Is it just a British thing when our media seems to exaggerate on every
aspect when reporting various weather events? Like we see the poor reporter
out on the village green up to their ankles in snow to tell us just how bad
it is, or standing on a motorway bridge in driving rain and a gale hanging
on for dear life trying to emphasise to us all how bad it is.

And when there is a decent snowfall, why are we always told there is worse
to come before it gets better, when more often than not nothing further
happens.

We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude and I am sure that reporters get sent up there
just to overcook and sensationalise the whole affair.
Come on, lets be a little more realistic in the reporting, I for one am not
impressed by the sensationalism created concerning these events. After all,
it is winter.

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:52:36 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:



We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude

200 metres. Are you sure it's quite often -18C at 200 m?

In article ,
Paul C writes:
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:52:36 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:



We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude

200 metres. Are you sure it's quite often -18C at 200 m?

More often at that altitude than at the top of the mountain, I expect.


(Given that in this country really low temperatures usually involve an
inversion.)
--
John Hall
"It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless
information."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives at
Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a true
representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for the
worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see these
conditions where they actually live.
"Paul C" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:52:36 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:



We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude

200 metres. Are you sure it's quite often -18C at 200 m?

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:19:29 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:

Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives at
Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a true
representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for the
worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see these
conditions where they actually live.

Quite what the population of Aviemore has to do with the lowest
temperature I really don't know.

We've all been subjected to endless reports of the 2 inches of snow in
London so I suppose that kept you happy.

By the way I had to laugh at the radio reports this morning describing
the bad weather in the "southern half of Britain", which turned out to
be that part of Britain from the West Midlands of England southwards.
That part of the British mainland is the southern fifth - goodness
knows what proportion it would be if the Northern Isles were also
taken into consideration.

"GKN" wrote in message
...
Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives
at Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a
true representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for
the worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see
these conditions where they actually live.
"Paul C" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:52:36 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:



We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude

200 metres. Are you sure it's quite often -18C at 200 m?
--------------------
It's not just the weather though is it. Everything in the media has to be
the worst ever. It's like the current "depression" is now the worst in 100
years. Noo I don't think so. Not from what I see in the town centre, the
pubs, the restaurant. Try telling that to an eighty year old. He'll tell you
what hard times are!
Dave

Paul.
I have no interest in the two inches of snow in London.
I would agree that the South east of the country always seems to make the
headlines, God knows why, perhaps the weather down here is a little more
benign usually compared to lets say Scotland. But again I say its the media,
not the population that live here.
I for one love some lively weather but generally I find it pretty boring.
"Paul C" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:19:29 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:

Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives
at
Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a true
representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for
the
worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see these
conditions where they actually live.

Quite what the population of Aviemore has to do with the lowest
temperature I really don't know.

We've all been subjected to endless reports of the 2 inches of snow in
London so I suppose that kept you happy.

By the way I had to laugh at the radio reports this morning describing
the bad weather in the "southern half of Britain", which turned out to
be that part of Britain from the West Midlands of England southwards.
That part of the British mainland is the southern fifth - goodness
knows what proportion it would be if the Northern Isles were also
taken into consideration.

In article ,
Paul C writes:
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:19:29 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:

Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives at
Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a true
representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for the
worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see these
conditions where they actually live.

I don't know what the population of Aviemore is, but surely one can't
ignore readings from sparsely populated areas? Otherwise all those
readings from current and former RAF airfields would have to be
disregarded. That said, I agree that the hype merchants in the media
have tried to make such a reading out to be rarer than it is.

Quite what the population of Aviemore has to do with the lowest
temperature I really don't know.

We've all been subjected to endless reports of the 2 inches of snow in
London so I suppose that kept you happy.

I understand that it was 6 inches, which is certainly sufficiently rare
in London to be of interest.

By the way I had to laugh at the radio reports this morning describing
the bad weather in the "southern half of Britain", which turned out to
be that part of Britain from the West Midlands of England southwards.
That part of the British mainland is the southern fifth - goodness
knows what proportion it would be if the Northern Isles were also
taken into consideration.



You are thinking in terms of distance from south to north, presumably.
But if you think in terms of land area (which seems to me more valid) it
would probably be more than 50%.
--
John Hall
"It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless
information."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:01:51 +0000, John Hall
wrote:

In article ,
Paul C writes:
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:19:29 -0000, "GKN"
wrote:

Paul.
The point I am trying to make is what percentage of the population lives at
Aviemore, and why report on the coldest place anyways. It is hardly a true
representation of the situation countrywide.
Yes there has been some difficult travelling conditions around the country
over the last ten days but the attitude always seems to be, lets go for the
worst case we can report when 90% of the population hardly ever see these
conditions where they actually live.

I don't know what the population of Aviemore is, but surely one can't
ignore readings from sparsely populated areas? Otherwise all those
readings from current and former RAF airfields would have to be
disregarded. That said, I agree that the hype merchants in the media
have tried to make such a reading out to be rarer than it is.

Quite what the population of Aviemore has to do with the lowest
temperature I really don't know.

We've all been subjected to endless reports of the 2 inches of snow in
London so I suppose that kept you happy.

I understand that it was 6 inches, which is certainly sufficiently rare
in London to be of interest.

By the way I had to laugh at the radio reports this morning describing
the bad weather in the "southern half of Britain", which turned out to
be that part of Britain from the West Midlands of England southwards.
That part of the British mainland is the southern fifth - goodness
knows what proportion it would be if the Northern Isles were also
taken into consideration.



You are thinking in terms of distance from south to north, presumably.
But if you think in terms of land area (which seems to me more valid) it
would probably be more than 50%.


Hardly.

On Feb 10, 8:52*pm, "GKN" wrote:
Is it just a British thing when our media seems to exaggerate on every
aspect when reporting various weather events? Like we see the poor reporter
out on the village green up to their ankles in snow to tell us just how bad
it is, or standing on a motorway bridge in driving rain and a gale hanging
on for dear life trying to emphasise to us all how bad it is.

And when there is a decent snowfall, why are we always told there is worse
to come before it gets better, when more often than not nothing further
happens.

We keep reading reports about Aviemore recording -18 C. So what, it quite
often is at that altitude and I am sure that reporters get sent up there
just to overcook and sensationalise the whole affair.
Come on, lets be a little more realistic in the reporting, I for one am not
impressed by the sensationalism created concerning these events. After all,
it is winter.

The Media I expect but UKMO is just as bad,