Demisemiseptcentennial — 175 years of the Royal Meteorological Society

by Kirsty McCabe, FRMetS

2025 marks 175 years since the Royal Meteorological Society was founded (back in 1850 if you haven’t finished doing the sums yet). MetMatters loves a party, so we’ll be bringing you lots of content to celebrate the society’s Demisemiseptcentennial (half of half of 700 years) anniversary.

The society began life as The British Meteorological Society on 3 April 1850, later becoming the Royal Meteorological Society in 1883 when it was granted a Royal Charter. It was founded to promote the study of weather and climate, improve meteorological observations and advance forecasting techniques. In the 19th century, meteorology was an emerging science, so the society provided a place for scientists, researchers and weather enthusiasts to share knowledge, standardise data collection and improve public understanding of the weather.

Fast forward 175 years and the society still plays a key role in shaping the future of meteorology and climate science, supporting meteorologists and climate scientists, advancing research, influencing policy and helping society adapt to climate challenges.

Things have changed over the years, most noticeably modern weather forecasting compared to the rudimentary techniques of 1850. These days we have satellites, supercomputers and even AI to predict extreme weather events and understand climate change. And it’s the latter issue that makes understanding meteorology more critical than ever, with the society helping communicate risks and solutions to the public and policy makers.

MetMatters will also be celebrating our Crystal anniversary this April — as it is 15 years since theWeather Club was launched, rebranding as MetMatters in 2021. Our aim is to provide engaging and accessible weather and climate content, covering everything from historical weather events to the latest climate science. 

So during the rest of this demisemiseptcentennial year we will reflect on past achievements, celebrate the present and peek into the future of weather and climate science. We’ll look at how the UK’s weather patterns have changed, how weather forecasting has evolved, and revisit some of the most notable weather events of the past 175 years.

And I'll try to get the rest of the team on board with the use of demisemiseptcentennial!