Raining cats and dogs, or tipping it down? Met Office plans to add regional slang to forecasts

[Daniel*]

This is great! 

Baffling meteorological forecasts could be consigned to history under a scheme to help more people understand the weather.

The Met Office is planning to incorporate regional slang into local broadcasts to make bulletins simpler and more useful.

Unsurprisingly for a country obsessed with the weather, Britain has an impressive lexicon of meteorological idioms, from "raining cats and dogs", to conditions "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" a phrase originating from military history rather than chilly primates.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/01/31/raining-cats-dogs-no-tipping-met-office-planning-add-slang-forecasts/

[lassie23]

as long as it replaces, 'at least it will be mild'

[Methuselah]

They can replace it with 'not so effing cold, innit!'

[Daniel*]

1 hour ago, Ed Stone said:

They can replace it with 'not so effing cold, innit!'

PC brigade may not like it though oh we’re multicultural now it’s not inclusive. 

[Nick L]

Hoorah, further dumbing down of forecasts. It's 1st Feb, not April!

[Summer Sun]

Certainly feels brass monkeys in that wind today!

[Daniel*]

10 minutes ago, Nick L said:

Hoorah, further dumbing down of forecasts. It's 1st Feb, not April!

They’re already really pretty much ‘dumbed’ down I think for the regional forecasts it’s a good idea however the national forecasts keep it how it is. Funny that.  

[Nick L]

3 minutes ago, Daniel* said:

They’re already really pretty much ‘dumbed’ down I think for the regional forecasts it’s a good idea however the national forecasts keep it how it is. Funny that.  

Considering we deride Americans for being dim, their forecasts are superb in terms of technical detail. Ours are increasingly embarrassing.

[Dami]

well that's me buggered I have no idea what the folk of bedford say regarding the weather.  They don't talk much about the weather, they just moan about parking cars.

[Daniel*]

25 minutes ago, Nick L said:

Considering we deride Americans for being dim, their forecasts are superb in terms of technical detail. Ours are increasingly embarrassing.

I can’t say I know they’re big on the hyperbole however? It seems more of a news story out there whereas here we do not really have that. 

[Nick L]

32 minutes ago, Daniel* said:

I can’t say I know they’re big on the hyperbole however? It seems more of a news story out there whereas here we do not really have that. 

 They are yes but we're not much better with the tabloids. On their forecasts they fully utilise their Doppler radar for example. The UKMO won't even make the data publicly available from ours! I know it's not as necessary here but still. 

[Daniel*]

Just now, Nick L said:

 They are yes but we're not much better with the tabloids. On their forecasts they fully utilise their Doppler radar for example. The UKMO won't even make the data publicly available from ours! I know it's not as necessary here but still. 

I find that outrageous there’s absolutely no reason for them not too. We need doppler it’s 2018! 

[Nick L]

Just now, Daniel* said:

I find that outrageous there’s absolutely no reason for them not too. We need doppler it’s 2018! 

I just want it for curiosity purposes. There are probably just a few days a year when it's actually needed haha. 

[Daniel*]

Just now, Nick L said:

I just want it for curiosity purposes. There are probably just a few days a year when it's actually needed haha. 

You replied quick haha. Yep great for spotting tornadoes? 

[Paul]

To be fair, I think they only just finished upgrading the network, and it'll probably be a bit before it's all fully running internally their side. Expect it'll be available at some point. 

[Daniel*]

4 minutes ago, Paul said:

To be fair, I think they only just finished upgrading the network, and it'll probably be a bit before it's all fully running internally their side. Expect it'll be available at some point. 

Doppler has been there for over 10 years in use, so I believe there have been upgrades over the years. I don’t think they have any intent on releasing it to ‘public’ very much seems like an in house thing. 

[jtay]

Carol's been doing it for years...

Utter filth.

[Polar Maritime]

I thought the saying 'It's raining cats and dogs' was from medieval times when dogs and cats sat on the straw/mud roofs and upon raining they would slide down dropping past the windows..

[D.B.]

I fin' met office 're 'avin' a giraffe.

[Daniel*]

Lord above seen it all now. 

[Mokidugway]

Lol 

[Walsall Wood Snow]

6 hours ago, Polar Maritime said:

I thought the saying 'It's raining cats and dogs' was from medieval times when dogs and cats sat on the straw/mud roofs and upon raining they would slide down dropping past the windows..

That's a very interesting hypothesis, I always thought it was just some bizarre made up gobbledygook. Maybe it does have origins in observed phenomenon.