New Bbc Graphics

[shuggee]

Watching the BBC News 24 forecasts this morning, it struck me how if you live in a triangle between Anglesey, Bristol and Sheffield, there is no temperature given at all. Manchester, Hull, Newcastle, norwich, London, Cardiff and Plymouth get a symbol but nowhere in between. Perhaps people in the W Mids especially are psychic?

[WBSH]

Watching the BBC News 24 forecasts this morning, it struck me how if you live in a triangle between Anglesey, Bristol and Sheffield, there is no temperature given at all.  Manchester, Hull, Newcastle, norwich, London, Cardiff and Plymouth get a symbol but nowhere in between.  Perhaps people in the W Mids especially are psychic?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Perhaps theres no temperature at all in that Bristol, Sheffield, Anglesey 'triangle'?

[rob-lancs]

Look at the maps on the bbc website, if you live in the north west region and click for north west england there's more information for elsewhere, its a joke.

[J10]

There are advantages and disadvantages of the new system, with the new forecast at least IMO having more advantages than disavantages.

Microburst, from a personal point of view, the new slant on the weather map is much better. Are they likely to be further changes like the reintroduction of symbols and possibly Temperature Shading. Also is there going to be a different shading for fog as there used to be.

[Guest Sir Seany]

There are advantages and disadvantages of the new system, with the new forecast at least IMO having more advantages than disavantages.

Microburst, from a personal point of view, the new slant on the weather map is much better. Are they likely to be further changes like the reintroduction of symbols and possibly Temperature Shading. Also is there going to be a different shading for fog as there used to be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The weather maps are still very monochrome and very simplistic, they need to bring back wide shots of pressure systems and weather fronts, even if it is only for major weather events, how are we to really know what to expect without isobars and fronts

I hope by the time i get to wield the BBC Weather Graphics they make song changes, or i'll be making them for them (just nod and smile liek everybody else does )

Sean

[i luv snow]

i have seen loads of weather fronts and isobars on the new forecasts sean, have you not?

[Microburst]

There are advantages and disadvantages of the new system, with the new forecast at least IMO having more advantages than disavantages.

Microburst, from a personal point of view, the new slant on the weather map is much better. Are they likely to be further changes like the reintroduction of symbols and possibly Temperature Shading. Also is there going to be a different shading for fog as there used to be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Jackone.

It is likely that there will be a few more subtle changes and improvements as the weeks go on. At the moment there are no plans for the reintroduction of symbols.

Temperature shading would only increase confusion with the shading currently in place for sun and cloud.

Fog, I understand is shown as greyish white shading, with frost as white. Whether this leads to confusion remains to be seen in the Autumn.

Experiments are ongoing at the moment with different scenarios so nothing is cast in stone, suffice as to say again - the old way of weather presentation with symbols has gone I'm afraid, but not forgotten!

MB

[Guest Sir Seany]

i have seen loads of weather fronts and isobars on the new forecasts sean, have you not?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really I must have missed them I think im going to plonk myself in front of News 24 and catch the forecast quick!!!

[i luv snow]

lol- there has been, not as regular as they use to be, which is of course slightly disappointing- and they still havent put the numbers back on- but they are there none the less there this morning as a matter of fact.LOL

Edited May 28, 2005 by i luv snow

[Microburst]

WINDSPEEDS IN NUMERALS ?

Un-biased comments please......... Is it really necessary for these to be shown on the TV wind charts?

Bearing in mind that the majority on Net -Weather will say, yes, (we expect that!) look at it from all sides as we have to - is it important in a broad overview of the weather that it be shown that the wind comes from the SW@ 30mph, Or, is it sufficient that explanation be given that there will be a strong SW wind blowing with the size and speed wind arrows as currently used?

Any thoughts? MB

[i luv snow]

i think in general all people like to see the actual wind speed in numbers, rather than just a sized arrow- the sized arrow chart used currently is fine, but inlcuding wind speed in numbers is very useful and something alot of people like to see, not just weather fanatics (aka geeks )

[Paul]

Throughout time wind has been measured/displayed in some sort of scale, whether it be knots, kmh, mph or beaufort it is a tangible scale.

By having wind arrows which are a bit bigger and saying 'the winds will be strong' doesn't really help anyone imo. As for starters what constitutes 'strong', should we expect trees to be falling all over the place, or are we just talking about leaves blowing in the wind? It's totally open to interpretation.

If the BBC don't want to use MPH as they fear it may confuse people (scarey thing to say but probably true), then fine, but why not develop an easy to understand scale of their own then which makes it crystal clear just how windy it's going to be.

[Microburst]

Throughout time wind has been measured/displayed  in some sort of scale, whether it be knots, kmh, mph or beaufort it is a tangible scale.

By having wind arrows which are a bit bigger and saying 'the winds will be strong' doesn't really help anyone imo. As for starters what constitutes 'strong', should we expect trees to be falling all over the place, or are we just talking about leaves blowing in the wind? It's totally open to interpretation.

If the BBC don't want to use MPH as they fear it may confuse people (scarey thing to say but probably true), then fine, but why not develop an easy to understand scale of their own then which makes it crystal clear just how windy it's going to be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Paul, Good points and I will pass them on.

I think it would be the interpretation of the data and the broadcast meteorologist presenting the forecast to warn as to the severity of the wind as is the case now. As for developing a new scale for wind, I doubt whether the BBC or MO would go for this - could you imagine the outcry from the public with something else radically new! this would then lead to problems with other TV media forecasts.

I know wind interpretation and explanation in broadcasts is currently under review with the new graphics which was why I was interested in opinion.

MB

[dodge]

Well at least they listened by tilting the map to show better representation for those of us north of the Watford Gap...

I prefer the Birds Eye view myself.

My small grievances now lie in the colour shading, and the fact that why they show showers affecting an area, it still tends to look like a prolonged period of rain, lasting hours.

The local forecasts are much better, and I do prefer the new graphics to a symbol representing 50 square miles...

[January Snowstorm]

It amazes me how this argument is losing its bite.The bbc forecast has become a joke and is actually so bad that it makes itv's woeful forecast semi-bearable!

The wind arrows?? Enough said about them! You see guys its the beeb have called the shots on this one and whats unfortunate is that the Senior Met people have rowed in behind the beeb for a peaceful life instead of getting off their you know what and showing their dissaproval.Any person with half an interest in weather would realise that this is a major step backwards! Its upto the likes of us on here (weather fans) and the like to stand up and be counted and continue to voice our dissapproval.Isnt it amazing how ex retired Met people complain yet the current staff behave like sheep and just follow what the beeb decidesPeople should stand up and fight for what they believe in!The new graphics are rubbish but they'll be here to stay because unfortunatly people accept sub-standards!

[Great Plum]

My small grievances now lie in the colour shading, and the fact that why they show showers affecting an area, it still tends to look like a prolonged period of rain, lasting hours.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think those are my two biggest grieviences too - I get confused with the showers -they do look one area of the country will get prolonged rain and right next to it will get glorious sunshine!

[Amy]

For those who aren't happy with the new "dumbed-down" BBC weather, there is a new Google bombing campaign underway, to get the phrase "ugly graphics" to point to the BBC Weather page.

If you aren't happy with the new design, and have a blog or website, please help voice the nation's displeasure by adding the appropriate link to your site, and/or by spreading the word through friends, forums and blogs.

For a full explanation and "how to" see here:

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/google...er/weather.html

:blink:

[Nick F]

Must say that I do like the rain/cloud animation for Europe on the BBC weather site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/cloudrain.shtml#no_url

Good graphics superimposing rainfall over France over IR images showing rain pushing NE over NW/N France through the Dover Straits now associated with a warm front.

[J10]

There are many benefits to the new weather, more detail certainly on timings on cloud and rain, and quite often you can see better what is going on.

And Weather fronts are back, Woohoo.

The BBC forecast IMO is still much better than ITV, in fact IMO the benefits of the new system outwigh the downsides.

[Weather-history]

Yesterday's Countryfile forecast was dire. Very little info after Tuesday, at least with the old pressure charts you had an idea about the end of the week without showing a symbol chart.

[Thundery wintry showers]

I can't really comment on Countryfile as I didn't see it.

What I will say, though, is that I am encouraged by the recent attitude shift of the BBC. Also the last national forecast I saw was a vast improvement on those broadcast shortly after the graphics changes, and already close to the standards of those prior to the graphics changes.

The BBC still have a fair way to go IMO, but they are at least heading along the right lines.

[Andy Bown]

I just found this information on the BBC weather website. Very interesting in relation to the new graphics.

BBC info

[Great Plum]

"However, we are actually providing more timely and accurate data than previously."

Hardly a day has gone by since the new system has come out where the graphics have been open to confusion - and the forecasts have got markedly worse...

[Andy Bown]

The 1825 forecast showed tomorrow's temps with a coloured background as people have requested. However the look ahead to Thursday didn't use the facility

[J10]

It's good to see the re-introduction of coloured contours for Temperatures, next step symbols.