The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

[historyman]

Much as it's nice to have access to all the latest satellite technology in predicting the weather, you can't beat a bit of analogue magic:

The superbly dressed Michael Fish struts his stuff in front of the graphics board in 1979:

Of course it didn't always go to plan...

And then even with the advent of computer technology, it could still go wrong...

I say bring back the graphics board.

[ian.64]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Bring it back to its purest basics. After the news, just switch to a bloke sitting by a window, tutting miserably as he points to the grey clouds overhead, alternately pointing upwards and shrugging his shoulders while murmuring 'no...no...not today. Cup of tea and a biscuit. Just look at it. I ask you...'

[The Exploding Vole]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The BBC's weather forecasts have always baffled me. Why do we need somebody on the screen to sweep their arms across the map and wish us a pleasant day? Can't there just be a voice-over?

As for the radio, 90% of weather forecasts I hear seem to sound like this:

"There will be spells of rain, persistent in some places, but most areas can expect some sunshine."

which strikes me as being close to useless.

Am I just having a bad day?

[HORN]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

I never really understand this "20% chance of showers in the west" business. Nor the reasons why, as soon as the radio forecast starts I immediately tune out as though I were back at school, staring out of the window during a history lesson.

[Mumpo]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The weather symbols used by the BBC from 1976 to 2005 were... well, one hesitates to use the word 'iconic', but here it is doubly appropriate. The cloud symbol in particular, with its cute double curve, is a classic bit of graphic design.

[ursus arctos]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

One of the things I miss about Italy are the Air Force officers in dress uniform who do the weather on RAI.

No, they don't have a clue either.

[ian.64]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

I still can't get to grips with the reality that, quite some years ago, the UK was privileged to have on its telly channels, The Weather Channel, a 24/7 prolongment of what could be summed up in minutes and was right up there with all-night, night-vision 'coverage' of the Big Brother housemates copping some zee's under their duvets in terms of uselessness.

[Janik]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The Weather Channel is still going in the US. One can see why they might have thought Britain was a suitable expansion market...

[evilC]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

[San Bernardhinault]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The "20% chance of rain" thing bothers me, too.

Does it mean: It will rain 20% of the time
or does it mean: There's a 20% chance of rain at any one time
or does it mean: There's a 20% chance of rain at some point during the day

I've never worked it out.

[Boris Carpark]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

And stop fucking apologising if it does rain. Just show the chart & shut up.
The radio can just have the shipping forecast.
As you were.

[historyman]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The Exploding Vole wrote:

The BBC's weather forecasts have always baffled me. Why do we need somebody on the screen to sweep their arms across the map and wish us a pleasant day? Can't there just be a voice-over?

As for the radio, 90% of weather forecasts I hear seem to sound like this:

"There will be spells of rain, persistent in some places, but most areas can expect some sunshine."

which strikes me as being close to useless.

Am I just having a bad day?

It's far worse in the west of Ireland, especially in Donegal, where you feel that Met Eireann doesn't have a fucking clue what's going to happen and so hedge their bets by predicting showers.

[Nefertiti2]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

best TV weatherman ever

[Borracho]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The main weathergirl on RTE, Jean Byrne, regularly presents her slot while dressed in what can only be described as PVC bondage gear.

She has become something of a lust object over here in the past couple of years.

[Incandenza]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

There's a very creepy YouTube account called LANewsBabes--video after video of our local weather presenters (and sometimes anchors), just clips of them doing the weather, sometimes in slow mo set to music.

There is one local weather woman, Jackie Johnson, who is so popular that a local band did a song about her.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

This is the first weatherman I remember:



Laurie West. He didn't look quite as much like Hitler as he does there.

[Wyatt Earp]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Guys, would you mind sizing your images?

I'm another fan of the last set of BBC graphics but one. The animations of the wind speed and direction were a masterpiece, and should never have been thrown over.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Guys, would you mind sizing your images?

I don't see any problem with the ones on this page?

[Arturo]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

historyman wrote:

And then even with the advent of computer technology, it could still go wrong...

There's still a lot of debate about this broadcast. I heard many years ago that it was screened last thing at night while others claim it was mid-morning the day before. It's one of those clips that pops up on those "Top 100 Bloopers" shows and everybody claims to have seen at the time (but never actually did).

Fish certainly looks foolish, but there must have been other forecasts on the four channels that day. Plus there's the story of the woman who phoned in (or didn't, depending on who you believe).

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2007/10/15/hurricane-woman-revealed-after-20-yrs-115875-19952339/

[Stumpy Pepys]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Lest we forget: The Weather in Norwegian on L!ve TV.

Embarrassingly promoted by Millwall FC:

[adams house cat]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Don't knock the shipping forecast. It was the accompaniment to my bedtime for years. I still like to listen to it on the BBC web when I can.

[historyman]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

adams house cat wrote:

Don't knock the shipping forecast. It was the accompaniment to my bedtime for years. I still like to listen to it on the BBC web when I can.

Has anybody on the thread knocked it? I thought it was one of those great British institutions like warm beer at County Cricket grounds- oh dear I'm coming all over John Major again...

[The Exploding Vole]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

There's something soothing about listening to the shipping forecast as you go to bed. But at 5:20 in the morning I can't stand it.

[Eggchaser]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

The shipping forecast, guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of cricket fans in pre-digital days as you then went back the match dreading yet another English batsman sent back to the hutch whilst you were away.

[WOM]

The Changing Face of TV Weather Forecasting

Looks like English. Sounds like English. Makes no sense to me.

What's the shipping forecast?