What Models Do The BBC Online Use?

[TheHumph]

As a new member of this forum I have been blown away by some of the skill that members' show in terms of using the various models to substantiate their view of the upcoming weather. What still mystifies me is though is how bad the BBC online forecast seems to be particularly with regard to ramping up the mild side of things. As an example, yesterday I watched very closely the musings of local and national forecasters on the BBC, and the members on this forum, very acurately describing the heavy snowfall for South Cental England which came to pass in my neck of the woods today. However, the BBC online forecast at best had Petersfield at 0 degrees with light sleet, and at worst 5c and heavy rain! We had several hours of heavy snow! I fully understand that forecasting snow in this scenario is particularly difficult, but surely if the BBC use the same models and technology as the Met Office then they should surely come to the same conclusion as their TV weather folk. Does anyone have a view on this?

[Nick L]

They *supposedly* use the Met Office data, so should be broadly the same as Met Office forecasts, but as you say they rarely are! My lecturers brought this up - they are as baffled as everyone else.

[TheHumph]

They *supposedly* use the Met Office data, so should be broadly the same as Met Office forecasts, but as you say they rarely are! My lecturers brought this up - they are as baffled as everyone else.

Thank you for this support. I thought I was going mad! The BBC online forecasting, especially for the medium-term, is appalling. The problem for me is how many of the masses take these forecasts as gospel.

[Nick L]

Thank you for this support. I thought I was going mad! The BBC online forecasting, especially for the medium-term, is appalling. The problem for me is how many of the masses take these forecasts as gospel.

It has been for sometime. One notably recurring and bizarre feature of the BBC 5 dayers is that they always used to show Aberystwyth as the coldest place in the country, frequently predicting crazily low minimum temperatures.

But if you want a quick and concise online forecast I would stick with the Met Office website, might not be perfect but it's better than the BBC website.

[Atmosphères]

The weather graphics on TV are made with NAE, so I'm guessing that the 5-day forecasts are a direct output for that model. That's for the UK, for the rest of the world, it's the global model, again with direct output. Met Office's forecasters, I'm guessing, correct the direct outputs, and probably use several, including their experimental models, so that is why it might be so different.