On Jun 29, 9:41*pm, James Brown
wrote:
I am just beginning to wonder if there isn't an element of hyperbole
entering into the forecast presentations on BBC TV. The things I note
a

1. A tendency to pick out and highlight the very maximum temperatures,
even though the area they may cover might be a good deal less than the
UK as a whole. Thus cooler areas aren't really worth a mention as they
don't support the 'we're all doomed' scenario.

2. The whole country was now showing up as a gruesome red colour on the
1830 forecast despite the fact that some areas were clearly not going to
reach even 20C.

3. A possible bias towards the SE - granted population-wise the numbers
are greater, but there doesn't seem to be any caveat or report that e.g.
areas in the west may just be enjoying a normal Summer's day. Today on
the South Coast of Wales we hit a dizzying 23 and inland perhaps 25, but
then a moderate breeze kept even the hottest parts pretty comfortable.
Even if the temperatures are a bit higher than the last few Summers they
are nowhere near record breaking, and surely in line with a reasonable
Summer? Now when I was working the Grand Union a good few years ago and
the temperature hit 40 plus - THAT was interesting - but didn't really
trigger a panic attack.

I heard an interesting discussion about the way leaders have
historically reacted to difficult times, and I can't help but wondering
if we are all falling into a strange period where instead of simply
laying out the facts and ways of coping we seem to be creating a climate
of fear and panic with every little perturbation - could it be that we
are 'sexing up' the forecasts to suit a particular media agenda? Just a
thought.

James
--
James Brown

It was a good deal more sensible on Radio 4 at 0030 than on TV
but then it nearly always is. (I find the graphics so offensively
idiotic I don't watch BBCTV forecasts any more). On R4 forecast
maxima were given for various towns and only London exceeded 30°.
There was of course the obligatory warning to ring NHS Direct should
you be worried about actually perspiring but the forecast as a whole
was pretty sane. Well done, Liam Dutton.
I begin to wonder what this warning is for. After all, a hot
day doesn't suddenly leap out at you and bite you in the bum and
little anticipatory action can be taken, unlike the case possibly with
heavy snow, or a severe thunderstorm or gale when it might not be a
good idea to be outdoors or in a vulnerable situation.
Having created the monster (the Heat Health warnings) the Met
Office is at its mercy. It will be triggered whenever it gets a bit
hot and is probably mandatory. The great juggernaut will lumber into
action, its authors will feel tremendously important and the general
public will have yet another thing to be told to be scared of. As my
late mother (who quite happily survived August 2003 aged 91) would
have said, with a wave of her hand, "Oh, poof!".

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.