New Met Office service set to provide 'better-looking' weather forecasts

[xmetman]

I've just noticed this article in the Guardian about something called Visual Cortex which produces beautiful graphics from NWP output. The article says it' being produced by "a new Public Weather Media Service that has been developed with broadcast partners including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and will be made available to them at no extra cost". 

The article goes onto say "However, BBC viewers are unlikely to benefit as the corporation currently uses graphics provided by a different company and last year decided to change to a new weather data provider from June 2017 onwards". I'm sure that date was originally September 2016 and has slipped.

All I can say is that it makes the current graphics look second rate and the BBC would be well advised to adopt Visual Cortex as soon as possible. 

I wonder if the same development team are working on a Max Headroom type of virtual weather presenter replete with a variety of dialects from around the country!

[Richard Dixon]

I wonder how much public consultation will be made on this before they undergo an overhaul. I recall the dog's dinner they made when did the first "new graphics" and it was difficult to discern fog from mist from snow from rain...!

Richard

[Joe]

They look good, Bruce.

I just saw a post on twitter from Liam Dutton with an animation that is similar. Nice display.

For reference to anyone who uses Twitter:

https://twitter.com/liamdutton/status/760792605198286848

For those that don't, screenshot below:

 

[xmetman]

It would be good if all various weather media outlets used a similar graphics system, whether they do or not is another question. The package will be probably be configurable so that they could all have a slightly different look, and hopefully we can ditch the map projection that always made Scotland overly small. It reminds me very much of the old Meteo Blue website.

[Len Wood]

This  type of graphic is not new and has been available for a while.
I publicised it on usw some time back.
I can't think why TV has not used them up to now.

Look at this super link

https://www.windyty.com/?50.371,-4.143,6

Len
Wembury

[Joe]

Thanks Len. Great link!