On Sunday, 7 October 2012 18:43:43 UTC+1, wrote:
"Lawrence13" wrote in message
...
On Sunday, 7 October 2012 13:17:30 UTC+1, Freddie wrote:
One of the forecasts is for a location, the other for a wide area.
That would likely explain some of the difference in temperature.
Also, one of the forecasts uses a single word to represent the
weather over a period of time at a location. The other one uses
several sentences to try and communicate the weather over a period of
time.
I note that the rain in the forecast is not due till the end of the
night. So if you have to provide a description of the night's weather
in one word, which word should you use? Wet, to represent a small
interval of time right at the end of the forecast? Or dry, to
represent the other 11 hours of the night?
These are communication challenges that the MetO are very well aware
of, as they have been in this game for a long time. They do give
guidance on interpretation of forecasts too - and the emphasis of
that guidance is (and always has been) to use the human-written text
forecast. Location-based forecasts are there to use in addition, but
the MetO advise that you remain aware of their shortcomings.
--
Freddie
Bayston Hill
Shropshire
102m AMSL
http://www.hosiene.co.uk/weather/
https://twitter.com/#!/BaystonHillWxￜfor hourly reportsￜ
Well I realise that one covered a wider area but it did include London
whereas -was the other the City of London, if so then the City of London
must have it's own micro climate where it only rains in the surrounding
areas.
I'm perfectly happy with a general regional forecast , all this Statement of
Purose tripe has the MetO trying to forecast for individual square meters
and apologising when they can't.
===========================
UKMO have a problem.
Some in UKMO want to automate everything quickly, a lot don't fully
understand meteorology (branding, sales and other staff) but can see a
massive "business" advantage in automated site forecasts, hence they are
seen as the future. But UKMO also have a responsibility for warning the
nation and still a commitment to human based forecasts, the two sometimes
don't mix well together.
Solutions are being looked into.
Another problem is that UKMO no longer has a network of local forecast
offices (weather centres) anymore (cut to save a few pennies in 2005/2006)
and hence no way of editing centrally based forecasts based on local
information. I could go on .......
Will
--
"But UKMO also have a responsibility for warning the nation"
Blimey Will that sounds so serious -is it as bad as that?
I mean it's only weather far more people die of stabbings in London in an average week than ever of poor weather forecasts. Seriously are the UKMO staff told that Great Britain Expects and have responsibility for the safety of the whole country. If then the case my God it's getting to the stage where if it snows in a part of the country where there was no snow warning issued and someone dies as a result of the conditions then UKMO would be charged with corporate manslaughter ?