http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2758547.stm

Shetland weather office to shut

Scotland's most northerly Met Office is to close.

The weather station's main customer, Shetland Islands Council, has
decided as a cost-cutting measure to stop paying for forecasters to be
based at the Oil Port of Sullom Voe.

The council has opted for a remotely-based service, possibly from
Aberdeen, from next April.

Harbour officials argue the council can no longer justfiy paying for
onsite forecasters when tanker traffic has dropped by three-quarters
since the 1980's.

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk of
weather-related problems across the islands.




--
Paul

On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:29:01 GMT, Paul C wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or absence) of forecasters
affect what the weather is going to do?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:29:01 GMT, Paul C wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or absence) of forecasters
affect what the weather is going to do?


Here's the locals' reaction:

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/pages...e_to_close.htm

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
. 1...
On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:29:01 GMT, Paul C wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or absence) of forecasters
affect what the weather is going to do?

I see your point Dave, but what they say makes sense to me. Granted the
loss of that office, or any Met Office, doesn't actually change the weather
that will happen, but surely the whole point of weather forecasting is that
advanced warnings and such like are given to minimise disruption. If
suddenly the UK were to recieve no weather forecasts, then no, it doesn't
affect the weather, but it would most certainly increase the amount of
weather-related problems. Ii know the Shetland thing is on a much smaller
scale, but the correlation is there.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
. 1...
On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:29:01 GMT, Paul C wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or absence) of forecasters
affect what the weather is going to do?

perhaps the quality of forecast improves if the forecaster is within easy
reach?

:-))

Jim Webster

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Jim Webster" wrote in
message ...

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in
message

. 1...
On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:29:01 GMT, Paul C
wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service
will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the
islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or
absence) of forecasters
affect what the weather is going to do?

perhaps the quality of forecast improves if the
forecaster is within easy
reach?

Put yourself in the position of a skipper/captain
of a boat/ship, then simply ask yourselves whether
the best advice would come from the likes of Mr
Wheeler with many years of experience of the local
conditions, or some PFY with a half baked degree,
100's of miles away, who's knowledge of
meteorology doesn't go much beyond that which the
latest model run shows.

"AliCat" wrote in message
...

conditions, or some PFY with a half baked degree,
100's of miles away, who's knowledge of
meteorology doesn't go much beyond that which the
latest model run shows.

Steve,

That is in fact slander and could have legal implications. What proof do you
have that forecasters at the Aberdeen office have "half baked degrees"?

A

On Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:33:17 +0100, Mark Lowe wrote:

But critics say the loss of a local service will increase the risk
of weather-related problems across the islands.

Curious statement. How does the presence (or absence) of
forecasters affect what the weather is going to do?

I see your point Dave, but what they say makes sense to me. Granted
the loss of that office, or any Met Office, doesn't actually change
the weather that will happen, ...

I'm glad some one does, everyone else seems to be reading what they
want to read not what is actually written.

... but surely the whole point of weather forecasting is that
advanced warnings and such like are given to minimise disruption.

Quite, and a local human forcaster with lots of local knowledge and
experience to base his forecast on is far more likely to beat a model
or a remote forecaster without the local knowledge.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Andrew Bond"
wrote in
message ...

"AliCat" wrote in
message

...

conditions, or some PFY with a half baked
degree,
100's of miles away, who's knowledge of
meteorology doesn't go much beyond that which
the
latest model run shows.

Steve,

That is in fact slander and could have legal
implications. What proof do you
have that forecasters at the Aberdeen office
have "half baked degrees"?

I neither mentioned Aberdeen nor anyone's name. I
asked who's advice you would value most. What's
your answer?

"Andrew Bond" wrote in message
...

"AliCat" wrote in message
...

conditions, or some PFY with a half baked degree,
100's of miles away, who's knowledge of
meteorology doesn't go much beyond that which the
latest model run shows.

Steve,

That is in fact slander and could have legal implications. What proof do
you
have that forecasters at the Aberdeen office have "half baked degrees"?

A

Trying to work out whether you are being ironic or not Andrew, or just
joking? IHVHO quite a lot of forecasters that come onto the Met Office
forecaster training program are not up to standard, and that is bourne out
by how many subsequently leave because of the rigours of the job. Fancy
headlines and polar bear pictures on websites are one thing, but aviation
forecasting for pilots at a Met Office outstation is something rather
different.

Who mentioned Aberdeen anyroad? I'd far rather trust a forecaster that
not only combines his/her own knowledge, but those of model outouts, rather
than one that simply extrapolates models with little weather knowledge of
what they are looking at!