Our bonkers British weather

There is always a fine yarn to be had out of the good old British weather.
That's probably why it has always been such a popular and reliable subject of conversation.

Short of something to say? -Offer up the rain, wind, or “blimey aint it ‘ot” as a metaphorical icebreaker - it never fails.

Us Brits don’t want the reliable Mediterranean sunshine any more than we want wall-to-wall snow and ice.

We have the thrill of waking up to snow in April or sweating and panting through a heat wave in October.
However much we say we hate it we love it, or else we wouldn’t talk about it all the time.

I love writing about it - in all its bonkers, topsy-turvey British glory.

I can always rely on the weather to cough up something meaty for my morning news list.

If there is a good weather story on the cards, the Government could announce it was scrapping income tax and newsrooms would still probably be abuzz with talk of “what's the weather doing today?”

This week is a corker – we're getting snow, blizzards, rain, floods, winds, below freezing temperatures, double-figures, the lot.
Loads for me to feast my meteorologically insatiable appetite on (link below).
Snow on the way in Arctic cold snap
At this point I have to make one thing clear – the role, no duty, of a news reporter is to dig up stories and tell them in the most engaging way possible.

A good journalist can weave a heart-thumping tale

from the dullest of facts through the skillful use of language, pace and ability to spot the hidden gem of information that will hook the reader.

This rule applies to the weather – but the effort is not always appreciated.

When a killer hurricane, heat wave or “Arctic blast” is on the front of the paper I prepare myself for a barrage of complaints the next day.

I have arrived at my desk to be greeted with letters demanding retractions, clarifications that 30F does NOT constitute a heat wave, and “I cancelled my holiday because you said it was going to snow and it didn’t”.

Don’t shoot the messenger! – I can only say it how it is and if God chooses to intervene, don’t blame me.

And to be fair, the British weather appears to have signed a waiver with the Almighty allowing it to change its mind at will.

The most respected weather forecasters have been known to make mistakes usually through erring on the side of caution with disastrous consequences.

Michael Fish’s prediction one evening in October 1987 that a quiet night may bring a light breeze was followed 12 hours later with emergency crews hauling oak trees from the tops of buildings and pulling people from beneath walls toppled by the 140mph hurricane which tore through the country.

That light breeze with “no chance of a hurricane” still follows him around to this day.
Which is worse? warning of the worst, or covering your proverbial backside with “anything could happen”.

The Met Office’s prediction for the next 30 days is: “there is considerable uncertainty for the final few days of the outlook period, with an almost equal probability of a more changeable weather type”
Got it – sunscreen and thermal vests at the ready then.

The UK has the most changeable, frustrating and to coin a print favourite, “bonkers weather" of anywhere in the country.So the least we can do is enjoy it.

Follow @ExpressNathan