"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
The content of a weather warning is of little use if it
is not communicated accurately. When lives - as we
have been told - are at risk there is no excuse for
badly expressed warnings containing imprecise detail,
fudged geography and sloppy English.

When such warnings are broadcast by people who
are supposed to be professional communicators,
there should be no place for emotional presentation,
gratuitous personal advice, or personal opinion, all
of which have been heard on radio and television
today.

Those who deride the need for accurate communication
are sometimes scientists who would not tolerate for
one moment the smallest error in a formula or an
equation. When those scientists represent, disclaimer
or no, a national institution, then their attitude to accuracy
reflects on that institution.

Philip Eden


You should try *forecasting* (as opposed to presenting) and issuing tens of
warnings with very little time to spare in a rapidly changing situation Philip,
then you may understand just a bit why it is not important that someone says
*is* instead of *are*. The senior forecasters in the Met Office Ops Centre are
not journalists but they do have *immense responsibility* as regards the weather
forecast and I know do their best in difficult circumstances. A little bit of
tolerance and understanding would not go amiss I think.

Will.
--

" Visit Haytor meteorological office at
http://www.lyneside.demon.co.uk/Hayt...met_office.htm "
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