year. Furthermore, we can also provide testimonies or names of referees if required and an expert forensic meteorologist for court appearances. In the last 5 years, WeatherNet have attended court to give evidence on two occasions (April 2018, and April 2019).

In the last 25 years, WeatherNet has provided weather-related reports for the following legal cases:

• • Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs)
• • Personal Injury Claims (Falling, Tripping and Slipping Accidents)
• • Flooding and Drainage Claims
• • Domestic and Commercial Insurance Claims
• • Liability
• • Travel and Transit
• • Contract Disputes
• • Industrial and Agricultural Incidents
• • Criminal Offences, including GBH, Rape, Murder and Burglary
• • Civil Engineering and Construction Extension and Disputes
• • Pollution and Contamination
• • Spoilage
• • Lighting, Visibility and Sunrise/Sunset Times
• • Aviation and Marine Incidents
• • Cargo Damage and Contamination
• • Sports and Leisure Injuries

A sample of a Legal (CPR) Weather Report, Legal (Non-CPR) Weather Report, Dr Richard Wild’s current CV and a legal weather services flyer are available upon request.

WeatherNet was established in 1995 to provide weather information to UK insurers on a postcode basis to help them verify claims for storm, freeze and flood. Although insurance remains a key business sector, WeatherNet has diversified, to offer bespoke services to industries such as construction, the utilities, and the legal profession.

Geographical area of work: All the UK and Worldwide

Legal Related Memberships and Training (Dr Richard Wild/WeatherNet Ltd):

Vetted by the Law Society of Scotland since November 2016 to present

Trained in the ‘Jackson Reforms’ by Bond Solon in May 2013

Vetted by the Expert Witness Directory of Scotland between October 2010 and October 2016 before it ceased

Vetted by the Expert Witness Directory of Ireland between October 2010 and November 2016 before it ceased

Included on the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) Expert Advisers Database since September 2010 to present. This was transferred into the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in April 2012 which then transferred again to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in October 2013 (www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk)

Professional Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (MCSFS) since June 2009 to present

Trained in the ‘aspects of report writing’ by Bond Solon in July 2008. Therefore, all legal weather reports written for future legal cases will comply with this training from this date.

Vetted by the Thomson Reuters Expert Witness Services since October 2007 to present

Member of the Academy of Experts (MAE) since June 2007 to present

Member of APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) since April 2007 to present

Member of the UK Register of Expert Witnesses since February 2007 to present

Vetted by the Expert Witness Directory between January 2005 and October 2017 before it ceased

Other Memberships (Dr Richard Wild):

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) since January 2005 to present

Member of the Association of British Climatologists between January 1995 and December 2009

Associate of the Royal Geographical Society between the years 1994 - 1995

Member of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation between the years
1993 – 1998

Member of the National Geographic Society since January 1993 to present

Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society (FRMetS) since October 1990 to present

Qualifications/Career History and Publications (Dr Richard Wild):

Current Title: Chief Meteorologist. Employed by WeatherNet Ltd since the 10th July 1997

Qualifications include a CertHE in Environmental Science with Geographical Science (obtained June 1992), BSc (Hons) in Geography (2:1) (obtained June 1994), while in July 1997, obtained a City and Guilds certificate in Teaching (stage 1) in further and adult education. In July 2005, obtained a PhD investigating the spatial and temporal analysis of heavy snowfalls across Great Britain between the years 1861-1999.

Produced forty research articles and four books about snow/snowfalls/blizzards/weather in general in several academic publications since 1995 to present.

Staff member of TORRO (Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (based at Oxford Brookes University)). Role within TORRO is Research Leader and Founder of Heavy Snowfalls which is a part of the Thunderstorm and Severe Weather Division. Have held this post since July 1998.

Made numerous talks at Universities, had local chats/written quotes for local/national radio, TV, and newspapers. Credited and/or acknowledged to have helped on over 270 films and various TV programmes including Spectre, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1/2, Alice Through The Looking Glass, Christopher Robin, Mary Poppins Returns, The Gentleman, No Time to Die and 1917.

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