MET Office staff forecast stormy weather ahead yesterday if the government failed to act to settle a long-running dispute over pay.

The workers’ union Prospect said that its Met Office members would take the “extremely rare” step of walking out next week in protest at the government’s pay policy, which it says is widening wage gaps compared with the public sector.

Prospect also warned that the government’s imposition of low pay rises was also restricting the Met Office’s ability to close the gender pay gap.