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[AdrianH]

We have all the computer and satellite technology, there are plenty of UK weather forecasters and their web sites yet none of them are accurate.

I have for the last few weeks been using the Opera Weather Extension that came out with the latest Opera update, the data is provided by the Norwegian weather service and not only provides better maps and diagrams than anyone else , it appears to be the only service that can actually give an accurate forecast for our area.


 My area forecast >> http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Wareham/hour_by_hour.html

To choose your own area go here >> http://www.yr.no/ and enter your locale in the search box.

[silversurfer44]

I also use the Opera extension and I have one on the speed dial. Even these two don't always agree.
All in all I have three weather forecasters, my own desktop one, the Met Office and now the Norwegian one and never does two of them agree. It must be difficult to try and predict the weather.

When the area, Yorkshire & Humberside, is taken into account the forecast is probably correct for small areas within the greater area.

It gives us something to talk about.

[jazz]

Wow!!  That is massively better presented and so much more informative than any UK based weather reports I have seen.  Our newspaper no longer shows isobars or even wind speeds.  I'll follow it for a while and see how accurate it is for us here in my part of the North West.    Thanks for sharing the link.  

[AdrianH]

My area has a climate/weather all of it's own due to the coast and hill formations here,  we frequently have totally different weather to that of the forest only 2 miles away yet so far the Norwegian service has been far more accurate than anyone else.

I think their layout and presentation are far superior, certainly it is much easier to follow.

[oldfogy]

My local radio station BRMB is only a couple of miles away.

But I think sometimes local radio station presenters should put their heads out of the window on the odd occasion before saying how the rain etc will probably subside and dry up as the day goes on before simply repeating what they get from the met office.

WHY!
Because the sun has been out all morning, or at least for the last 3 hours and even before that there was not any rain.

[scottiesmum]

Our TV météo report is on the whole accurate,(there was a real hoo-ha following the lack of information prior to the Millennium hurricane here)  and the back page of our Sud Ouest Newspaper is another good source  ....  however,  at this time of year it's just a case of       8) 8)

[broadstairs]

Yes the yr.no site is excellent and it is a great pity that the UK Met Office dont do better.

This discussion about forecast accuracy is one I often have with my wife. I have had a weather station now for 6 years and also produce forecasts for my local area in house using some very clever software written by a guy in the USA. The problem with sites like UKMO and the BBC etc is that although they say it is local it is not really local, they have to generalise on a quite significant area and therefore when they say sunny intervals or showers you may see all sun or all rain in your location. My local forecast is really just for the area centred on Broadstairs and for about a 20 mile radius, and it works out quite well for the initial 24-48 hours, usually on a par with what happens as recorded by my weather station. If you were to pay the UKMO for such a local forecast then it would probably be pretty accurate.

Another gripe I have with UKMO is that the data they use is only available if you pay shed loads of cash for the privilege, however by accessing the same model data from the US Met Service I can get it for free!

One thing the UKMO is now doing is building the Weather Observations Website (currently in beta testing) which is similar to the Weather Observer program in the USA and allows amateur weather observers to provide additional data to them.

Stuart

[tonyappuk]

Thanks AdrianH. That site is now added to my Boating, Weather bookmarks. It is certainly nicely presented.
Tony

[UncleUB]

Very  nice  site  Adrian thanks. I have just  checked the weather  for Pevensey and no rain forecast till Friday ,the BBC say otherwise so we shall see.

[tickmike]

I use a local site similar to Stuart's above and it's very good.

As my daughters still in Honduras and is moving to one of the islands diving for the next week I can use one of the local weather stations to get a idea of the live weather (its early morning now and is fine at 19c, thunderstorms forecast  ).
I'm also using one of the Nasa satellites and a local webcam to view her local weather. 

http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/

[silversurfer44]

@Tickmike : I'm also using one of the Nasa satellites and a local webcam to view her

Now that is keeping a close eye on her.

[tickmike]

@Tickmike : I'm also using one of the Nasa satellites and a local webcam to view her local weather.

Now that is keeping a close eye on her.

With no mobile phone signal in the jungle it's nice to know what weather they are having 

I found a webcam on the jetty (I hope it's the correct jetty were they will arrive at later tonight).
At the moment two chaps are putting the diving gear in one of the dive boats.

The satellite shows storm clouds developing around the gulf of Mexico.

[UncleUB]

In terms of wind speed the site reports in m/s,what is m/s,only it is saying 10 m/s at present,the reason I ask is that it is quite windy at present(much more than 10mph)

[scottiesmum]

I think it means 1 metre per second Unc  ...   which is equal to 3.6 kph .......   which is equal to 2.237 miles per hour  -  does that help     

[AdrianH]

I think it means 1 metre per second Unc  ...   which is equal to 3.6 kph .......   which is equal to 2.237 miles per hour  -  does that help     

Indeed it is .

1 m/s is equivalent to:
= 3.6 km·h−1 (exactly)
≈ 3.2808 feet per second (approximately)
≈ 2.2369 miles per hour (approximately)
≈ 1.9438 knots (approximately)

1 foot per second = 0.3048 m·s−1 (exactly)

1 mile per hour = 0.44704 m·s−1 (exactly)

1 km·h-1 ≈ 0.2778 m·s−1 (approximately)

1 kilometre per second is equivalent to:
≈ 0.6213 miles per second (approximately)
≈ 2237 miles per hour (approximate)