Weather Banter - View Single Post

Spike · August 11th 19, 09:43 AM posted to uk.sci.weather

On 11/08/2019 12:17, wrote:

We are going to West Sussex today. Not unnaturally Mrs G has asked me what the weather forecast is. Not unnaturally I have just checked the met office forecast which states as follows for south east England

“Today:
A bright, breezy but mainly dry morning with bright or sunny spells and isolated coastal showers. Some scattered showers developing inland from the west through the afternoon, but winds slowly easing through the day. Maximum temperature 24 °C.”

Sounds reasonably pleasant.

However the local Sussex forecast then states

“Heavy rain changing to thunder showers by early evening.”

I do of course appreciate that the general Southeast forecast cannot capture local detail but this is entirely confusing and unhelpful (which unfortunately will cut no ice with Mrs G)

Not impressive

I sympathise with your problem, but I suspect the issue is one of the
'Michael Fish' syndrome that the Met Office is now plagued with. It's my
view that they now over-egg the slightest indication of bad weather in
order to avoid being blamed if something worse turns up.

Relatives in the SW tell me that many events have been cancelled this
weekend due to the forecast of widespread yellow rain and high winds,
but where they live they saw a stiff breeze for part of Saturday, two
heavy showers, and a fair amount of strong sun, nothing to be really
concerned about.

The Met Office creates problems for event organisers by putting out such
over-egged warnings, which means the organisers then can't get insurance
cover and can't afford to take the risk themselves so have to cancel.

Quite why local forecasts can differ so much from area forecasts is a
mystery only the Met Office can answer, but probably won't.

PS: Tell your wife you love her to bits, and her presence alone
brightens any day no matter what the weather.

--
Spike