Thursday 7th September. Weather in Cardiff, Wales.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

If you have 30 seconds of your life to waste check the weather forecast for Cardiff on Thursday, on BBC weather and the Met Office. They're both 'experts' of course.

[RichardM]

To save anyone else bothering. Sunny according to the BBC, cloudy according to the Met Office.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

If you have 30 seconds of your life to waste check the weather forecast for Cardiff on Thursday, on BBC weather and the Met Office. They're both 'experts' of course.

The BBC stopped using the Met Office a few years ago and now gets its forecasts from MeteoGroup. I believe the BBC were "encouraged" to put its weather services out to tender. I remember reading somewhere that its forecasts aren't usually as accurate as the Met Office.

In any case, the BBC's own weather says things will get increasingly humid over the next few days. I think it's easy to work out why that may be considered cloudy in some way.

[the other bob wilson]

The BBC stopped using the Met Office a few years ago and now gets its forecasts from MeteoGroup. I believe the BBC were "encouraged" to put its weather services out to tender. I remember reading somewhere that its forecasts aren't usually as accurate as the Met Office.

In any case, the BBC's own weather says things will get increasingly humid over the next few days. I think it's easy to work out why that may be considered cloudy in some way.

Wasn’t aware of any of that, but I have noticed in recent weeks that the BBC forecast has differed now and again from the one Alexa gives me every morning and usually it’s because the Beeb doesn’t think it’s going to rain as much as Alexa does - the latter has been right and the BBC wrong more often than not.

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

I always use the Met Office. I'm not surprised the BBC forecast is crap.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I always use the Met Office. I'm not surprised the BBC forecast is crap.

But that's not the fault of the BBC, that's all down to the provider they've chosen, probably to save money.

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

But that's not the fault of the BBC, that's all down to the provider they've chosen, probably to save money.

I don't really want to derail this thread but I would have thought that when buying in services, a primary consideration, alongside cost, is whether they are fit for purpose? This is assuming cost was in fact a factor here.

[bobh]

But that's not the fault of the BBC, that's all down to the provider they've chosen, probably to save money.

They've found that they can save even more money by phoning Sabrina Lee's mum and asking her to look out of the window.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I don't really want to derail this thread but I would have thought that when buying in services, a primary consideration, alongside cost, is whether they are fit for purpose? This is assuming cost was in fact a factor here.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/m...-a7195576.html

This is a good read. Apparently BBC tenders need to be the most economically advantaged - the best combination of quality and cost. In other words, the best they are prepared to pay for. Meteogroup were providing forecasts for C4 and Sky, not sure if they still do, so they must have seemed like a safe pair of hands while saving a few quid.

[North Cardiff Blue]

To save anyone else bothering. Sunny according to the BBC, cloudy according to the Met Office.

Lets see who is right tomorrow

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Lets see who is right tomorrow

Next Monday and Tuesday look interesting. Monday and Tuesday Met Office prediction of cloudy with slight chance of rain, 21 and 19 degrees. Monday and Tuesday Meteogroup prediction of sunny with showers on Monday, partially sunny on Tuesday, 24 and 20 degrees.

With weather as unpredictable as it is, both could even be wrong.

[2b2bdoo]

Interesting, I’ve always used the BBC for weather, but it’s become very erratic, one minute showing full sun the next rain.

It seems to change like the ….. Hhmmm

[PontBlue]

The BBC stopped using the Met Office a few years ago and now gets its forecasts from MeteoGroup. I believe the BBC were "encouraged" to put its weather services out to tender. I remember reading somewhere that its forecasts aren't usually as accurate as the Met Office.

In any case, the BBC's own weather says things will get increasingly humid over the next few days. I think it's easy to work out why that may be considered cloudy in some way.

Meteo Groups forecasts are always optimistic. I was at a talk once where it was pointed out that Meteo Group are often linked to the sensational weather headlines you get in the gutter press.

[ToTaL ITK]

1/10

[IanD]

Next Monday and Tuesday look interesting. Monday and Tuesday Met Office prediction of cloudy with slight chance of rain, 21 and 19 degrees. Monday and Tuesday Meteogroup prediction of sunny with showers on Monday, partially sunny on Tuesday, 24 and 20 degrees.

With weather as unpredictable as it is, both could even be wrong.

Forecast....not predicted. Big difference.

[The Bloop]

Cloudy start to the day and, looking at the weather radar, there's a few showers around too.

[the other bob wilson]

Cloudy start to the day and, looking at the weather radar, there's a few showers around too.

Had to put my windscreen wipers on as I drove over the Rhygos this morning, for a minute or two there were a few of those heavy rain drops coming down that make you think a thunderstorm is coming. It's certainly humid enough for a thunderstorm this morning - Alexa told me the temperature was 20 degrees at 5.30 this morning and I wouldn't argue with that.

As the moment here in the upper Rhondda valley, the Met Office are more on the mark with their forecast than the BBC.

[North Cardiff Blue]

North Cardiff very warm and cloudy, met office looks correct so far, but they have started to hedge their bets now showing cloud and sun breaking through, but I suppose a good forecaster should change nearer the time as more up-to-date information arrives.

The next four days up until Sunday are pure sun on BBC, cloud with a little bit of sun Met Office.

[Moodybluebird]

Although out of habit I regularly check the BBC weather channel, it is probably the most inaccurate around. For instance I've lost track of the number of thunderstorms forecast in the last few months for Rumney only for them not to happen. Not a single rumble.

My missus swears by Google weather and to be fair to her they're on a par with the Met Office for accuracy, certainly far superior to the BBC. Sometimes, as is the case this week, there can be wildly differing weekly forecasts and opening my curtains this morning, I see the BBC has got it wrong again.

[Former Labour leader]

Had a brief shower earlier here in West Wales.
Still cloudy as I post this.
Have given up on BBC weather. Useless for checking if its ok to put washing out. Invariably rains when it shouldn't. 😀