Will Hand wrote:


But what words are left to describe minus 5 and force 9? Forecasters are
using exceptional descriptions for unexceptional weather. If people get
used to thinking this "rather cold" weather is "bitterly cold", how can
they be warned of weather with temperatures ten degrees lower and winds
ten knots stronger? Weather forecasters and presenters should be made to
stick to the standard Met Office descriptions.


Couldn't agree more Graham.

This whole business is getting out of hand. It's almost laughable. Value
judgements are even more rife now in the media than they used to be :-(


Talking about how things used to be, here's something I just found in an old
Radio Times clipping:


*Met Report*
The heat-wave sizzles on as we go to press and a reader asks us to explain
just what is meant by the descriptive terms used in BBC weather forecasts
at this time of year. We, in turn, asked the meteorological back-room boys
for enlightenment, and they have provided us with the following table:

Very hot - More than 20F above normal
Hot - 16-20F above normal
Very warm - 11-15F above normal
Warm - 6-10F above normal
Rather warm - 3-5F above normal
Rather cool - 3-5F below normal
Cool - 6-9F below normal
Very cool - 10-15F below normal
Cold - More than 15F below normal

Words such as 'cooler,' 'colder,' 'milder,' 'warmer' are used when a
comparison is being made between the temperature conditions expected and
those recently experienced. We should add that 'normal' at the present time
varies between a maximum of approximately 70F in the southern, and 65F in
the northern, regions of the United Kingdom.


I don't have a publishing date for this but think it to be from about 1956.

--
Graham Davis
Bracknell