In Your Face

In Your Face
Thought provoking opinions on topical issues.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Met Office Fails

The hapless and hopeless Met Office has failed again with its "forecasting".

In April the Met office predicted that we were in line for a hot, dry summer.

No surprises for guessing that, given the lack of "summer sizzle", the Met Office is now changing its forecast and is predicting "unsettled" weather.

In 2008 they got their summer prediction wrong, and indeed in 2007 they also screwed up.

The Met Office head of forecasting, Brian Goulding, said:

"Seasonal forecasting is a difficult thing to do and this places some limitations on our forecasts".

I have two suggestions for the Met Office:

1 Given the "difficulty" and inaccuracy of long term forecasting, why bother?

2 Why not fine the Met Office everytime they get things wrong? Inaccurate weather forecasts cost others money, why not focus the minds of the Met Office a little more by charging them for their mistakes?