The Met Office manage the national Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET) on behalf of the Government. The RIMNET system is a multi-purpose response tool and information sharing platform which supports the effective coordination of the UK’s emergency response to domestic and overseas radiological events and can also be utilised in non-radiological events.

The RIMNET system brings together key elements of UK’s emergency response to domestic and overseas nuclear accidents including the Met Office dispersion model. Through this modelling, the Met Office can provide a detailed picture of the potential dispersion of radioactive plumes over vulnerable areas sucah as cities and water sources. The maps are used by government and emergency planners via RIMNET.

The Met Office also maintains RIMNET’s network of around 230 gamma dose rate monitoring sites across the UK, automatically measuring and analysing background radiation levels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.