BBC Weather Forecasts and Graphics Discussion

[Andy Bown]

Yes Andy, this has been noticed recently by others elsewhere and the comments about the erratic animations  have been passed on to the graphics team.

MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks MB . Funnily the way the conditions have happened here it's almost been like 2 bands of rain .

[Stormrider]

I've just this minute watched the 18.30 live forecast on BBC 1. Daren Bett presented it and an informative forecast it was too.

The main focus being on the Cold Front for tonight / tomorrow, including showers breaking out ahead and after the main band of rain.

My reason for posting is about the predicted rainfall animation. As the 3 hour slots were shown with the rain band edging W-E it appeared that, as each slide changed, there were 2 bands of rain. This corrected itself to show only one band in actual reality, but this could easily cause confusion for less (for want of a better term) knowledgable viewers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember this happening a lot - the rain band would be shown to intensify in one line, then de-intensify, then magically appear 100 miles east and do the same thing . Strange!

[Andy Bown]

But they have recently introduced fog as a white covering on the map :unsure: !

[Microburst]

Ooooh - I thought that two; it can't be hard just to show a rainband progressing smoothly and steadily rather than in steps like it was yesterday...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True Shuggee, but TV technology being what it is sometimes, does play tricks!

MB

[Microburst]

I know this has been talked about before in this thread, but has anyone any ideas how the new BBC graphics are going to show snow? How will they cope with marginal events where snow falls on high ground but not on low ground possibly quite nearby. Hopefully there'll be some sort of white covering on the map left by snow passing through (if that makes sense). Any ideas??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Animated white 1cm blobs for light snow or 2cm blobs for heavy snow! Now sleet that is a blob and a rain splash faded in together! :unsure:

MB

[Portland Paul]

Animated white 1cm blobs for light snow or 2cm blobs for heavy snow! Now sleet that is a blob and a rain splash faded in together!

MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish they would pull the plug on it all - and go back to the old symbols, which were very sraightforward and quite snazzy! :unsure:

[J10]

MB-Which forecast currently is the best, and which ones on BBC News 24 are live and which ones are pre recorded.

[The Eagle]

Animated white 1cm blobs for light snow or 2cm blobs for heavy snow! Now sleet that is a blob and a rain splash faded in together!

MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But then you wont be able to tell the bifference between heavy rain (which shows as big whit blobs) and snow? Never a mixture of both (sleet). And what abot hail, i havent seen that yet

[Somerset Squall]

But then you wont be able to tell the bifference between heavy rain (which shows as big whit blobs) and snow? Never a mixture of both (sleet). And what abot hail, i havent seen that yet

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The heavy rain doesn't show as white blobs, they are green. I also wonder what hail will be shown as, if shown at all.

[PersianPaladin]

Have u noticed something interesting recently when the graphic shows rainbands travelling eastwards towards the coast of Norway?...

You see the rainband turning whitish yellow when it approaches the Norwegian coast.

Edited September 24, 2005 by PersianPaladin

[Somerset Squall]

Have u noticed something interesting recently when the graphic shows rainbands travelling eastwards towards the coast of Norway?...

You see the rainband turning whitish yellow when it approaches the Norwegian coast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I have actually. I presume it's a fault??

[Andy Bown]

Yep , it was Jo Farrow. She did very well to make a quip about it.

[Microburst]

MB-Which forecast currently is the best, and which ones on BBC News 24 are live and which ones are pre recorded.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Howdo Jackone,

Hmmm, which is best, difficult decision.... for those who can watch it the 1327 daily Mon to Fri on BBC1 - is live, as is the 1827 and 2232. News 24 have introduced more live inserts into the rolling news service, difficult to say exactly thae times that are live each day on this but you should find the forecast at 2055 daily on News 24 is live and where possible the BMO's do live inserts where time permits. Hope this helps..

MB

[Microburst]

But then you wont be able to tell the bifference between heavy rain (which shows as big whit blobs) and snow? Never a mixture of both (sleet). And what abot hail, i havent seen that yet

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As you will probably see this Winter, the 'Snowblobs' are bigger and more pronounced than the rain splashes Darkman. As for hail, there are no plans to show seperate graphics for this at the moment. If Hail features in the forecast then reference will be made to it along with the coloured rainfall intensity animations.

MB

[shuggee]

I notice today another little glich in the graphics. Look carefully at the sunshine/cloud and then look at the 'puddles' of rain representing today's showers. Interestingly many showers are in sunshine - with no cloud...

Now I know we've all experienced blue sky and rain - but surely not on this scale?!

[J10]

I notice today another little glich in the graphics.  Look carefully at the sunshine/cloud and then look at the 'puddles' of rain representing today's showers.  Interestingly many showers are in sunshine - with no cloud... 

Now I know we've all experienced blue sky and rain - but surely not on this scale?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've noticed that too.

[boro_dave]

I was just thinking that there was a lot of criticism when the BBC changed their forecasting graphics system, but most of it was directed at the apparent 'dumbing down' of the forecast rather than the accuracy of the forecast. The BBC have sometimes come under criticism in the past for struggling to forecast snowfalls, such as not accurately predicting the heavy snow that affected south-east england during Febuary 2003, which led to many motorists being stuck on motorways etc.

In my opinoin, this led last year to the BBC over-hyping the snowfalls that did occur, in case they under-predicted thier intensity again (you can argue this if you wish, but last winter several times Hertfordshire was given a 'high to very-high' risk of 'severe disruption due to heavy snow', and the most we got was 2 inches one morning).

My question is - will the new system be more accurate? Only time will tell I suppose, but I hope that some of you will like to voice your opinions (especially if any of you are weather forecasters yourselves).

[Stratos Ferric]

I was just thinking that there was a lot of criticism when the BBC changed their forecasting graphics system, but most of it was directed at the apparent 'dumbing down' of the forecast rather than the accuracy of the forecast. The BBC have sometimes come under criticism in the past for struggling to forecast snowfalls, such as not accurately predicting the heavy snow that affected south-east england during Febuary 2003, which led to many motorists being stuck on motorways etc.

In my opinoin, this led last year to the BBC over-hyping the snowfalls that did occur, in case they under-predicted thier intensity again (you can argue this if you wish, but last winter several times Hertfordshire was given a 'high to very-high' risk of 'severe disruption due to heavy snow', and the most we got was 2 inches one morning).

My question is - will the new system be more accurate? Only time will tell I suppose, but I hope that some of you will like to voice your opinions (especially if any of you are weather forecasters yourselves).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I did raise this one when the new graphics first launched, though last things first BD, new graphics do not imply more accurate forecasts. In the case of rain the problem with the new graphics is in the potential for being read too literally e.g. a shower over, say Oxford, but not Milton Keynes, when the reverse might be the actual outturn. The "old" stationary graphic would have come with a description from the forecaster that would have taken sensory precedence to the effect of "showers over the S Midlands", say.

The problem with snow is that it is much more marginal, and I suspect more likely to be noticed if particular areas either do / don't get what wasn't / was forecast. If there are plans to show lying snow this problem will only be exacerbated. We shall see.

[Michael Fishermans Friend]

I feel the problem with BBC new graphics and presentation style is that it is trying to be too detailed in the form that they view each part of the country in close detail. Over the last few days the weather has been rather bland with a tendancy of just forecasting where the sunnier spots will be, with the forecast 'panning' in so closely on areas I think the general public will take forecasts to literally rather than the slightly vaguer one of before (forecasting hasn't become that accuarate has it?).

We see satellite images of where the rain bearing cloud is over the Atlantic but no synoptics with LP or HP pressure or isobars or projected forecasts for the synoptics for days ahead, instead with have silly 'moving' wind arrows which makes me feel quite giddy if I stare for too long. The forecast is now too long winded in trying to pinpoint detail, and infact is quite boring to watch, infact now presented for baboons (90% of the British public) who know very little about weather.

[johnholmes]

oh dear oh dear.

[Microburst]

Interesting points raised in the past few days.....keep them coming. It seems we still cannot please all the people all the time

MB

[chris55]

As we all know, in most of our opinions the new graphics from the bbc are not as informative and detailed as they used to be. They seem to short, don't have synoptic charts and generally dont tell the whole weather 'story' for the days ahead . Now i think the weather 'story' is all important when forecasting because it gives the viewer the wider picture. The beeb used to be EXEPTIONALY good at this and this is the reason why we all loved the bbc weather. With a mix of large cear wind arrows-pressure charts-temp gradients fading warmer - colder and symbols to tell you what the sky was up to. All this combined was excellent and really explained the whole weather picture.

With the way the new graphics are used, in my opinion, just shows different shades of coulor that i cant really get my head round.

What i would really, really, really like to see from the beeb is a very detailed 5 day forecast with all the above ( and yes it could still be good using the new style graphics if it was done wright)

recorded every morning and put on both the internet and digital tv so the people who do want a more detailed forecast can have access to one.

Now I think this could be done easily and dont see why the bbc cant do this. Does anyone agree?

[Microburst]

Interesting points raised in the past few days.....keep them coming. It seems we still cannot please all the people all the time

MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

THOUGHT YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS ARTICLE!!!

MB

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4310702.stm

[Methuselah]

Just heard on Five Live, that the Meto has instructed its forecasters to put a more positive emphasis into their forecasts - even when it snows!!!

Any ideas guys???

At least, it'll be mild!!

[Paul]

Oh dear

The one thing that keeps the forecasting on the TV interesting is the individual styles of the forecasters, if they're going to have to all speak the same way, using the same language, you may as well have robots doing it!