rogerroger
New member
Does anyone know whether the wind speeds given on BBC TV weather forecasts are in knots or MPH ?
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
BBC wind speeds ?
- Thread starter rogerroger
- Start date
mtb
New member
MPH old chap .On the telle after the main news
Mick
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug
Mick
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v/cheep or swap for tug
G
Guest
Guest
Does it matter?
They never right anyway they could be in inches per second or mm per hour they still wouldn't be right. But knowing the BBC they probably in some weird and wonderful politically correct measurement system that nobody has ever heard of
-{)>
They never right anyway they could be in inches per second or mm per hour they still wouldn't be right. But knowing the BBC they probably in some weird and wonderful politically correct measurement system that nobody has ever heard of
-{)>
rogerroger
New member
Re: Does it matter?
LOL !!
No - purely academic
I'm getting ferry to Calais tomorrow - saw the weather with a big "28" arrow poining up the eastern channel - "blimey", said I, "28 knots in the channel".
"oh no", responded Mrs I, "the 'ordinary' people won't understand knots, surely it's MPH?"
... hence the question.
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
LOL !!
No - purely academic
I'm getting ferry to Calais tomorrow - saw the weather with a big "28" arrow poining up the eastern channel - "blimey", said I, "28 knots in the channel".
"oh no", responded Mrs I, "the 'ordinary' people won't understand knots, surely it's MPH?"
... hence the question.
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
david_e
Active member
Re: Does it matter?
You're quite right about accuracy, have lost count of the number of times my best laid plans etc have been thwarted by what are only rank amateurs in terms of performance. They really should be real professionals considering the amount of time they have been doing it and the equipment and resources available to them.
You're quite right about accuracy, have lost count of the number of times my best laid plans etc have been thwarted by what are only rank amateurs in terms of performance. They really should be real professionals considering the amount of time they have been doing it and the equipment and resources available to them.
rogerroger
New member
rogerroger
New member
Re: Does it matter?
don't they just get it from the Met Office ?
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
don't they just get it from the Met Office ?
Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
david_e
Active member
Re: Does it matter?
Believe that to be the case, so why are they so average?
Believe that to be the case, so why are they so average?
johndf
New member
Re: Does it matter?
They are so average just because they are averages, usually over a large area. Try giving a detailed forecast for the whole of Britain, or even just for the South of England in fifteen minutes, let alone the two or three minutes that the BBC forecasters have.
If you want to go sailing, get a marine forecast, not a BBC weather forecast, which is not aimed at mariners.
Oh and yes, wind speeds are in mph, not knots.
By the way, if you ever visit the Channel Islands, listen to the shipping forecasts broadcast by Jersey Radio, and take in the French ones broadcast from various French coastal stations. Both are very good.
They are so average just because they are averages, usually over a large area. Try giving a detailed forecast for the whole of Britain, or even just for the South of England in fifteen minutes, let alone the two or three minutes that the BBC forecasters have.
If you want to go sailing, get a marine forecast, not a BBC weather forecast, which is not aimed at mariners.
Oh and yes, wind speeds are in mph, not knots.
By the way, if you ever visit the Channel Islands, listen to the shipping forecasts broadcast by Jersey Radio, and take in the French ones broadcast from various French coastal stations. Both are very good.
david_e
Active member
a question of averages
Appreciate your point, my opinion is that they are only average at the averages. Personally I think the whole thing needs a big shake up, let me loose on 'em!
Appreciate your point, my opinion is that they are only average at the averages. Personally I think the whole thing needs a big shake up, let me loose on 'em!
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Does it matter?
If you're able to tune into RTE, the Irish broadcasting network and get really reliable forecasts for all Irish coastal waters and The Irish Sea.
If you're able to tune into RTE, the Irish broadcasting network and get really reliable forecasts for all Irish coastal waters and The Irish Sea.
david_e
Active member
Re: Does it matter?
Actually this is a ver good point especially for bods like me who sail out of Wales. I remember someone else telling me this when taking into account the fact that most of our weather comes to you first, will look them up, thanks.
Actually this is a ver good point especially for bods like me who sail out of Wales. I remember someone else telling me this when taking into account the fact that most of our weather comes to you first, will look them up, thanks.
oldharry
Well-known member
Re: Home brew forecasts...
I seem to rember a recent telly programme about Tv forecasting highlighting the point that the forecast is actually the opinion of the individual forecaster, based on weather info etc supplied by the Met office, so 2 forecasters may have very different interpretations of what is likely to happen.
Try comparing Teletext and Ceefax Broadcasts. One will give fine and sunny, the other cold and grey. It doesn't make a lot of odds - it just stay wet and windy anyway....
One of the best Solent region forecasters is Carl Tyler, who does seem to get it more right than most of his colleagues - although even he has made some spectacular mistakes! He does a 5 day forecast for the Solent region on the Portsmouth News site: www.thenews.co.uk/news/weather/forecast.HTM#fiveday
Usually pretty accurate, but not much help to you West coast types though!
And yes, wind speeds in the Channel are the AVERAGE wind speed in the forecast period, in MPH. This means they are pretty well useless to anyone for whom MAXIMUM predicted windspeed is important, and does not take into account local variations, or gusts. To get warning of predicted highest mean speed, and expected gust speeds you need to get on to Southampton Weather Centre for the Solent region. HMCG will also issue warnings if severe gusts are expected (i.e. in excess of around 40knots)
WWW.Chimet.org.UK gives a full analysis of wind and wave conditions updated every 10 minutes or so on Chichester Bar, and is a very useful supplement to forecasts, as it presents graphically the data for the previous 24 hours, and this can give a clear picture of current trends. A bit scary last weekend when wave height went off the scale in the Gales!
I seem to rember a recent telly programme about Tv forecasting highlighting the point that the forecast is actually the opinion of the individual forecaster, based on weather info etc supplied by the Met office, so 2 forecasters may have very different interpretations of what is likely to happen.
Try comparing Teletext and Ceefax Broadcasts. One will give fine and sunny, the other cold and grey. It doesn't make a lot of odds - it just stay wet and windy anyway....
One of the best Solent region forecasters is Carl Tyler, who does seem to get it more right than most of his colleagues - although even he has made some spectacular mistakes! He does a 5 day forecast for the Solent region on the Portsmouth News site: www.thenews.co.uk/news/weather/forecast.HTM#fiveday
Usually pretty accurate, but not much help to you West coast types though!
And yes, wind speeds in the Channel are the AVERAGE wind speed in the forecast period, in MPH. This means they are pretty well useless to anyone for whom MAXIMUM predicted windspeed is important, and does not take into account local variations, or gusts. To get warning of predicted highest mean speed, and expected gust speeds you need to get on to Southampton Weather Centre for the Solent region. HMCG will also issue warnings if severe gusts are expected (i.e. in excess of around 40knots)
WWW.Chimet.org.UK gives a full analysis of wind and wave conditions updated every 10 minutes or so on Chichester Bar, and is a very useful supplement to forecasts, as it presents graphically the data for the previous 24 hours, and this can give a clear picture of current trends. A bit scary last weekend when wave height went off the scale in the Gales!
