Weather Forecasts

amcalwee · Unread post by **amcalwee** » Mon 12/01/2004 13:19

`I have been disapointed with the TV 1 news weather forecast lately, they continually forecast showers in Canterbury from Nor'westers when almost everyone knpws away from the western ranges precipitation is going to be very minimal. Are mistakes happening in other areas forecasts?

Sandy

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Mon 12/01/2004 17:11

The Weather forecast on TV one come from Met Service. Some of those Cold Fronts crossing the South Island lately have been very active and in these situations there is a beter chance of rain getting out East from the Divide and maybe a few drops reaching Chistchurch so I guess they feel they have to mention it in the Forecast.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Mon 12/01/2004 21:40

Television weather forecasts are not meant to be taken seriously, they are just entertainment.

In the time available and with the area to be covered it is impossible to give an appropriate indication of what the weather will do "some spots of rain may spread from the western ranges during the afternoon", which is why the TV presenters resort to "showers" instead.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Mon 12/01/2004 22:40

The Weather Forecast can be distorted by the TV presenters. I can think of one TV presenter who sometimes gives information that just can't be right and I'm sure did not come from Met Service.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 13/01/2004 00:03

TonyT wrote:Television weather forecasts are not meant to be taken seriously, they are just entertainment.

I love it.

The presenters just relay information from MetService and most of it is just word for word of what MetService put on the Internet, thats why I don't watch the TV forecasts now.
Even the NIWA stuff they give is online.

JohnGaul
NZTS

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Tue 13/01/2004 09:50

Jim Hicky who was with TV one used to incorporate his own weather knowledge into the forecast, he was great. Television weather forecasts are aimed at Joe public who have an attention span for weather of about 3 seconds , Cola and Chips weather forecasting.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 13/01/2004 17:21

I think people like to look at the observed maximum temperature for the day in their town. The 7pm broadcast is almost like top town. And according to the NZ Herald some towns are shifting their thermometers so they can get higher readings onto TV. The latest town to go for this is Napier. The 7pm broadcast is worth $$$$ in local tourism to the town so it is being taken very seriously. Napier's mayor wants higher temperatures on TV every night.

To change the topic, Isolated thunderstorms are developing over the central North island this afternoon. Upper air looks just a bit on the unstable side.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Tue 13/01/2004 18:51

NZstorm wrote:And according to the NZ Herald some towns are shifting their thermometers so they can get higher readings onto TV. The latest town to go for this is Napier. The 7pm broadcast is worth $$$$ in local tourism to the town so it is being taken very seriously. Napier's mayor wants higher temperatures on TV every night.

Ironic really - by shifting the thermometer to a warmer spot you end up making a mockery of the temperature summary, rather than treating it seriously. Which is another reason not to consider TV weather to be anything other than eye candy.

I seem to recall some research a while b ack which suggested people were put off visiting (or was it living in) an area if their perception of the TV temperatures was that it got too hot there. You cant win.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 13/01/2004 20:13

TV Forecasts often go on about lots of settled weather and how great it is(perhaps it is really south of the Bombays) when we have a good SW'er up here and whats is worse is when they forecast us fine and calm weather and we end up with a howling southwesterly

Even more annoying than the weather nature gives to us each day is the announcers particulary the female ones that pronounce town names about 5 different PC ways each time

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 13/01/2004 20:28

They should use the standard old terms like occasional rain,periods of rain,scattered rain to explain the sort of rain expected

TonyT wrote:Television weather forecasts are not meant to be taken seriously, they are just entertainment.

In the time available and with the area to be covered it is impossible to give an appropriate indication of what the weather will do "some spots of rain may spread from the western ranges during the afternoon", which is why the TV presenters resort to "showers" instead.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 13/01/2004 20:28

Wellington paid $10,000 to have its temperature recording site for TV shifted. But it doesn't seem to have made any difference.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 13/01/2004 22:32

Kawerau must be a great place to live as it quite often tops the nation with it's high!

JohnGaul
NZTS

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Wed 14/01/2004 07:38

Kawerau usually gets the high whenever theres usually a dry SW flow over the top of the country.
rain has just started to fall in the city Yucky for the people in the city but good for the farmers

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Wed 14/01/2004 11:15

amcalwee wrote:`I have been disapointed with the TV 1 news weather forecast lately, they continually forecast showers in Canterbury from Nor'westers when almost everyone knpws away from the western ranges precipitation is going to be very minimal. Are mistakes happening in other areas forecasts?

Sandy

Showers do often cross over into Canterbury during a Nor'wester, Because over the last few days i have been out inland from Amberly and it has been a strong NW and both times we had light showers blow over. Although nothing really became of them, ie a decent rainfall for the farmers!

Manukau heads obs · Wed 14/01/2004 13:50

rain has just started to fall in the city Yucky for the people in the city but good for the farmers

you wont find many farms in the city though!
no rain here, just sea breezes

i have been in canty with quite big drops of rain from a clear sky blown from the rain on the alps!

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 14/01/2004 17:25

rain has just started to fall in the city Yucky for the people in the city but good for the farmers

I didn't notice any rain today. Weather cleared this morning to a fine warm humid day.

The lastest update on the Met service lightning site shows how extensive the lightning activity was over the North Island yesterday. Nothing near Auckland though.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 14/01/2004 18:10

In Mt Eden we had some very light showers early from thick overcast Strato cu and I noticed some small showers around this afternoon from collapsing Cumulus but only a trace here.
Next week looks a chance for showers or rain in the dry East with the winds going on shore for them though a strong Ridge also looks to be moving in quickly.

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