08 May 2008

 S4C’s new-look online weather service has today (Thursday, 8 May 2008) been launched on the channel’s website.

The new bilingual website – www.s4c.co.uk/tywydd or www.s4c.co.uk/weather - is the latest phase in the relaunch of S4C’s Tywydd - Weather service.

S4C’s on-screen weather website was relaunched in November last year to coincide with S4C’s 25th anniversary.

The S4C weather service, produced for S4C by ITV Wales and presented by weather casters Chris Jones, Mari Grug and Erin Roberts, broadcasts up to six weather bulletins daily in Welsh on S4C and digital service, S4C Digidol.

The new website, using the latest weather forecast technology and satellite imagery, is updated three times a day, and even more often in exceptional or extreme weather conditions.

The site includes the latest on-screen weather bulletin, a detailed weather map of Wales, satellite weather imagery updated hourly and presenter profiles. Local five-day forccasts are also available for 25 specific areas of Wales, from Holywell in the north east to Haverfordwest in the south west and from Holyhead in the north west to Monmouth in the south east.

Another useful feature will be detailed weather updates for specific venues in Wales hosting shows, festivals, sport events, open-air concerts. The website service will also provide detailed weather for venues in the rest of the UK and Europe when relevant to Welsh sports fans or festival-goers heading to events abroad.

S4C’s Director of Communications Huw Rossiter said, “The new online weather service adds further value to S4C’s website.”

Weather service producer Dilys Morris-Jones of ITV Wales added, “The on-line weather information service is a key development in the service provided to S4C viewers. It is part of the strategy to make the weather accessible to the widest possible audience. Exciting future plans are in development as well."

Ends

Notes to Editors

S4Cs weather Tywydd service was outsourced in 2007 and the production contract was won by ITV Wales in an open tendering process.

The S4C website was relaunched in the beginning of 2007 as part of the relaunch of the S4C brand identity