"JPG" wrote

I find that statement by Mr McElwee remarkably unhelpful to the
cause
of climbing out of this slough of dumbing down and general ignorance
which is pervading this country. Semantics it certainly isn't! A
squall line and a tornado are completely distinct phenomena, as well
we all know. Supporting the general scientific ignorance by
indicating that just because the effects are the same, so must the
meteorology producing it, is unacceptable from a scientific
professional.

.... the BBC Weather Centre are getting themselves in a real mess on
this one. Obviously someone higher up the chain has told them to say
it is a squall line, but from the footage I've seen on N24, some, if
not all of the events must have been linked to tornado development;
the damage reported, and the eye-witness reports of 'roaring winds'
etc., would all suggest that the cold front spawned a multiple
outbreak of relatively weak tornadoes (T2 generally) along it's
length: more investigation would reveal this.

What is disappointing is that whilst the N24 presenters were linking
together the viewers responses, and also interviewing Dr. Meaden, the
'strap line' at the bottom boldly stated that the BBC Weather Centre
stated it was a squall line! Egg on faces time I think: you don't rule
out *anything* until proper investigation on the ground and after a
few days reflection.

Martin.



--
Martin Rowley
E:
W: booty.org.uk