BBC Weather Forecasts and Graphics Discussion

[Microburst]

Saw Philip Avery on News 24 this morning for the first time in ages, more use of the colour contour temperature chart and the fly over he used was better, not the normal around the edges stuff.

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Yes, Phil Avery has just recently returned to the BBC following a year at sea!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/coas.../gc_start.shtml

[Microburst]

Did anyone see the thundersrike graphics on the BBC News 24 forecast on tuesday? I think it was mid-afternoon. Sorry if this has already been posted

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Thunderstrike graphics were introduced 2 weeks ago hope you approve!

[Microburst]

So it's taken them 6 months to pop a lightning symbol onto the graphics.

But then another problem, where is the symbol/graphic for mist and fog?  Such an important feature in terms of travelling by road and air - with safety very much a consideration.  But what do we get from the BBC new graphics package?  Nothing.  Appalling.

How hard can it be to come up with a grey/white fuzziness that moves around the map?  Perhaps like lightning they'll have it sorted in 6 months time...

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Hello Shuggee, Thank you for your message. Yes, I am still looking at these posts but you are right now that things have quietened down somewhat, I have taken a back seat.

The graphic for mist and fog is opaque white shading as you should see more frequently now the Autumn months are approaching. Keep watching.

Thanks for bringing me out of hibernation

M

[Microburst]

I suppose it's just a matter of time until the first front hitting cold air - or like last year, cold air digging in behind a rain band, reveals how the package is going to illustrate sleet and snow.

I think we'll need a new thread then for everyone's complaints - because on the BBC Weather Centre's current track record it's going to be at best dissapointing and more likely very very poor if not non-existent.

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Points noted Shuggee

[Mr Cumulo Nimbus]

I agree with you there, Forecasts by certain people are much better than forecasts by other people. even though the new graphics were launched in May I still think, they have not been been shown to their full potential.

Kold - I agree, it seems they are still experimenting with the new software. The colour on the map on the 1827 forecast, seemed brighter than before.

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You're right, some people do much better forecasts than others. Alex Deakin, Dan Corbett, Elizabeth Saary, Helen Willetts, Isobel Lang and Rob McElwee are among those who, in my opinion, have been making good use of the graphics, providing dynamic and engaging forecasts which grab the attention but include plenty of technical info - even synoptic charts!!!

On the flipside Helen Young, Jo Farrow, Tori Good, Jay Wynne and, very disappointingly, John Hammond, are among those who appear disinterested and use the graphics in an unimaginative way.

Good to see fog appearing in Dan's 1830 forecast this evening by the way!

[Somerset Squall]

Thunderstrike graphics were introduced 2 weeks ago hope you approve!

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Yes, I definately approve, green shading really wasn't adequate for thundery activity. The forecasts are slowly improving

Edited September 6, 2005 by Somerset Squall

[Somerset Squall]

You're right, some people do much better forecasts than others. Alex Deakin, Dan Corbett, Elizabeth Saary, Helen Willetts, Isobel Lang and Rob McElwee are among those who, in my opinion, have been making good use of the graphics, providing dynamic and engaging forecasts which grab the attention but include plenty of technical info - even synoptic charts!!!

On the flipside Helen Young, Jo Farrow, Tori Good, Jay Wynne and, very disappointingly, John Hammond, are among those who appear disinterested and use the graphics in an unimaginative way.

Good to see fog appearing in Dan's 1830 forecast this evening by the way!

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I agree- hopefully the others will start making better use of the synoptic charts and including more detail in their forecasts. Helen Young is personally my favorite as her forecasts are always detailed.

Welcome to the forum

Edited September 6, 2005 by Somerset Squall

[Mr Cumulo Nimbus]

I agree- hopefully the others will start making better use of the synoptic charts and including more detail in their forecasts. Helen Young is personally my favorite as her forecasts are always detailed.

Welcome to the forum

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Thanks, nice to be here! I've been reading for a while, and decided it was time to get involved!

[Kent Snow]

Did anyone else see that fog was shown as white on the background on the 18.30 forecast?

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I saw that too and was pleasently surprised. Looks quite good.

The colour on the map on the 1827 forecast, seemed brighter than before.

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Thought that myself. Not too bad.

[shuggee]

Saw the fog map last night - and it is as good as could be imagined. But since there's been a couple of weeks of various pediods of fog in the NE - and two days in particular here that were 100m visibility; why has it taken until now?!

[PersianPaladin]

Saw the fog map last night - and it is as good as could be imagined.  But since there's been a couple of weeks of various pediods of fog in the NE - and two days in particular here that were 100m visibility; why has it taken until now?!

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Because the BBC have been inefficient with spending of resources as well as lazy in their implementation of the new graphics.

I also miss the old rainfall radar they used to have before the new graphics. The old radar had more colours on to denote intensity, and it just looked neat. The new radar often shows heavy rain as misleadingly light, i.e. all blue. The only coloured parts it shows is if the rain is exceptionally heavy or torrential, it does not represent moderate or sharp rainfall as well as the old legend.

[Stormrider]

Because the BBC have been inefficient with spending of resources as well as lazy in their implementation of the new graphics.

I also miss the old rainfall radar they used to have before the new graphics. The old radar had more colours on to denote intensity, and it just looked neat. The new radar often shows heavy rain as misleadingly light, i.e. all blue. The only coloured parts it shows is if the rain is exceptionally heavy or torrential, it does not represent moderate or sharp rainfall as well as the old legend.

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I agree entirely - i miss seeing all the colours of the rainbow in one storm, instead of poxy green and yellow denoting torrential thunderstorms

The blue colours account for all light and moderate rain, so its very hard to distinguish

[Microburst]

I agree- hopefully the others will start making better use of the synoptic charts and including more detail in their forecasts. Helen Young is personally my favorite as her forecasts are always detailed.

Welcome to the forum

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All BMO's and weather presenters have the facility and option to use synoptics every day if they want to use them to enhance the weather story. It is not mandatory. Animated synoptics are used most weeks in the Countryfile forecasts on Sundays.

MB

[Microburst]

Because the BBC have been inefficient with spending of resources as well as lazy in their implementation of the new graphics.

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'In your opinion' I hope PP !

[Somerset Squall]

All BMO's and weather presenters have the facility and option to use synoptics every day if they want to use them to enhance the weather story. It is not mandatory. Animated synoptics are used most weeks in the Countryfile forecasts on Sundays.

MB

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Well, i think the forecasters trhat choose not to use them are a waste of time watching!! A strong opinion I know, but that is how I feel.

[Somerset Squall]

All BMO's and weather presenters have the facility and option to use synoptics every day if they want to use them to enhance the weather story. It is not mandatory. Animated synoptics are used most weeks in the Countryfile forecasts on Sundays.

MB

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Well, i think the forecasters that choose not to use them are a waste of time watching!! A strong opinion I know, but that is how I feel.

[shuggee]

An encouraging development with Darren Bett at 20:57 on News 24. For the first time the places labelled with temperatures have changed.

It's usually Belfast, Central Lowlands, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester, Norwich, Southampton, Cardiff, Plymouth etc.

He showed Sheffield, Lewes and Portsmouth for a change.

Very refreshing. Well done Darren.

Edited September 7, 2005 by shuggee

[The PIT]

Mmm just seen this evenings forecast and they were on about temperature changes pushing south. Sadly the colour changes were totally invisable on the screen (LCD) I was using. Something they may need to look into if the grading is too slight.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Over the past couple of months I have been discussing the new BBC forecasts to many people, particularly those with minimal interest in the weather. Put simply, the balance of opinion has not been of the nature suggested by the BBC, or any of its "surveys".

There are a minority of people who have thought the new forecasts were okay and presented all they wanted to know- yes, some people were happy with them, but it was only a minority, and it generally consisted of people who don't bother much with watching TV weather forecasts anyway.

A surprisingly large number of non-weather enthusiasts complained about the lack of information provided in the new forecast system- some even pointed to the lack of synoptic charts, even though they did not fully understand them they at least understood that low pressure generally meant rain, and that tightly packed isobars meant strong winds, and that low pressure to the North generally means westerlies.

Many also pointed to the moving graphics- making it hard to follow exactly what is going on.

Some stated that they were getting used to it- but getting used to it and 'going with the flow' does not represent satisfaction, it represents reluctant acceptance.

It wasn't a survey, nor is it necessarily a fully representative cross section, but it was noteworthy how those dissatisfied with the dumbing down were by no means exclusively weather enthusiasts.

[J10]

I still maintain that the new graphics provide better more detailed information then before the change.

The up to 24hr period provides the best information, with timings of weather and detail far superior to before the change. Most of the initial complaints have now been dealt with, and surprisingly after a lull where not many changes happened; there have been considerable improvements lately with the introduction of thunderstorm, mist and fog graphics. More importantly to the supposed issue of dumbing down, there is a far greater use of synoptic charts now than at any time after the change, and there seems to be a steady upward spiral in the usage of them.

One final point is that local forecast have become much superior than before the change, the detail is there, synoptic charts are used for more often than even before the change

While, there is still room for improvement, and I would like further changes, I much prefer the forecasts now than before the change.

[Great Plum]

The new system highlights just how vital it is that Rob McElwee presents the weather - he uses synoptic charts etc throughout his forecasts...

[PersianPaladin]

The new system highlights just how vital it is that Rob McElwee presents the weather - he uses synoptic charts etc throughout his forecasts...

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Rob McElwee is the don-mega of forecasters.

Edited September 19, 2005 by PersianPaladin

[Andy Bown]

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.

[Microburst]

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.

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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

[shuggee]

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...