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Monday 24 August 2015

Weathering the storm

...or more precisely a storm in a tea cup.

Auntie Beeb has done it again, she's making changes that ordinary folk might not be too pleased about. It has certainly come as an unwelcome change to me.

For over 90 years the BBC has been broadcasting weather reports, and useful too. Now a decision has been made to use another provider for the reports. Out with information from the much respected Meteorological and in with t.b.a.

Apparently it is a cost-cutting exercise.

Wonder who will provide the forecasts in future? As far as I am concerned, the best, most accurate records come from the U.K. Met Office; they've been doing it for over 150 years!

Monday 1st of August 2011 was a very special day for the Met Office. They celebrated 150 years of forecasting for the nation, and marked the anniversary of the first ever appearance in print of a public weather forecast.

Social media has been agog with all and sundry expressing views about the Beeb and the Met. Office.

Problem being it made me realize that the 'average'  person has little, if any accurate knowledge of meteorology. The cynic in me says that when the Beeb dumb-down the forecasts by using a.n.other provider, Joe Public will probably be none the wiser. 

At least, I can continue to access 'proper' forecasts from the Met. Office web-pages.

3 comments:

Joy said...

Maybe they will use the Daily Express. They may not be accurate but they are surely sensational. :-)
J x

Sayre said...

I used to go to the Weather Channel here in the states for my weather info - which is rubbish now. The only thing they are good for is radar, which only works sometimes. They used to do real weather, but now it's a bunch of weather reality shows. I wind up going to the National Weather Service or the National Hurricane Center for info now - but you have to know exactly where to look for it to do you any good. I'm so very sorry that money makes the world go 'round. People want more of it, so go the cheapest way so they can get more. Stupid.

joanygee said...

Thank you for posting. The US National Hurricane Center is a great site, I used to use it at work sometimes.
I'll have to take a peek at the Express Joy. Not a forecast I'm familiar with. Have just taken a look and they use the Weather Channel.
Some of the National newspapers use the Met Office.
It'll be interesting to see the changes in the BBC reports. They'll certainly receive complaints if it degenerates into something akin to ITV.