What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Whatever the merits of the study, where does it actually say that we are
due a "white Christmas"?

Still, that's journalists for you!


White Christmas likely, says study Oct 26 2004

It's enough to make the bookies freeze with fear - Britain has more
chance than ever of a thick cover of snow this Christmas, scientists are
predicting.

A study of 140 years of winter weather has found that while short
showers are declining, heavy and prolonged blizzards are increasing
decade on decade.

Richard Wild, director of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation
(TORRO), said his study rubbished theories that Britain no longer
suffers from bitter cold snaps.

He said his work had examined snowfall trends since records began in
1861 and uncovered a steadily growing pattern of downfalls lasting over
24 hours.

"Between 1890 and 1899 the UK witnessed about 27 heavy snowfalls," said
Mr Wild, one of the country's leading snow experts.

"This has steadily risen decade on decade and between 1990 and 1999 it
had reached just under 60,"

"The perception is that we are not getting the snow we used to. In
reality, snow is falling - but it is falling in unpopulated areas of the
country."

Mr Wild, a meteorologist for Bournemouth-based WeatherNet ltd, said the
increase in heavy snow showers is partly down to climate change.

He added: "We are a warmer world - which means there is more moisture in
the atmosphere. This also means there is more potential for snow to
occur when temperatures drop."

His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.



--
Steve Jackson,
Bablake Weather Station,
Coventry, UK
http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/bws

"Steve Jackson" wrote in message
...
What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Whatever the merits of the study, where does it actually say that we are
due a "white Christmas"?

Still, that's journalists for you!


White Christmas likely, says study Oct 26 2004

It's enough to make the bookies freeze with fear - Britain has more chance
than ever of a thick cover of snow this Christmas, scientists are
predicting.

A study of 140 years of winter weather has found that while short showers
are declining, heavy and prolonged blizzards are increasing decade on
decade.

Richard Wild, director of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation
(TORRO), said his study rubbished theories that Britain no longer suffers
from bitter cold snaps.

He said his work had examined snowfall trends since records began in 1861
and uncovered a steadily growing pattern of downfalls lasting over 24
hours.

"Between 1890 and 1899 the UK witnessed about 27 heavy snowfalls," said Mr
Wild, one of the country's leading snow experts.

"This has steadily risen decade on decade and between 1990 and 1999 it had
reached just under 60,"

"The perception is that we are not getting the snow we used to. In
reality, snow is falling - but it is falling in unpopulated areas of the
country."

Mr Wild, a meteorologist for Bournemouth-based WeatherNet ltd, said the
increase in heavy snow showers is partly down to climate change.

He added: "We are a warmer world - which means there is more moisture in
the atmosphere. This also means there is more potential for snow to occur
when temperatures drop."

His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.

I was just going to post the self-same piece (courtesy of the news wires).
Richard, who has been known to post here and is possibly lurking,
will find, like so many before him, that feeding the press earns him
nothing but badly burnt fingers. You can tease out from the article what
he says and what the journalist says, but that's not the point. The point
is the way the news release has been used by the journalist. I've just
come off the phone to the D***y T***g**ph desperately trying to
explain what I think the research means (not that I know because I
haven't seen the original work) and I hope the result is that their
coverage is less hyped than the last time. But I wouldn't bet on it.
Perhaps a DT reader will let us know tomorrow morning (I don't
read it).

Philip Eden

"Steve Jackson" wrote in message
...
What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Big Snip
His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.



--
Steve Jackson,
Bablake Weather Station,
Coventry, UK
http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/bws

Such stunning scientific revelations are surely worthy of the nobel prize in
physics?
Not sure who the journalist was, but surely they should leave their
childrens 11+ essays out of
circulation?
Alex.

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...

"Steve Jackson" wrote in message
...
What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Whatever the merits of the study, where does it actually say that we are
due a "white Christmas"?

Still, that's journalists for you!


White Christmas likely, says study Oct 26 2004

It's enough to make the bookies freeze with fear - Britain has more
chance
than ever of a thick cover of snow this Christmas, scientists are
predicting.

A study of 140 years of winter weather has found that while short
showers
are declining, heavy and prolonged blizzards are increasing decade on
decade.

Richard Wild, director of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation
(TORRO), said his study rubbished theories that Britain no longer
suffers
from bitter cold snaps.

He said his work had examined snowfall trends since records began in
1861
and uncovered a steadily growing pattern of downfalls lasting over 24
hours.

"Between 1890 and 1899 the UK witnessed about 27 heavy snowfalls," said
Mr
Wild, one of the country's leading snow experts.

"This has steadily risen decade on decade and between 1990 and 1999 it
had
reached just under 60,"

"The perception is that we are not getting the snow we used to. In
reality, snow is falling - but it is falling in unpopulated areas of the
country."

Mr Wild, a meteorologist for Bournemouth-based WeatherNet ltd, said the
increase in heavy snow showers is partly down to climate change.

He added: "We are a warmer world - which means there is more moisture in
the atmosphere. This also means there is more potential for snow to
occur
when temperatures drop."

His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.

I was just going to post the self-same piece (courtesy of the news wires).
Richard, who has been known to post here and is possibly lurking,
will find, like so many before him, that feeding the press earns him
nothing but badly burnt fingers. You can tease out from the article what
he says and what the journalist says, but that's not the point. The point
is the way the news release has been used by the journalist. I've just
come off the phone to the D***y T***g**ph desperately trying to
explain what I think the research means (not that I know because I
haven't seen the original work) and I hope the result is that their
coverage is less hyped than the last time. But I wouldn't bet on it.
Perhaps a DT reader will let us know tomorrow morning (I don't
read it).

Philip Eden



I think we will all look for that one:-)

Gavin.

"Steve Jackson" wrote in message
...
What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Whatever the merits of the study, where does it actually say that we are
due a "white Christmas"?

Still, that's journalists for you!


White Christmas likely, says study Oct 26 2004

It's enough to make the bookies freeze with fear - Britain has more
chance than ever of a thick cover of snow this Christmas, scientists are
predicting.

Which scientists? Metcheck?

A study of 140 years of winter weather has found that while short
showers are declining, heavy and prolonged blizzards are increasing
decade on decade.

Richard Wild, director of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation
(TORRO), said his study rubbished theories that Britain no longer
suffers from bitter cold snaps.

Who says we don't 'suffer' from them?
They're just less frequent, that's all.

He said his work had examined snowfall trends since records began in
1861 and uncovered a steadily growing pattern of downfalls lasting over
24 hours.

"Between 1890 and 1899 the UK witnessed about 27 heavy snowfalls," said
Mr Wild, one of the country's leading snow experts.

"This has steadily risen decade on decade and between 1990 and 1999 it
had reached just under 60,"

More reporting, especially in thinly populated areas.

"The perception is that we are not getting the snow we used to. In
reality, snow is falling - but it is falling in unpopulated areas of the
country."

Well there's a thing!
Snow is more reported in thinly populated areas, which are higher and
colder. It probably always *did* fall in these areas but previously would
have gone unoticed.

Mr Wild, a meteorologist for Bournemouth-based WeatherNet ltd, said the
increase in heavy snow showers is partly down to climate change.

But earlier on in this article it was stated that 'short showers' were
decreasing and now they are saying showers are *increasing*.
So which is it?

He added: "We are a warmer world - which means there is more moisture in
the atmosphere. This also means there is more potential for snow to
occur when temperatures drop."

His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.

My God, that's amazing!
Did his research also show the amazing fact that snow is more likely
the higher up you go?

Twaddle indeed......

Col
--
Bolton, Lancashire.
160m asl.
http://www.reddwarfer.btinternet.co.uk
http://www.reddwarfer.btinternet.co....rPictures.html

In article ,
Steve Jackson writes:
What do you think of this article that appeared in tonight's "Coventry
Evening Telegraph"?

Whatever the merits of the study, where does it actually say that we
are due a "white Christmas"?

Still, that's journalists for you!

To be fair, it's sub-editors for you. AIUI, they write the headlines for
the journalists' articles. The actual article looks to me like it's
quite a reasonable report, apart from the lead-in first paragraph, which
again may well be the work of a sub-editor.

The headline is even dafter when you consider this quote from Richard
Wild contained in the article: "The perception is that we are not
getting the snow we used to. In reality, snow is falling - but it is
falling in unpopulated areas of the country." I wouldn't have described
Coventry as unpopulated.
--
John Hall
"It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless
information."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

In message , Steve Jackson
writes
His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.

Perceptive stuff!
--
Murray McGregor

His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales

.....At last, got something right! If I have to contradict another friend,
relative, colleague who tells me this week we are in for a severe winter I
will go mad. Sod's law is that it either will be now or three days of snow
and ice will become "The big freeze". Damn media. (Philip excepted of
course!)

Dave

and"Murray McGregor" wrote in message
...
In message , Steve Jackson
writes
.

Perceptive stuff!
--
Murray McGregor

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 20:30:17 +0100, Murray McGregor
wrote:

In message , Steve Jackson
writes
His research also revealed that heavy snow is more likely to fall in
Scotland than in England or Wales.

Perceptive stuff!



I rather liked

In reality, snow is falling - but it is falling in unpopulated areas of the
country."

I'd often wondered why there was more snow in the Cairngorms that in
London.


--
Paul

Ahh.. Philip. So it's the Daily Express that you write for?


..
I've just come off the phone to the D***y T***g**ph desperately trying to
explain what I think the research means (not that I know because I haven't
seen the original work) and I hope the result is that their coverage is less
hyped than the last time.