I sort of share your sentaments, there does seem to be a lot more shouting
about the possibilities of severe weather, but a lot of this is hype whipped
up by the media rather than serious forecasting from Met O.

I can confirm that this newsgroup certainly was read when I was shackled to
the Met O to earn my (very)meagre crust.

ISIII
"Duncan Heenan" wrote in message
...
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?