Meteorologistsatthecorporationhaveconfirmedtheypickthesymbolthatsummarisestheday’sweatherbasedonthedreariestpartoftheforecast.
IttoldTheSundayTimesthatwhilethismayplaceemphasisona“short,specificspellofweather”,itisdesignedtobe“readincontextwiththebroaderpictureandhour-by-hourdetail,whichchangesaccordingtothelatestdata”.
TheMetOfficehasadifferentapproachforselectingsymbolstocoincidewiththeweather.Ittoldthepaper:“Symbolson[our]forecastsonlineandonourapparetheresultofablendofdifferentforecastmodelstogivethemostaccuratesymboloftheweatherpossible.”
Itcautionedthatitwas“unlikely”theUKrainfalltotalsforMarch2024willexceedthetotalof132millimetres(5inches)ofrainfallrecordedinMarchtheyearbefore.
ThisisdespiteEasterweekendhavingproventobeawashout,withtheEnvironmentAgencyhavingissued132floodalertsacrosssouthernEnglandfortheweekend.
AbandofheavyrainissettomoveacrosstheUKonMonday.
“Businessescanbefrustratedwhentheheadlinesymbollookslikeit’sgoingtorainwhilethey’rewaitingingoodweathertowelcomecustomersandpeoplearen’tcomingbecausetheweathersymbolhasindicatedamorepessimisticpicturethanthereality,”shesaid.
“Ifit’sOKbetween10amand3pm,whichisthetimemostpeoplewillbevisiting,butrainingthroughoutthenight,thatreallyisn’tgoingtobeaconcernforavisitor.Soit’sreallyimportantthattheweatherforecastisnotonlyaccurate,butit’satruereflection.”
TheBBCemphasisedthattheselectionoftheday’simagedoesnotaffecttheaccuracyofitsforecasting.