BBC Weather

techuser — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:30:32 +0000

Keywords:

Okay, I've given them a year or so. I've put up with it in the hope that it's merely me being stupid and that they, as the experts, are right. But no - I am now certain they are in the wrong.

The BBC weather presentation sucks.

Not the forecasts; these remain the same. I mean the way it is presented.

The BBC have used the same symbols for decades up until a few years ago. There was a big switchover to a new system which seems to mainly consist of colouring the British Isles in various shades of brown.

A little later the BBC Weather website was replaced.

Neither change I have yet accepted though the website is gradually becoming usable again after a long period of abject failure.

Today I am trying to find out whether or not snow is forecast for north Wales. I've gone to BBC and looked at the weather maps. There is only one weather map available now, called "General".

Here's an example page for you to examine: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/382?area=LL60

For the days in question, the land is shown spoldged with blue or white clouds. I am unable to tell what these are; does it indicate rain and snow? Is it temperature? Or is it related to wind speed? There is no indication.

Well, there is an indication of sorts - there is a key. It helpfully shows that Fog, "Frost", Rain, Snow and Temperature all use the same basic colours. It doesn't indicate how to tell them apart.

Using this key as a guide, I should prepare for heavy fog with a light frost and heavy rain and snow with temperatures of around 0 with outbreaks of 'lakes, rivers and sea'.

What happened to the symbols? Snow for snow, rain for rain?
Where are the iso bars? Is there a high pressure overhead; should I expect it to get colder?
What is the wind strength and where is it coming from? Is this Siberian or Mediterranean air?

I just have no idea what it all means in the New Weather Order. And I'm not just saying that for today while I'm trying to discover if it will snow. I've been looking at these maps every morning for years to prepare for long daily drives: I am no longer able to plan for rain or wind or anything else I used to be quite prepared for. As I think over the last couple of years, I realise that I have been unprepared for the weather and to an extent largely ignorant of it. Yet I look at the BBC weather pages pretty much every day.

This is no longer acceptable.
One of the BBCs great strengths has been destroyed.

Technological Wanderings - forecast

BBC Weather