Skip to main content

BBC Forecasts 20,000 KPH Winds For London, Apologises

The BBC on Thursday apologised after a graphic incorrectly forecast winds of more than 13,000 miles (20,000 kilometres) per hour in London, as Hurricane Milton battered the US state of Florida.

"Don't be alarmed folks -- Hurricane Milton hasn't made it to us here in the UK!" one of the broadcaster's meteorologists, Matt Taylor, assured the public on X.

"There's been a data glitch between our suppliers and the app/online. Folk are working to solve the issue," he said, adding: "No need to panic buy plywood and candles."

The technical gremlins on the BBC's weather app and website also resulted in overnight temperatures of 404 degrees Celsius (759 degrees Fahrenheit) being predicted for the central English city of Nottingham.

A BBC Weather statement apologised for "some data issues on our app and website. We are working hard to fix it quickly.

"Sorry -- please bear with us," it added.

The real forecast for Thursday was colder, clearer air moving in with rain and drizzle in the south and blustery showers near the east coast.

The blunder has echoes of a 1987 forecast that went down in broadcasting folklore and turned the meteorologist involved into a national celebrity.

Michael Fish famously told viewers during a broadcast on October 15, 1987 that "apparently a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way.

"Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!"

A few hours later a storm dubbed the "Great Storm of 1987" -- the worst to hit southeast England for three centuries -- hit the region.

The BBC's meteorological mishap came as Milton smashed into Florida leaving at least four people dead and millions without power.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/bOhlvSd

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

US Has Agreed To Send More Bombs, Warplanes To Israel: Report

The US in recent days authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, two sources familiar with the effort said on Friday, even as Washington publicly expresses concerns about an anticipated Israeli military offensive in Rafah. The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources, who confirmed a report in the Washington Post. Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally. The package comes as Israel faces strong international criticism over its continued bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza and as some members of President Joe Biden's party call for him to cut US military aid. The United States has been rushing air defenses and munitions to Israel, but some Democrats and Arab American groups have criticized the Biden administration's steadfast support of Israel, which they say provides it with a sense of impunity. Bid...
Post a Comment
Read more

UK In 'Diplomatic Contact' With Syrian Rebels After Bashar Al-Assad's Ouster

Britain's foreign minister said Sunday that London had established diplomatic contact with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group in Syria, which led the offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad. They remain "a proscribed terrorist organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect", said Foreign Secretary David Lammy. "We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see chemical weapons stockpiles secured, and not used, and we want to ensure that there is not continuing violence," he added. "So, for all of those reasons, using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and of course intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/ybLIfjx
Post a Comment
Read more