Weather Forecasts

[Imurg]

I know its not easy to forecast exactly what the weather's going to do but what really gets my back up is when Metcheck, BBC Weather and the Met Office all give different forecasts. Metcheck says snow (correct), BBC says showers (wrong) and the Met Office says sleet (wrong).

Don't these guys all look at the same data? There's a certain amount of interpretation of it but surely they should all get somewhere close?

Metcheck arn't always right, BBC is average at best and the one that ought to be spot on (Met Office) is the worst of the lot.

And these people get paid for giving me crap information!!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

[USER1999]

I am always amazed at the hour by hour forecast. Ok, you can be wrong predicting 2 hours ahead, but most of the time they can't even get the current weather right for this hour. Stick your head out of the blimmen window, and have a look.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One of our members is ex-Raf and goes online and uses their meterological data. He said yesterday the rain was due to pass by 10.00 and it actually stopped at 10.16

Out of the sites generally available I agree that Metcheck is the best although not greatly accurate and that both the BBC and the Met Office can be way out

 

[haplesshacker]

Considering how accurate (even through educated guesswork) some of the sailing forcasts I used to get are. It's normally dismal from publicly available forecasts. I really don't know why?

 

[Fyldewhite]

There is a site called raintoday.co.uk with up to date radar showing rain over the last couple of hours. You can run this as an animation and get an idea of where it's going too. It is ideal to check before a round if it's a) going to rain or b) going to clear up if it is already raining.

As for the general weather sites, I agree, all rubbish and unrelaiable. I read somewhere that if you predict weather by saying tomorrow will be the same as today you will be right 60% of the time. Weather forecasters with all the technology manage about 55%.

 

[Leftie]

The ones I hear that really prove that they don't know what they are doing go along the lines of....

"It will be generally overcast with some clearer skies at times. Some occasional showers with heavy periods of rain locally. There may be a 50% chance of rain anywhere."

If it doesn't snow then it's a 100% correct forecast.

Have you also noticed that if it is going to do something - like rain, snow, sun, ice - then they issue a Met Office Alert or Weather Warning. Is this all part of the Gov't scare the population strategy and dumbing down process?

And another thing..., going on from this have you noticed that they use different units for more dramatic effect?

e.g. When it's cold they use Centigrade as 0* C sounds a lot colder than 32* F. When hot, 100* F sounds a lot hotter than 38* C. 25 to 50 mm of snow sounds a lot deeper than 1 to 2".

 

[viscount17]

I know they got the shipping forecast wrong the other day and had to apologise and re-issue it.
A lot (most?) ship's use automatic recorders or just get the operator up to take down the forecast (I worked with a former 'Marconi man'), so how did they notify the ship's that they were going to repeat the forecast?

I think it's hard to beat the seaweed forecast - if it's wet it's rained/raining; if it's dry it's not rained (but might)

 

[Smiffy]

The ones I hear that really prove that they don't know what they are doing go along the lines of....

"It will be generally overcast with some clearer skies at times. Some occasional showers with heavy periods of rain locally. There may be a 50% chance of rain anywhere."

If it doesn't snow then it's a 100% correct forecast.

Have you also noticed that if it is going to do something - like rain, snow, sun, ice - then they issue a Met Office Alert or Weather Warning. Is this all part of the Gov't scare the population strategy and dumbing down process?

And another thing..., going on from this have you noticed that they use different units for more dramatic effect?

e.g. When it's cold they use Centigrade as 0* C sounds a lot colder than 32* F. When hot, 100* F sounds a lot hotter than 38* C. 25 to 50 mm of snow sounds a lot deeper than 1 to 2".

You really are getting a grumpy old sod Roger

 

[Region3]

There is a site called raintoday.co.uk with up to date radar showing rain over the last couple of hours. You can run this as an animation and get an idea of where it's going too. It is ideal to check before a round if it's a) going to rain or b) going to clear up if it is already raining.

As for the general weather sites, I agree, all rubbish and unrelaiable. I read somewhere that if you predict weather by saying tomorrow will be the same as today you will be right 60% of the time. Weather forecasters with all the technology manage about 55%.

I had a look on the raintoday website, and the logo they use (weatherpro with the sun in the top left corner) is the same as the logo for the weather app I use on my iPhone, so I guess it's the same people.
On the app you can view satellite and radar pictures for the last few hours, and the forecast is one of the most accurate I've seen. Well worth the £3 or so it cost.

 

[thecraw]

Another vote for metcheck being the most accurate. (usually!)

 

[SammmeBee]

I think BBC are the worst by far - Met Office are usually okay I have found....meteoblue gives you some funny data, which if I knew what it meant would probably be quite accurate!!

 

[madandra]

This is the only accurate weather forecast I use.

 

[Leftie]

You really are getting a grumpy old sod Roger

Grumpy? Me?

 

[Yerman]

Better to sack the lot and buy an good piece of seaweed.