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Metcheck or BBC?

GazzaputtGazzaputt Posts: 3,227
edited March 2011 in The bottom bracket
Compare the the two forecasts for my area. I want to believe Metcheck and for the most that are usually more accurate than the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2574?area=Bexley

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7da ... ode=london

So what do you use?

Posts

  • DIESELDOGDIESELDOG Posts: 2,087
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Compare the the two forecasts for my area. I want to believe Metcheck and for the most that are usually more accurate than the BBC

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2574?area=Bexley

    http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7da ... ode=london

    So what do you use?

    My weather stone.

    if I can see it it's sunny.
    If I can't it's foggy or night.
    If it's wet it's raining.
    If it's white it's snowing.
    If it's moving it's windy.
    If it's gone, it's very, very, very windy.

    Job done really.

    Love n hugs

    DD
    Eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

    www.onemanandhisbike.co.uk
  • The ProdigyThe Prodigy Posts: 832
    I tend to use Metcheck but I take any weather forecast with a pinch of salt.

    In the winter Metcheck will always have snow somewhere in the two week forecast. They also sometimes predict 300mph winds. I think they sometimes misplace their decimal points.
  • bompingtonbompington Posts: 7,674
    Have you tried the met office? By no means infallible, but they do actually try and work it out rather than guess...
  • SlapshotSlapshot Posts: 211
    My head....its my job....... :wink:

    Doesn't really matter which you use the websites are predominantly fed by a autotext system direct from model data. They come up with some wierd and wonderful forecasts sometimes, snowstorms in july, 25 degrees C in january........ none of them are particularly good to be honest.

    Try the Met Office's own site, at least you'll get a reasonable regional forecast on there
    http://justcycling.myfastforum.org
  • sampras38sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    Couple of times recently I've tried using Metcheck to plan a couple of long rides and both times it got it horribly wrong. I think I'll guess from now on..;-)
  • davieseedaviesee Posts: 6,386
    I liked Billy Connoly's view on finding out the current weather.

    Don't look at the TV, look out the window. Much more accurate. But he made it fiunny.

    As for forecasting. Your guess (immediate couple of hours) is as likely to be as correct as any website.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • MattC59MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    DIESELDOG wrote:
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Compare the the two forecasts for my area. I want to believe Metcheck and for the most that are usually more accurate than the BBC

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2574?area=Bexley

    http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7da ... ode=london

    So what do you use?

    My weather stone.

    if I can see it it's sunny.
    If I can't it's foggy or night.
    If it's wet it's raining.
    If it's white it's snowing.
    If it's moving it's windy.
    If it's gone, it's very, very, very windy.

    Job done really.

    Love n hugs

    DD
    I've got one of those !!!!

    But I also use the BBC weather pages, they're taken from the Met Office, so one would assume that they're ok.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • OffTheBackAdamOffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    If it's tomorrow's weather you're looking for, then there's a good chance that any forecaster will get it just about right. Further out than that, then it makes no odds which you use, they're as likely as each other to be wrong!
    DD's method works best!
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • warpcowwarpcow Posts: 1,448
    I've been using this for years:

    http://www.yr.no/

    It seems more accurate than the Met. Office whenever I'm back in the UK (I use it to know what to pack), and is infinitely better than most mainland European meteorological services.
    Commie Meta SL
    Evil Sovereign
    Santa Cruz Heckler (gone)
    On One Inbred (gone)
    Ragley Mmmbop (gone)
  • nickwillnickwill Posts: 2,735
    Metcheck is often way out. I use the Met Office because it is updated much more regularly. My assumption is that the online BBC forecast uses the same data with a pretty interface, but only updates about twice a day.
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • CrapaudCrapaud Posts: 2,483
    bompington wrote:
    Have you tried the met office? By no means infallible, but they do actually try and work it out rather than guess...
    I've been using it for over a year, but have now given up.

    One week the prediction for the next day was heavy rain and strong winds, as it was for the rest of the week. The next day turned out sunny and mild, with forcasts for heavy rain etc for the rest of the week. Same thing the next day, and the next, etc.

    Now I just look out the window and take waterproofs, as standard, just in case.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • thecrofterthecrofter Posts: 734
    I don't use Metcheck since I found out about the owner.

    I use the Met Off and weather.com
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • ben16vben16v Posts: 296
    http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

    i find this good but generally look at all three
    i need more bikes
  • SteveorowSteveorow Posts: 162
    I use the following

    http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

    Mainly for wind direction and strength . Its user friendly and its relatively accurate up to 48 hours . For actual weather the front window I have found to be the most reliable .
  • freehubfreehub Posts: 4,257
    I use MetOffice, it's the best, although the older BBC Weather was much better before they turned it censored with a pretty interface.
  • deptfordmarmosetdeptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    I think the BBC's weather forecast is more worried about people being caught out in a shower without an umbrella than finding themselves carrying an umbrella in brilliant sunshine - they can be overly ''defensive'' in their predictions. I've got a met office widget (though it may be a gadget, I'm not sure...) installed in my browser and use xcweather most of the time. Wind direction/air pressure seems to tell me more about what kind of weather I'm going to experience than anything else.
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • rolf_frolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Put it this way - it is the Metoffice that the emergency services use for info about storms, tidal surges etc.

    Doesn't stop Metro continually quoting the opinion of companies that rely on a PC and a bucket of seaweed though.........

    Met Office invest a lot of money in what they do and they are the best. The webpage would be better with more explanation of what is happening and the degree of uncertainty; but the public don't like that.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • DunkindiverDunkindiver Posts: 143
    THe Met office is good as you can look at the last six hours data from local weather sites to help with your predictions!
  • ColinJColinJ Posts: 2,218
    thecrofter wrote:
    I don't use Metcheck since I found out about the owner.
    Ditto!
  • COVECCOVEC Posts: 213
    To get good accurate weather you should utilise the aviation weather reports for your local airifelds. You get 2 types of report;

    METAR--These are the current observations at the airfield

    TAF--These are the forecast for the airfield and are fairly accurate

    Have a look at the link below and just click on the dots that represent your local airfields

    http://en.allmetsat.com/metar-taf/unite ... reland.php

    If you have a smart phone you can download apps that will do the same, a good one is AeroWeather for the iphone


    Cheers COVEC
  • SlapshotSlapshot Posts: 211
    COVEC wrote:
    To get good accurate weather you should utilise the aviation weather reports for your local airifelds. You get 2 types of report;

    METAR--These are the current observations at the airfield

    TAF--These are the forecast for the airfield and are fairly accurate

    Have a look at the link below and just click on the dots that represent your local airfields

    http://en.allmetsat.com/metar-taf/unite ... reland.php

    If you have a smart phone you can download apps that will do the same, a good one is AeroWeather for the iphone


    Cheers COVEC

    Awfy glad they Have things in plain text...not many folk know METAR code
    http://justcycling.myfastforum.org
  • AndyF16AndyF16 Posts: 506
    Being a bit of a tart with an iPhone I use the Met Office ap, pretty accurate upto 24 hours in advance so far but they're all a bit hit n' miss further than that aren't they?
    2011 Bianchi D2 Cavaria in celeste (of course!)
    2011 Enigma Echo 57cm in naked Ti
    2009 Orange G2 19" in, erm orange
  • DIESELDOGDIESELDOG Posts: 2,087
    In all seriousness I use none of the big names, I actually use the local area web site, the forecaster had 20 years plus with the Met Office/military before retiring and he's usually pretty spot on.

    Couple that with some good typo's it's an entertaining and yet educational read... :lol:

    Love n hugs

    DD
    Eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

    www.onemanandhisbike.co.uk
  • TuckerUKTuckerUK Posts: 369
    Out of Metcheck, BBC (= Met Office?), and Met Office, I find Metcheck is the one that is usually least wrong.
    "Coming through..."
  • rolf_frolf_f Posts: 16,015
    DIESELDOG wrote:
    In all seriousness I use none of the big names, I actually use the local area web site, the forecaster had 20 years plus with the Met Office/military before retiring and he's usually pretty spot on.

    Most of what he'll be using is the Met Office output. The only alternatives that have any value at all have no option but to use Met Office.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • DIESELDOGDIESELDOG Posts: 2,087
    Rolf F wrote:
    DIESELDOG wrote:
    In all seriousness I use none of the big names, I actually use the local area web site, the forecaster had 20 years plus with the Met Office/military before retiring and he's usually pretty spot on.

    Most of what he'll be using is the Met Office output. The only alternatives that have any value at all have no option but to use Met Office.

    That and going by what berries are growing for the long range forecast... :wink:

    Love n hugs

    DD
    Eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

    www.onemanandhisbike.co.uk
  • Stewie GriffinStewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    Metcheck usually. Tried accuweather but found the website annoying to use on my phone.
  • antflyantfly Posts: 3,276
    I use weather watcher on my desktop {free version}, I think it gets the weather from local airfields and it's very useful if you want to know the current and predicted local wind speed and direction.
    Smarter than the average bear.
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