"Norman" wrote in message
...
It would, indeed, Howard but I've got plenty of other things to keep me
busy.
I've got my wife well trained, though. She doesn't go out without having a
look
at the radar and she also usually checks the temperature on the AWS. I'm
not
convinced that trying to do all of the forecasting remotely from Exeter is
a
great success. It might make economic sense but that's another matter
altogether.

The whole reason Weather Centres and local forecast offices were shut in
2005 and beyond was purely and simply to save money. There was no science
justification at all. A case was made that expertise would develop in Exeter
as staff moved in from outside, but the experienced staff just left or
retired. And how do you know how to forecast for remote places like the Peak
District if you are in the SW and perhaps never even been there and
experienced the weather. It becomes an academic exercise. I got into trouble
arguing against the closures at the time, I even challenged a director to a
forecasting competition. The idea was that I would produce a daily forecast
for dartmoor and compare it with a centrally produced one largely based on
NWP. The forecasts would be scored independently. He didn't want to know,
they were going to centralise to save money and that was that :-( We are now
reaping the "harvest".

Will
--
http://www.lyneside.demon.co.uk/Hayt...antage_Pro.htm
Will Hand (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
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