METEOGROUP is to replace the Met Office as the BBC's weather forecaster.

The Met Office confirmed in August 2015 that it had lost the contract, marking the end of a more than 90-year partnership between the state-owned forecaster and the broadcaster.

MeteoGroup, which will take over in the spring of 2017, is the UK's largest private sector weather business, with offices in 17 countries around the world.

The company will provide forecasting and graphics for weather services across BBC platforms worldwide, including TV, radio, web and mobile.

MeteoGroup chairman Richard Sadler said: "MeteoGroup is honoured to have been chosen to partner with the world's leading broadcaster.

"The BBC is dedicated to offering the best possible weather service to its audience and it has been a demanding selection process."

MeteoGroup started out as MeteoConsult in the Netherlands in 1986 and was the first major European weather business in the private sector.

Its London headquarters was established in 2005 when PA Group, the parent company of the Press Association news agency, acquired a majority share in the business.

It was sold to global growth equity firm General Atlantic in 2014.

Nigel Charters, project director for BBC Weather procurement, said he was "extremely pleased" about the announcement.

He said the decision would mean that the corporation could further modernise its weather forecasting by "making the most of new technology and science to bring our audiences an even better service".

"We always want to give viewers and listeners the clearest, most accessible and accurate information which is why we've carried out a thorough, regulated procurement process to test all the organisations that applied on a wide range of areas including data, forecasting, graphics and technology," he said in a blog following the announcement.