Met. Office Crying 'Woolf!' ?
I think I have detected an increasing trend in Met Office Weather forecasts
over the past year or so, to exaggerate weather dangers. Not only in general
forecasts when it never seems to get as wet, hot, cold, windy etc as they
say, but also in shipping and inshore forecasts. A number of times over the
last year I have not sailed because of warnings of Gales or F6s and above
which have not materialised, and consequently I have missed a good day out.
I am now beginning to discount their pessimism a bit, and no doubt one day
the forecast will come true and I'll get caught out and they can shout 'We
told you so'.
I can't help thinking that there's a lawyer somewhere in the background
advising them to forecast the worst possible, rather than the most likely,
weather, in order to avoid litigation or criticism. (a la M. Fish -'There
won't be a Hurricane").
What do you think?
I wonder if anyone there reads this newsgroup?
|