forecasting weather and profits

After predicting a hot summer with record temperatures, the Met Office had to correct its forecast on Aug. 21, saying that there would be heavy downpours instead. More than twice the amount of rain fell in July than the long-term average.

This kind of forecasting failure costs supermarkets money. In response, Tesco has set up its own weather forecasting team. After three years of research, the six-person team has created its own software, based on the weather and shopping patterns of 12 British regions over the last three years.