Weather Words Survey

tunster · Unread post by **tunster** » Thu 14/01/2016 13:47

http://svy.mk/1P1JtrL

This is a MetService survey to find out how the words we use are interpreted by people who actually use the forecast.

It would be pretty handy if you could fill it out (should take 5-10 minutes), and share it with anyone else who uses MetService forecasts.

Thanks

Bradley · Unread post by **Bradley** » Thu 14/01/2016 14:16

A very good survey actually, highly recommend everyone participate

Orion · Unread post by **Orion** » Thu 14/01/2016 22:05

Did that, great opportunity.

Tornado Tim · Unread post by **Tornado Tim** » Thu 14/01/2016 22:21

Done: Thanks John!

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Thu 14/01/2016 22:27

Excellent survey!

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Fri 15/01/2016 02:04

I did it. Glad they are doing it. It should see a change in their wording of forecasts I would think.

Tornado Tim · Unread post by **Tornado Tim** » Fri 15/01/2016 11:59

Getting rid of "Thundery Downpours" would be a start

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 15/01/2016 22:09

Tornado Tim wrote:Getting rid of "Thundery Downpours" would be a start

I agree, just say localised down pours would be more appropriate.
.

Richard · Unread post by **Richard** » Sat 16/01/2016 05:52

done..

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 05/03/2016 18:46

I see (sorry wrong topic here), that "thundery showers "still pops up in a forecast as opposed to thunderstorms.
A thunderstorm is a thunderstorm, no matter how weak it may be.
I can't see the difference.

....by the way what is a thunderstorm? Haven't experienced one of those in ages?

Tornado Tim · Unread post by **Tornado Tim** » Tue 08/03/2016 21:54

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:I see (sorry wrong topic here), that "thundery showers "still pops up in a forecast as opposed to thunderstorms.
A thunderstorm is a thunderstorm, no matter how weak it may be.
I can't see the difference.

Yup, I loath that "Thundery" expression that Metservice forecasters love so much.

Thundery showers, Thundery downpours those expressions are useless. For goodness sake why cant they use the NWS descriptions, ie: Thundershowers or Thunderstorms.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 08/03/2016 22:39

good on yer , Tim

On the West Coast , where low cloud covers up thunderstorm development, you could say that a 'thundery shower" could eventuate, where someone couldn't establish by seeing a thunderstorm development, that if it came onto rain and there was a clap of thunder because of a lightning strike somewhere in the obscured cloud, that could relate into a thundery shower because there was the sound of thunder because of a lightning strike, somewhere, probably in the cloud.
Why not say Showers accompanied by some 'sheet lightning'.

Relevant to forecasting Canterbury thunderstorms, the term 'some showers, possibly thundery' are not appropriate.

Nev · Unread post by **Nev** » Wed 09/03/2016 06:42

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:
Tornado Tim wrote:Getting rid of "Thundery Downpours" would be a start
I agree, just say localised down pours would be more appropriate.

How can that more appropriate if it doesn't include the risk of some embedded thunder/lightning?

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:I see (sorry wrong topic here), that "thundery showers "still pops up in a forecast as opposed to thunderstorms.
A thunderstorm is a thunderstorm, no matter how weak it may be.
I can't see the difference.

Yeah well, let's just say many would disagree (see previous discussions here and here).

Tornado Tim wrote:Yup, I loath that "Thundery" expression that Metservice forecasters love so much.

Thundery showers, Thundery downpours those expressions are useless. For goodness sake why cant they use the NWS descriptions, ie: Thundershowers or Thunderstorms.

I think the terms MS use are very useful when trying to convey varying degrees of thunder/lightning activity associated with either a brief shower, downpour or a full-blown thunderstorm. They're also the same terms used by forecasters worldwide. So why should we adopt American terminology (which is not necessarily relevant to the the type of thunderstorms we get here), instead of what's generally used by most of the rest of the world?

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