Want to know why weather forecasts are so inaccurate?

[EternalOptimist]

Yes, the paper's style guide will dictate something like "Show temperatures in celsius, with fahrenheit in brackets on first mention" but some busy (and almost certainly scientifically-ignorant) sub-editor failed to realise that the first figure referred to an absolute value, the second to a relative difference, and they had to be treated differently.

Enforcement of style guides under tight deadlines has a history of causing problems. The Telegraph's style guide dictates that amounts in foreign currencies should be followed by the current equivalent in pounds sterling, in brackets. In the early Seventies this resulted in a photo appearing with the caption "Elizabeth Taylor arriving at Heathrow airport yesterday. She told waiting journalists 'I feel like a million dollars' (£473,000)"

I remember that nonsense. Around the same time I wanted to spend a penny but couldnt, because it made no sense

[NickFitz]

It seems more likely that the conversion is the work of a lazy journalist IMO.

Yes, the paper's style guide will dictate something like "Show temperatures in celsius, with fahrenheit in brackets on first mention" but some busy (and almost certainly scientifically-ignorant) sub-editor failed to realise that the first figure referred to an absolute value, the second to a relative difference, and they had to be treated differently.

Enforcement of style guides under tight deadlines has a history of causing problems. The Telegraph's style guide dictates that amounts in foreign currencies should be followed by the current equivalent in pounds sterling, in brackets. In the early Seventies this resulted in a photo appearing with the caption "Elizabeth Taylor arriving at Heathrow airport yesterday. She told waiting journalists 'I feel like a million dollars' (£473,000)"

[minestrone]

It is because you have not recycled enough this month.

Britain is at the center of a few different weather fronts.

[doodab]

What online UK papers are worth reading nowadays?

The Daily Mash?

I don't bother with any of them unless I'm following a link. Anything of interest I tend to become aware of via specialist sites or publications. Such as CUK.

[Sysman]

And this from The Independent.

What online UK papers are worth reading nowadays?

[Sysman]

It seems more likely that the conversion is the work of a lazy journalist IMO.

I'm in nitpicking mode...

Two of 'em

By Dave Higgens and Lauren Turner

But in that case they shouldn't have put quotation marks around it.

[doodab]

It seems everyone missed the point of my highlighted bits.

Yes, a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius is equal to a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

No, a difference of 10 degrees Celsius is not a difference of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

And this from the independent.

It seems more likely that the conversion is the work of a lazy journalist IMO. Although why anyone is still mucking about with fahrenheits is beyond me.

[Sysman]

It seems everyone missed the point of my highlighted bits.

Yes, a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius is equal to a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

No, a difference of 10 degrees Celsius is not a difference of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

And this from a weather forecaster.

[doodab]

The weather forecast the last few days has been pretty accurate, at least where I am.

[Paddy]

Weather breaks September records



Oh deary me.

Ever since I remember temperature on UK weather forecasts have been over estimated and the way record temperatures are announced is misleading.

For example. “UK has record temperature and is hotter than Spain”

The UK temperature is measure from the hottest location whereas the Spanish temperature is taken on the average for the whole country including mountain tops.

I notice this a lot when travel from the UK to Europe. In Bulgaria there is one mountain area that freezes even in Summer, that temperature is included in the daily average.

[Sysman]

Weather breaks September records

Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Records have been broken

...

Heathrow Airport can usually expect to see temperatures around 19C (66.2F)in September, and 15C (59F) in October.

Ms Creevey said: "We would expect the temperature for the last day of September to fall somewhere between these figures.

"But 28C (82.4F) has been recorded there today - 10C (50F) above average."

Oh deary me.