Showing posts with label met office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label met office. Show all posts

17 Jul 2018

Met Office weather app feedback - NOT amateur radio

The Met Office asked me for feedback on their app, so I sent some.  Sadly, I got back a computer generated reply.

Last night at 9.40pm it said, "60% chance of rain at 10pm and 80% chance of rain at 11pm". Rain? What rain? At 10pm it had changed to a 10% chance at 10pm and 11pm.

Despite very expensive super computers they appear to have not a clue. OK, I know UK weather is complex but unless we have a period of long hot weather looking at forecasts is a joke.

2 Feb 2018

UK Weather Forecasts - NOT amateur radio

Living where we do, forecasting the UK weather is a thankless task.

Every few hours, it seems, the Met Office, complete with its super-computers, satellites, radiosondes and remote weather stations needs to change the forecast. Personally, it seems the only reliable forecast is to look out of the window and see if it is raining!

We have friends over for lunch today and the forecast has changed so many times this week as to be totally useless. The only reliable thing you can say about UK weather forecasts is they are likely to be wrong and never, ever, plan an outdoor event on the basis of a UK weather forecast.

Yes, I know we are at a complex point where weather systems meet, but please let us not pretend we can forecast. Clearly we cannot.  Chaos theory reigns!

UPDATE 1140z: Guess what? The forecast has changed yet again for early afternoon!

31 Jan 2017

Weather forecasts in the UK - NOT amateur radio

OK, people keep telling me how complex and difficult it is to predict the UK weather. But we still buy millions of pounds worth of super-computers so we can do a better job.

Today (this very morning) the local forecast for Burwell and Cambridge both said dull, but dry until after dark. At 2pm this afternoon it rained when I had to walk 0.5 miles in Cambridge. You would expect TODAY's local forecast would be correct!

The only reliable forecast seems to be to look out of the window. Super-computers? Met Office, please spend the money on something more useful and stop pretending. Wet seaweed is a lot less expensive!

12 Jun 2016

UK Weather Forecasts are Rubbish - NOT amateur radio

OK, I moan about weather forecasts a lot and here I go again. 

Yesterday the forecast for OUR VILLAGE on the day said rain showers all afternoon. It was dry until we went to bed. 

Today OUR VILLAGE was supposed to be dry all day. It is raining! 

If you cannot rely on the forecast for NOW, what IS the point? Before readers tell me how complex our UK weather is may I say, yet again, our forecasts are rubbish.

The only reliable weather forecast in the UK is to look out of the darn window.

Millions have been spent on super-computers to enable better forecasting - oh yes? 

UPDATE 1400z:  Perhaps the best is to look at the forecast and assume the opposite?

23 Aug 2015

Met Office and the BBC - NOT amateur radio

Next year, the BBC will no longer use the Met Office for its weather forecasts. I have no idea who they will use instead. I very much doubt the forecasts will be any better, but at least they will be able to buy better seaweed, HI.

For a long time I have been critical of our weather forecasts. Yes, I know UK weather is complicated but as a minimum they should give a level of confidence in any forecast. Sometimes they are useless with even the forecast for a few hours hence being wrong. Often it is as good to look out the window.