"Yokel" wrote in message
...

"Col" wrote in message
...
| Dawlish wrote:
|
| I've argued for a long time that the MetO should be more open about
| the limitations of its forecasts and I agree entirely that people
| respect you less if they feel that they are not subject to
| explanations of why a forecast says what it does.
|
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/10209
|
| This monthly forecast at least owns up to the challenges
| of forecasting beyond a week.
|
| See the caveat at the bottom of the page.

But that forecast is produced by one of the BBC's own weather experts and
is
not the same as the forecast shown on the Met Office site. The Met Office
also update their forecast daily, whilst the BBC one says it is updated at
weekly intervals.

Well yes, I know that.
I was merely pointing out a long range forecast that *does* indicate
the challenges of forecasting beyond a week.

The monthly forecast on the Met Office site also lacks (or did the last
time
I looked) the caveat at the end of the BBC's version. If you click on the
"Printable view" link you get the whole month with no division between the
bits which should be reliable (the first two sections) and the bits which
are less reliable / total guesswork (the last two sections).

I thought they had such a warning on their seasonal forecasts at least.

Many of us on here may know the difference because we are interested or
have
specialist knowledge - but the Met Office site is provided for Joe Public
to
use.

That's a fair point.
You and I may understand their nature and treat them accordingly
but Joe public will just see them as weather forecasts and if they
are seen to 'go wrong' the Met Office willbe criticised.
The whole 'barbeque summer' fiasco was entirely of their own making though.
I assume that the met Office will still be making seasonal forecasts,
but they just won't be made public.
--
Col

Bolton, Lancashire
160m asl