Weather Watchers Terms and Conditions

Weather Watchers allows you to share your weather photos and observations with like-minded people from across the UK. It is your chance to tell the story of the weather where you are.

You can use your mobile phone, tablet or computer to upload pictures and weather observations by choosing one of our iconic weather symbols to describe what you can see. If you're more of a seasoned weather hobbyist, you can also include detailed readings such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and so on.

If you want to see what other local Weather Watchers are experiencing, don't forget to check out your photos near you page.

So get involved and join us here at Weather Watchers to take part in the nation's favourite conversation.

These house rules are to keep you safe and help you enjoy being part of the Weather Watchers community.

1. At the moment, Weather Watchers is only open to people who are 16 or older. Parents or teachers are welcome to involve children in their care in the club, but someone who's 16 or older will need to set up and oversee the account. Weather Watchers is open to private individuals and non-commercial amateur weather groups. Commercial enterprises, businesses, charities or organisations are not allowed to join.

2. In order to become a Weather Watcher, you will need to register or sign in to your BBC account first.

3. We're inviting you to upload photos of the weather you're currently experiencing to help us tell the weather story. You must have taken the photo yourself, or have permission from the person who took it. Breaking copyright law can result in being taken to court. For more information, see the BBC's guide to copyright.

4. Please respect your own and other people's privacy. Don't include contact or identification details in your reports, such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses or social media contacts. Please don't reveal any personal information about yourself or others as it might inadvertently put you or someone else at risk.

5. Please don't include anything that can directly identify you. So no house names or numbers, no street names, no building names and no descriptions of the location of your house. For more information about online safety please visit the BBC guide to online safety.

6. Any photos must be of places, not people. We won't be able to accept any photos that include identifiable people.

7. Please select the correct date, time, and location that you observed the weather conditions recorded in your report. If you are creating a report for a photo taken in the past, make sure you adjust the date and time at the top of the 'Create Report' screen to reflect this. For example, if you took a photo of last night's sunset but uploaded it this morning you must include yesterday's date, time, and location in your report. We cannot use reports which have incorrect data.

8. Obscene images are absolutely not acceptable and will be removed. Photos that are not contemporaneous or not taken by you will also be removed. Anyone who posts the aforementioned images may have their accounts suspended and be required to leave the club. Weather Watchers can report inappropriate photos using the 'Report photo' link below each report card.

9. This is a community of like-minded people. So be open and kind. Abusive or disruptive behaviour is not allowed on the BBC website. This includes:

- Using swear words (including abbreviations or alternative spellings) or other content likely to offend;

- Harassing, threatening or causing distress or inconvenience to any person or people;

- Flaming: This means posting something that's angry and mean-spirited;

- Trolling: This means posting deliberately provocative things just to stir up trouble;

- Restricting or inhibiting anyone else's use and enjoyment of Weather Watchers.

10. When you register with us, we ask for your email so we can validate your access to the site and for other service administration purposes. From time to time we may also contact Weather Watchers to ask if they'd like to take part in related TV and radio programmes, or online features.

11. By signing up to BBC Weather Watchers, you give permission for us to use your reports across the BBC. Any comments you include in your report are for your records only, so we won't share or use them on air. We will only use your reports in the context of Weather Watchers or weather-related stories.

12. The BBC is committed to keeping your personal information safe and private. By creating a profile with BBC Weather Watchers, you are accepting the Terms of Use on this page. For more information about how we collect, use and protect your information on Weather Watchers, check our Privacy Notice.

1. When you first join Weather Watchers, you'll need to complete a short registration process. This should only take a few minutes and will only need to be done once. It's very simple and will allow you to make the most of being in the Club.

2. By signing up to Weather Watchers, you give permission for the BBC to use photos and information included in your weather reports on the BBC.

3. When you first sign up, we'll ask you to sign in to your existing BBC account, or register for a new one. You'll need to enter a valid email address in order to create an account. You will need to verify your email address before you get started.

4. You'll then automatically return to Weather Watchers and be asked to create your Weather Watchers nickname. This can include your first name (no surnames please) and a description of the type of place you're reporting the weather from, e.g. Geoff's Garden, Kulwant's Allotment, Paul's Park, etc. This is how your site will be described in the Weather Watchers Club and on-air if the BBC uses your pictures or observations, e.g. "This picture was sent to us from Sue's Garden in Windlesham". When choosing your nickname, please keep it clean; we won't accept any profanities or abusive terms.

5. You'll then be asked to set your location. This is the area you'll be posting most of your weather reports from. It doesn't need to be your home. It could be a local park, your workplace or another public space you regularly visit. You can enter a UK town, city or postcode.

6. We won't show your exact location. When your report card appears on the Weather Watchers map, it will be within a ½ mile square.

7. Occasionally, BBC weather producers might want to get in touch with you about your reports. They'll do this via the email you give when you register.

8. Once you've set your location, we'll ask you to confirm you're 16 or older.

9. You'll then be ready to create your first report card.

10. Pick a weather symbol and, if you wish, provide other weather data. There's a comments box that's for your reference only, so other Weather Watchers won't see what's written here but it can be used to give additional information about the photo.

11. Upload a photo which clearly depicts the weather conditions you're observing.

12. Photos should be ones taken by you (or else have permission of the photographer), and they should show the weather you're describing from your location. Don't use other people's photos without permission as you could be breaking copyright laws. Please don't post any advertising, promotion of products or services, or web links (URLs).

13. Photos should be no larger than 10 MB (megabytes).

14. We're inviting you to upload photos of the weather you're experiencing. Any photos must be of places NOT people. We won't be able to accept any photos that include identifiable people and/or people in the foreground.

15. In photos, please avoid identifying individual private buildings or homes. Pictures should focus on scenery and illustrating the weather you're reporting: a beautiful sunrise, snow on a hedge, the bins blown over by the wind.

16. You can then publish your report card and, if you wish, share it via email or social media.

17. Within a minute or two, your report card should appear on the nationwide Weather Watchers map. Other Weather Watchers will be able to see your report card, and you'll be able to see theirs.

18. Keep reporting! When you create a new report card, it will replace your previous one on the map, but you'll keep a permanent record of all your report on your home page. On the map, the most recent reports will be the brightest; they'll fade as they get older. Please limit the number of posts to a maximum of ten a day and only submit one or two of your best pictures at a time. Our 'Photos Near You' section is an automated feed and one person uploading many pictures at once limits the range of contributors we can feature.