Great Storm Of 1987: Michael Fish's 'white Lie'

[Backtrack]

The night of Monday 15 October marks 25 years since the UK's Great Storm of 1987, in which 18 people died as winds reached speeds of 115mph.

Former BBC weatherman Michael Fish gained notoriety for a forecast earlier that day which told people not to worry.

On the 25th anniversary he told current BBC weatherman Nick Miller his version of events and how he could never have imagined it would lead to him featuring in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

A great watch!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19923565

[Methuselah]

There was no 'white lie' BT...there was no hurricane. But there was a very deep, vigorous depression?

[Backtrack]

There was no 'white lie' BT...there was no hurricane. But there was a very deep, vigorous depression?

Yes there was! Watch the video on the BBC website, Michael Fish himself admits it.

[Methuselah]

I'm sure that there's never been a hurricane hit the UK...it had fronts in its circulation, for a start...Hurricane force winds happened though!

[Backtrack]

I'm sure that there's never been a hurricane hit the UK...it had fronts in its circulation, for a start...Hurricane force winds happened though!

The white lie was that in his forecast he said a woman from Wales called the BBC and said there was a hurricane on the way.

He made it up based on his colleague's mother's flight to Florida.

[Coast]

I wonder what difference it would have made to the poor unfortunates who lost property and life? Could they have avoided anything if they had know what was coming? I think most of us were safely tucked up inside, I'm not sure where else I could have gone even if I had known the extent of what was about to happen.

[The PIT]

I don't think there would have been any change in behavior. In the burns storm everybody went off to work Lorries went off unladen nobody changed their behavior.

If you rang you boss saying you're not coming your p45 would have been waiting on your desk the next day.