Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[smittims]

It took many complaints before BBC weather forecasters stopped equating high summer temperatures with 'good', or, as they pronounce it in the 21st century, 'gid' weather. As for the BBC TV news I stopped watching it long ago when I realised their idea of what is and is not 'news' is governed by its viewer-grabbling potential.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As for the BBC TV news I stopped watching it long ago when I realised their idea of what is and is not 'news' is governed by its viewer-grabbling potential.

The most important news on the BBC is the demise of one of its own presenters/DJs. The government should take note, as these occasions are the best opportunities to bury bad news.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I can't imagine I've not mentioned weatherforecasterese on this thread. Their frequent use of formulations such as "marching its way across the country" grates. I don't say I'm going to walk/march/amble/ride/drive/fly my way into town. Why the heck do they do it? Maybe they speak like that at home...

My theory is that as weather forecasters, very unusually in TV , have to extemporise from memory and also stay accurate (to the forecast that is) they have to rely, like the poets of old , on easily -remembered oral-formulaic expressions like “spits and spots of rain”. Some forecasts are two minutes thirty long which is at news reading pace is about 450 words. That is a lot to remember even with the visual prompt of the weather charts. The other thing is they are worked very hard these days as they have to absorb a lot of crude data from the forecast agencies and turn it into something understandable by the audience. They earn their money believe me.

[Sir Velo]

My main issue with the weather forecasts is less the vocabulary employed and more with the content, which is generally worse than useless. For example, the insistence on continuing to provide nationwide summaries, when each listener is only going to be interested in the weather in their particular area, is beyond me.

Far better surely to provide longer, detailed regional bulletins which may have some hope of covering some of the local nuances in weather. Moreover, why do the forecasters insist on fixing the weather at ridiculous times like 5am or 11 pm for their more in depth forecast, when surely no one other than the most nocturnal farmer is going to be interested in the weather at that time?

[Serial_Apologist]

My main issue with the weather forecasts is less the vocabulary employed and more with the content, which is generally worse than useless. For example, the insistence on continuing to provide nationwide summaries, when each listener is only going to be interested in the weather in their particular area, is beyond me.

Far better surely to provide longer, detailed regional bulletins which may have some hope of covering some of the local nuances in weather. Moreover, why do the forecasters insist on fixing the weather at ridiculous times like 5am or 11 pm for their more in depth forecast, when surely no one other than the most nocturnal farmer is going to be interested in the weather at that time?

Do you mean the Shipping Forecast?

[Serial_Apologist]

My theory is that as weather forecasters, very unusually in TV , have to extemporise from memory and also stay accurate (to the forecast that is) they have to rely, like the poets of old , on easily -remembered oral-formulaic expressions like “spits and spots of rain”. Some forecasts are two minutes thirty long which is at news reading pace is about 450 words. That is a lot to remember even with the visual prompt of the weather charts. The other thing is they are worked very hard these days as they have to absorb a lot of crude data from the forecast agencies and turn it into something understandable by the audience. They earn their money believe me.

We were always informed that all the weather presenters were fully qualified meteorologists. Recently, judging by the quality of a lot of the presentation on TV, on all channels, I have had considerable cause to question that assertion, however.

[oddoneout]

We were always informed that all the weather presenters were fully qualified meteorologists. Recently, judging by the quality of a lot of the presentation on TV, on all channels, I have had considerable cause to question that assertion, however.

Perhaps they are discouraged from displaying their knowledge - experts are not in favour, audiences are put off by facts, and similar nonsense from those who are in charge.

[smittims]

I agree, Sir Velo. As far as the Red Button went, South Cheshire didn't exist. We weren't 'North West' or 'Midlands'.

I stopped looking at weather forecasts some time ago when I found it too infuriating to discover later in the day how wrong they had been.

[Sir Velo]

Certain weather forecasters who pronounce it "Eng-lind" , "Scot-lind" and "Ire-lind"

OK, I know there are more important things to get annoyed about, but...

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Certain weather forecasters who pronounce it "Eng-lind" , "Scot-lind" and "Ire-lind"

OK, I know there are more important things to get annoyed about, but...

Ah yes, noticed that too. Those small annoyances do add up, even though I agree that forecasters earn their money and probably do have edicts from above to worry about more than the details that grate.

[Ein Heldenleben]

We were always informed that all the weather presenters were fully qualified meteorologists. Recently, judging by the quality of a lot of the presentation on TV, on all channels, I have had considerable cause to question that assertion, however.

The answer to your question is complicated. Most are. The reasons UK weather forecasts are not 100 per cent accurate is largely down to two things - timing the arrival of fronts which can be tricky and local variation within areas. That’s particularly a problem in areas like the south west which can have successive fronts arriving in waves and huge differences South , East , West and north of the moors . So much so that watching a national forecast is of little use. 24 hour forecasting is however considerably more accurate that it was even a decade ago, ditto three day .(I m told )

[smittims]

I know forecasting is difficult if not impossible to perfect. I wouldn't mind if they admitted this . But I've heard them boast about how accurate they are when clearly they aren't.

[jayne lee wilson]

The answer to your question is complicated. Most are. The reasons UK weather forecasts are not 100 per cent accurate is largely down to two things - timing the arrival of fronts which can be tricky and local variation within areas. That’s particularly a problem in areas like the south west which can have successive fronts arriving in waves and huge differences South , East , West and north of the moors . So much so that watching a national forecast is of little use. 24 hour forecasting is however considerably more accurate that it was even a decade ago, ditto three day .(I m told )

Yes, that's why its best to use the BBC or Met Office websites which allow you to view the satellite-photo-derived maps and forecasts in real time, regionally and nationally, advancing them by 3-hourly intervals if you wish. You can zoom in and out to see the local or larger patterns including the isobarics.
You can also see the latest 3-hourly reports from your local weather station of temp., pressure, visibility, precipitation etc. Very useful and in my weather-and-wildlife-obesessed experience, very accurate too.

[gurnemanz]

Chaos theory (or is it Sod's Law?) tends to thwart meteorologists' predictions.

[jayne lee wilson]

Chaos theory (or is it Sod's Law?) tends to thwart meteorologists' predictions.

Have you tried the sites I mentioned? Stick with them for a few weeks and see how it goes.
Or study isobarics and the jet stream - two of the best weather forecasters around....