BBC Weather Forecasts and Graphics Discussion

[Paul]

We did speak about looking at webcasts but yep, who would do it is a good question!! Maybe one for the future :blink:

[Snow_Fan_Man]

Cheers Mr Sleet - a redesign is in the offing - current (very rough) target is the autumn as a release of the new look, but thats subject to change! You are right, it can be a bit cluttered at times, to put it simply we have outgrown our current layout :blink:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You need something with a 'frame' or 'border', just something that keeps all the informaton and stuff 'collected'. Something along these lines: http://www.sk-gaming.com/index/.

[Snow_Fan_Man]

We did speak about looking at webcasts but yep, who would do it is a good question!! Maybe one for the future

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not OON or Peter Tattum, they'd scare the customers away :blink:

[The PIT]

Poor rushed forecast today. Winds up to 60 mph in Scotland shown by those silly wind arrows but no sign of speeds.

[carinthian]

:unsure: Woke to watch this mornings trash BBC weather ART ATTACK presentation by weather girl Louise ! This is what she had to say about tomorrows weather as she followed the sludge green graphics around Blighty---

"Plenty of rain moving across the North and Northwest and other Northern areas as well, but the Southeast will be OK,good news for the golf"!

CONFUSED-- damn right I am. Where is North by Northwest ? Who cares if the Southeast is OK ? The water companys dont! and finally the golf is being played in County Kildare, hardly the Southeast.

Have now given up with breakfast morning trash presentation. The BBC dont care and the Met Office are scared to upset their paymasters. Glad I got that off my mind, will retire to the conservatory and munch my frosties and watch the gloom outside, at least watching Pink Floyd on the BBCs excellent presentation of the Live G8 concert cheered me up !

When does the pub open !

[shuggee]

I see the temperature symbols have now shrunk to a much more sensible size, additional towns have been added and the wind arrows are back with numbers. It's getting better...!

[The PIT]

The system seems to be unreliable. Broken again this evening. Lets have the magnetic symbols back at least they made you laugth when they fell off.

[shuggee]

It's often quite 'jerky' too - looking like the system is run on Windows 98...

[J10]

Certainly seems to be many instances of the system failing

[Nick H]

John Hammond is a good presenter, but why does he always use that annoying phrase 'going nowhere fast'?

Tonight on the 6.27pm forecast, a band of rain coming in from the Atlantic was said to be 'going nowhere fast'.

What on earth does that mean?

[carinthian]

John Hammond is a good presenter, but why does he always use that annoying phrase 'going nowhere fast'?

Tonight on the 6.27pm forecast, a band of rain coming in from the Atlantic was said to be 'going nowhere fast'.

What on earth does that mean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes,John is one of the best of a current bunch of naff presenters, but his taste in music is also naff : when he publically prefers Status Quo to the great legents Pink Floyd on tonights forecast. Johnboy get a life !

[The PIT]

Still got the same drift in time on Breakfast. Why can't they just clamp it down to a certain time and then talk around it. Some of the stuff they talk about is complete garbage at times around the Sun newspaper level.

[The PIT]

Are they worried about sounding overly technical?? Isn't the weather forecast supposed to be fairly technical?? I dunno!!       

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm talking about Junk like discussing Big Brother and pushing the forecast back too 6.52am or whether Beckham is wearing Victoria's knickers or not. The next day they have a quick look at the papers and do the forecast at 6.42am. Big brother isn't really important is it.

[A Gower Guy]

got to agree with you the pit, in the morning you just want to see if its going to rain or be sunny, I like a bit of friendly interaction, but about the weather.

[A Gower Guy]

I really am getting used to the (not so) new graphics, and since the change over, I have found the BBC Weather site alot better to use and more reliable.

[londonsnow]

I've been converted, the only thing with the website is that the nearest weather symbols to me are Belfast and Edinburgh (at times). Since I live near Glasgow, they're not much use to me!!!

But the changes are getting better, slowly, but surely!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i gather pressure charts are due to make a comeback, which can only be a good thing

[londonsnow]

I have seen the odd pressure chart, but surely that's a better starting point than any other??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd much rather go back to where we were ie pre 3D. but yes if we are to compromise pressure charts would give me a smile

[Guest Sir Seany]

I'd much rather go back to where we were ie pre 3D. but yes if we are to compromise pressure charts would give me a smile

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have seen pressure charts but only a couple of times, i nearly died from shock when i saw a temperature chart, IN ACTUAL COLOUR

Like this it was

[londonsnow]

I have seen pressure charts but only a couple of times, i nearly died from shock when i saw a temperature chart, IN ACTUAL COLOUR :lol:

Like this it was :lol:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hi sir seany, i dont if you remember me from slow watch. i still dont understand the bbc's rationale about minimalising exposure to pressure charts. its baffling

[shuggee]

Did anyone else see Rob McElwee's zoom in on the south coast a couple of days ago? He was illustrating the cooling effect of the forecast sea breeze and pivotted round the Dorset coast to look east along the coast up to Kent. Was a very nifty graphic - well done Rob.

[J10]

On the BBC Wales forecast today there was the use of animated frontal systems and pressure charts, very impressive indeed.

[Thundery wintry showers]

I don't think this is a case of people getting used to the new graphics.

Rather, the BBC (or Met Office, or whoever is in charge of the new system) has progressively improved the new system since its release. It would appear to have been a case of rushing in with the new system without enough public consultation or testing, followed by adaptation in the light of numerous complaints.

[J10]

Agree with you Ian completely.

They are starting to zoom in on interesting weather as well.

On yesterday's countryfile, they showed the weather doppler with the front superimposed, this nifty effect should be used more often.

[Great Plum]

Whilst I do believe the forecasts are now getting better, there is still a problem with the system to show sun and showers - looking at the graphics, it can show Guildford with heavy rain all day whilst here it is dry... - but that's not sunshine and showers is it?

[Thundery wintry showers]

Good point.

One possible idea could be to have blobs of rain alternating from location to location. In other words, you have an animation, where some areas are covered by blobs and others aren't, and after a short period of time (say up to a second), the blobs disappear and reappear in different places, with others staying dry. There are certainly ways they can use the new system to simulate sun and showers.