IN LAST week's Review Letter's page, the Sally Sunshine Fan Club complained about the accuracy of weather forecasts. Having been warned to expect "a little sleet" they awoke to find themselves in three or four inches of snow. A weather forecast is only "an educated guess" they said, and that with all the equipment they have, they should always get it right.
In fact, they do always get it right.
When a ship leaves Liverpool for New York the first thing they want to know is whether to go north or south of Ireland. The Meteorological Office will also tell them how to zigzag across the Atlantic to avoid the worst storms on the way and so economise on fuel. Aircraft need to same information for the same reason.
Things may well have improved now, but when I worked for the Meteorological Office many years ago, these weather forecasts were guaranteed accurate up to six hours in advance, and the fee they charged for this service was £50 for each six hour period.
The BBC weather forecast is very general in its scope. It is not possible to mention every town and village in the country in a five-minute broadcast, yet the weather can be totally different in one village from another.
No double the "little sleet" the Sally Sunshine Fan Club expected went elsewhere and left them with the deluge of unexpected snow.
If they require an accurate weather forecast for Lydney, perhaps the Meteorological Office will provide it–if the Fan Club pay for it. – Anthony Reeve, Littledean.