BBC weather - TV forecasts too insular ???

psmpsm Posts: 101
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Given that UK residents make c 56 million visits abroad each year then surely there is a need for, and interest in, BBC TV weather regularly informing viewers about the weather in Europe, as well as elsewhere albeit on a less regular basis.

BBC news provides UK forecast every 30 mins, which I suggest is an overkill (not least to the weather presenters themselves) Much better use could be made of the slots if there were say 3/4x per day when there was a forecast for significant holiday regions.

Isn't it time for an upgrade - yes we all need/use UK forecasts and they are good, but for TV to ignore the regions outside the UK, to which we make 56+ million visits/yr is to ignore the weather info interests and needs of the majority of UK residents.
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  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
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    Only if Tomasz Schafernacker presents it in tight trunks.
  • ftvftv Posts: 31,668
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    The forecasts shown on BBC1 just before 6 am are recorded the night before and almost always out of date. I thought BBC1 did a ski conditions report at certain times late at night. I have certainly seen forecasters mention the weather in Spain, France and across the Med.
  • PizzatheactionPizzatheaction Posts: 20,157
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    Wait until we have a spring day where the temperature in one part of the UK is 0.1C higher than the temperature somewhere in Spain. :D
  • leicslad46leicslad46 Posts: 3,370
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    I like the long range forecasts which include where the jet stream is going to be. It is about ten years since the change the bbc weather presentation. Time perhaps for a refresh
  • 1066simon1066simon Posts: 362
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    psm wrote: »
    Given that UK residents make c 56 million visits abroad each year then surely there is a need for, and interest in, BBC TV weather regularly informing viewers about the weather in Europe, as well as elsewhere albeit on a less regular basis.

    BBC news provides UK forecast every 30 mins, which I suggest is an overkill (not least to the weather presenters themselves) Much better use could be made of the slots if there were say 3/4x per day when there was a forecast for significant holiday regions.

    Isn't it time for an upgrade - yes we all need/use UK forecasts and they are good, but for TV to ignore the regions outside the UK, to which we make 56+ million visits/yr is to ignore the weather info interests and needs of the majority of UK residents.

    Why? So they can get the weather wrong in other countries as well as here?!
  • DMN1968DMN1968 Posts: 2,875
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    It would be a good start if there was some consistency between what we are told in the local and national forecast. This morning there was a 6 degrees difference in what temperature was forecast for lunchtime. Last week, one said "dry", the other said "snow", and the met office said "rain".

    I do not see how given how big the world is how the BBC should start to present what the weather will be globally. They could either show just a small bit of the world in detail, which would be irrelevant to most of the viewers, or do what BBC World do and show a whole continent at a time, which is not overly informative if you want to know whether to hit the beach or go to the pool.
  • JordyDJordyD Posts: 4,007
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    80sfan wrote: »
    Only if Tomasz Schafernacker presents it in tight trunks.

    I think he would if they let him:D

    You'd see his Schafernackers then.:D
  • ftvftv Posts: 31,668
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    I live in the south of England and have never understood why I need to know the weather in the Shetlands. If I ever wanted to go there I would find out:D
  • carrier_wavecarrier_wave Posts: 106
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    ftv wrote: »
    I live in the south of England and have never understood why I need to know the weather in the Shetlands. If I ever wanted to go there I would find out:D

    I live in the East Midlands and have never understood why I need to know the weather in the South of England. If I ever wanted to go there I would find out.
  • Ash_M1Ash_M1 Posts: 18,703
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    When Alex Deakin is presenting, he can show me the weather from wherever he likes. He is gorgeous.
  • Bandspread199Bandspread199 Posts: 4,889
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    Insular (Adj.) Pertaining to an island. UK....an island. Simplez!
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
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    JordyD wrote: »
    I think he would if they let him:D

    You'd see his Schafernackers then.:D

    Mmm yeah! Any time! :D
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    DMN1968 wrote: »
    It would be a good start if there was some consistency between what we are told in the local and national forecast. This morning there was a 6 degrees difference in what temperature was forecast for lunchtime. Last week, one said "dry", the other said "snow", and the met office said "rain".

    I do not see how given how big the world is how the BBC should start to present what the weather will be globally. They could either show just a small bit of the world in detail, which would be irrelevant to most of the viewers, or do what BBC World do and show a whole continent at a time, which is not overly informative if you want to know whether to hit the beach or go to the pool.

    It is difficult enough to give the forecast for the whole UK, British weather is very complicated and two places a few miles apart can be completely different.

    I don't think there is a great demand for a worldwide forecast apart from on the overseas version of BBC News. The majority of the 56 million are off to sunny places where they know it is going to be always sunny and probably don't check whether it will be not.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    ftv wrote: »
    I live in the south of England and have never understood why I need to know the weather in the Shetlands. If I ever wanted to go there I would find out:D

    People in Shetland complain because usually the weather forecast for these is very brief when it probably needs more time because of the complexity. I am sure they also ask why they should get the forecast for the South of England (the way the area is shrunk on the maps is often commented on!).
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    leicslad46 wrote: »
    I like the long range forecasts which include where the jet stream is going to be. It is about ten years since the change the bbc weather presentation. Time perhaps for a refresh
    Monday 16th May 2005 was indeed a dismal day in BBC weather when they junked the well loved symbols. :(

    Time to get rid of that dirty brown sandy UK image, and give us back a proper sunshine symbol too. Hard to believe that BBC forecasts do not even have a symbol for that most well liked of weather - the sunshine of a clear day.

    Here is a fantastic website that will keep you bang up to date worldwide with just about everything you need to know in great detail, although it is more for the here and now rather than forecasts as such;

    http://weatherobs.com

    This site is a treasure trove of everything imagineable, with links to all kinds of weather sites, including forecasts;

    www.greatweather.co.uk
  • jonmorrisjonmorris Posts: 21,680
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    I know we like to talk about the weather a lot in the UK, but I do think the weather forecasts are now trying too hard to be entertaining and seem to take rather a long time to just get to the point - what's the weather going to be like.

    Mind you, the opening graphic tends to summarise quite nicely.

    And maybe if you want to know the weather quickly, you glance at the front page of the Daily Express and then assume it's going to be the exact opposite.
  • carl.waringcarl.waring Posts: 35,587
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    psm wrote: »
    Isn't it time for an upgrade...
    Not in the slightest.

    eg. It's 10:30am and I'm sat here in the UK watching the weather forecast on the BBC News Channel. Why on earth would I be interested in the weather overseas right now? :confused:

    If I were intending to go on holiday abroad then I might want to know what the weather is going to be like when I get there in day/week/whatever. But there's time for me to look that up on the internet when I want to.
  • tom e1649tom e1649 Posts: 1,018
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    I enjoy watching BBC World News channel and as expected the forecasts cover a much wider area. The channel is FTA on Hotbird 13e if any weather forecast fanatics would like to move their satellite dishes!
  • wirelessonewirelessone Posts: 168
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    There is simply too much weather on the BBC. Lets go back to 3 forecasts a day, with static captions and continuity announcers doing the honours at other times.
    Other questions about BBC weather it is worth asking....
    Why when the country was doing everything in Fahrenheit, did the BBC do everything in Centigrade?
    Who decided this, why was it imposed on the country?
    Great Britain is an imperial country, like the Americans, with feet/yards/miles on road signs, and Fahrenheit on the mercury.
    When we get hot weather in the summer, everyone says it is in the 70's or 80's.
    I put it to you lot that if in the winter, the announcers said it will be a mere 30 degrees, your missus would not be running to the thermostat as quickly as if they say minus 1 degree!
    And the BBC gets up my nose big time with pure metric measurements. Even Michael Fish used to mention a few inches of snow are due....
    The BBC are metric Gestapo, and almost politician like, they give the people what THEY want, not what the public asks for. ...
  • jonmorrisjonmorris Posts: 21,680
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    We're a metric country. Have been for years.
  • wirelessonewirelessone Posts: 168
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    jonmorris wrote: »
    We're a metric country. Have been for years.

    Sorry pal, what are the road signs marked in round your way??

    What size is your TV screen?

    Size waist, Size shoe, size collar, need I go on....inches mate, not cm.

    6 yard box, 22 yard crease, final furlong?

    McDonalds quarter pounder, maybe?

    Another reason to leave the evil empire that is the EU, get imperial back!!! Stick that up your centigrade!
  • mfrmfr Posts: 5,597
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    I've never been clear on why the BBC have a weather presenter in Glasgow immediately followed by a weather presenter from London giving slightly different forecasts for Scotland. I'm sure the national presenter could prepare a local summary to be read out by the newsreader?
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    Sorry pal, what are the road signs marked in round your way??

    What size is your TV screen?

    Size waist, Size shoe, size collar, need I go on....inches mate, not cm.

    6 yard box, 22 yard crease, final furlong?

    McDonalds quarter pounder, maybe?

    Another reason to leave the evil empire that is the EU, get imperial back!!! Stick that up your centigrade!
    Technically we are a metric country, but in reality we are dual metric / imperial for most people. I like my temperatures in metric celsius but my snow depth in inches yet I measure rainfall at home in millimetres. I can work out both sets quite easily.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    jonmorris wrote: »
    And maybe if you want to know the weather quickly, you glance at the front page of the Daily Express and then assume it's going to be the exact opposite.

    One problem is that people listen to a very brief summary of the forecast for the whole UK that only lasts seconds, don't even listen carefully then next day complain that it is the Met Office's (or BBC) fault because the weather is different from what they expected.

    I remember years ago one forecaster talking about this, he said typically they would be given two minutes at the end of the Six O'Clock News then a couple of minutes before going live, told that something had overrun and they now only had one minute so had to rewrite the forecast in their head as they prepared to go on air.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    And the BBC gets up my nose big time with pure metric measurements. Even Michael Fish used to mention a few inches of snow are due....
    The BBC are metric Gestapo, and almost politician like, they give the people what THEY want, not what the public asks for. ...

    You often hear someone being Politically Correct and giving the depth of snow in centimetres when it is obvious they have had a look outside, made an estimate in inches then had to convert to metric (often getting the conversion wrong).
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