Weather Channel to charge for forecasts

Users will be able to download software from weather.co.uk to receive a five-day forecast in their electronic calendars, including Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and all PDAs.

Users will be charged 50p a month or an annual subscription fee of £5 for the service. They will be able to subscribe to weather SMS news updates on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly and quarterly basis from £2.10 to £12.50, and will also be able to access forecasts via a 24-hour phone line, costing 60p a minute.

It is the first time The Weather Channel, which is based in the US, has offered paid-for content in either the UK or the US.

"There is an established market for paid-for content in the UK and a number of subscription services are being offered by our rivals. Advertising will continue to be a significant part of our business, but like a lot of online companies, we are looking to create new revenue streams,

said Louis Bucciarelli, vice-president of weather.co.uk.

The service will target mainly business travellers. "Nobody comes to weather.co.uk just to look for weather information; they are usually planning to do something, such as take a trip or commute, so we have to create products that meet the needs of users who are not always sat at their computer screens,

he added.