The Met Office had planned to stop updating GISST/GIICE datasets in May 2003.
However, some problems were encountered in producing the GISST updates from March 2003.

"The current route for producing GISST uses the version 1 of the Reynolds optimally 
interpolated SSTs as background field in some areas, and these fields are no longer 
being produced. We (The Met Office) could switch to using version 2, but this would 
produce some differences in the result, particularly for areas close to sea-ice."

After careful consideration, the Met Office has decided to stop updating the GISST/GICE 
datasets. The last update is therefore for February 2003.

The Met Office has a replacement product, called HadISST, which has been available 
from the Met Office as an historical dataset and is now being made operational 
(i.e. updated every month). HadISST has a different sea-ice analysis from GISST; as 
a consequence of this, the data will not be available until the 2nd of the month, 
2 months afterwards (e.g. January's data will become available in March).

The BADC is now working on making this replacement dataset available to registered users.
Users will be informed in due course.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause in the meantime.

BADC Support 11/04/03.