I gave up. I immediately claimed refunds for my CAR - SUN and SUN -
BIS journeys (and also for a 1st-class ticket between Preston and
Carlisle, bought a couple of days ago in case I had a poor seat in
standard) and I went to a TVM to buy a paper ticket home.
The first thing I noticed was the number of pieces of card. I thought
that seat reservation details were printed on the ticket these days?
But I had two seperate mandatory reservation coupons alongside my
Advance Single for my outbound journey. Not just for both AWC services
(EUS - PRE and PRE - CAR) but also for the GA to Tottenham Hale. When
did travelling on a precise 'connecting service' become mandatory?
I had a day out planned for yesterday. The primary aim was to travel
over the Blackburn to Clitheroe and Hellifield to Carlisle (vis S&C)
Lines on an Evero. Once at Carlisle I was to travel across to
Newcastle and Sunderland, then home on a GC service. A long day, but
there was a fair amount of contingency built in and I was confident
that I'd get at least something from the day. I was very wrong.
I warn you all now that I'm going to go all RP in this post.
It was cold and the infrastructure was feeling it. I arrived at
Bishop's Stortford station armed with two collection references, the
first to Carlisle via Preston; the second from Sunderland back home. I
needed paper for the short spells on TfL services. I also had an
eTicket between Carlisle and Sunderland.
The first thing I noticed was the number of pieces of card. I thought
that seat reservation details were printed on the ticket these days?
But I had two seperate mandatory reservation coupons alongside my
Advance Single for my outbound journey. Not just for both AWC services
(EUS - PRE and PRE - CAR) but also for the GA to Tottenham Hale. When
did travelling on a precise 'connecting service' become mandatory?
In message <6k7slkd3o6ih3b40usf01p9se2f35f6q3j@4ax.com>, at 10:03:56 on
Wed, 7 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I had a day out planned for yesterday. The primary aim was to travel
over the Blackburn to Clitheroe and Hellifield to Carlisle (vis S&C)
Lines on an Evero. Once at Carlisle I was to travel across to
Newcastle and Sunderland, then home on a GC service. A long day, but
there was a fair amount of contingency built in and I was confident
that I'd get at least something from the day. I was very wrong.
I warn you all now that I'm going to go all RP in this post.
Reporting Properly is always a good idea.
It was cold and the infrastructure was feeling it. I arrived at
Bishop's Stortford station armed with two collection references, the
first to Carlisle via Preston; the second from Sunderland back home. I >>needed paper for the short spells on TfL services. I also had an
eTicket between Carlisle and Sunderland.
The first thing I noticed was the number of pieces of card. I thought
that seat reservation details were printed on the ticket these days?
But I had two seperate mandatory reservation coupons alongside my
Advance Single for my outbound journey. Not just for both AWC services
(EUS - PRE and PRE - CAR) but also for the GA to Tottenham Hale. When
did travelling on a precise 'connecting service' become mandatory?
It didn't, that's just the ticket printing system being crap.
On Wed, 7 Jan 2026 12:34:05 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <6k7slkd3o6ih3b40usf01p9se2f35f6q3j@4ax.com>, at 10:03:56 on
Wed, 7 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I had a day out planned for yesterday. The primary aim was to travel
over the Blackburn to Clitheroe and Hellifield to Carlisle (vis S&C)
Lines on an Evero. Once at Carlisle I was to travel across to
Newcastle and Sunderland, then home on a GC service. A long day, but
there was a fair amount of contingency built in and I was confident
that I'd get at least something from the day. I was very wrong.
I warn you all now that I'm going to go all RP in this post.
Reporting Properly is always a good idea.
It was cold and the infrastructure was feeling it. I arrived at
Bishop's Stortford station armed with two collection references, the
first to Carlisle via Preston; the second from Sunderland back home. I
needed paper for the short spells on TfL services. I also had an
eTicket between Carlisle and Sunderland.
The first thing I noticed was the number of pieces of card. I thought
that seat reservation details were printed on the ticket these days?
But I had two seperate mandatory reservation coupons alongside my
Advance Single for my outbound journey. Not just for both AWC services
(EUS - PRE and PRE - CAR) but also for the GA to Tottenham Hale. When
did travelling on a precise 'connecting service' become mandatory?
It didn't, that's just the ticket printing system being crap.
That was my suspicion, but there have been changes to the national
conditions recently so I didn't want to risk it.
That was my suspicion, but there have been changes to the nationalThe first thing I noticed was the number of pieces of card. I thought
that seat reservation details were printed on the ticket these days?
But I had two seperate mandatory reservation coupons alongside my
Advance Single for my outbound journey. Not just for both AWC services >>>> (EUS - PRE and PRE - CAR) but also for the GA to Tottenham Hale. When
did travelling on a precise 'connecting service' become mandatory?
It didn't, that's just the ticket printing system being crap.
conditions recently so I didn't want to risk it.
I've certainly been told by an XC guard* to get off and wait an hour
when making an unexpected tight connection from the ECML (main leg of
Advance ticket, priced by the ECML operator du jour) onto a connecting >service where I could otherwise have waited 2 rather than 62 minutes.
*or Customer Delight Executive or whatever they're called this week
But what a waste of a day.
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable, non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable, non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
If you buy your AP tickets from Trainsplit you can refund them for a -u5 fee >provided you first buy replacement tickets for the same route for a >different day/time.
https://trainsplit.com/how-to-amend-your-train-ticket
ItrCOs all automated and works efficiently.
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow because of the
weather forecast.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
DB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
We do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7DB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
We do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the
unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
In message <10jnmhn$1aaao$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:32:07 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
If you buy your AP tickets from Trainsplit you can refund them for a -u5 fee >> provided you first buy replacement tickets for the same route for a
different day/time.
https://trainsplit.com/how-to-amend-your-train-ticket
ItrCOs all automated and works efficiently.
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked
the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly
more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed.
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-a But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
DB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
We do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the
unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)-a I've taken advantage of this when plans change, and it is indeed seamless/automatic
- just go to the app, hit cancel, get refund back to the card you paid
with.
Normally though there is a 10% cancellation fee deducted (50% for
sleeper berths), and seat reservation fees are not refunded.
If it's "the fault of the railway undertaking" though, which basically
means either a delay of 60 minutes or more causing you to abandon the
trip, any delay that would make a booked connections impossible (and
lead to an inevitable delay of more than 60 minutes), the accomodation
you booked not being available (i.e. if you have a 1st ticket but only
2nd is available) causing you to abandon the trip, or of course cancellation, you get a refund in full.-a You do need to request the
refund within 3 days though.
I don't think there's a specific clause for "snow days" (I mean every
day is a snow day for much of the country at this time of year) but I
think emergency timetables or the like would be covered by the "traffic interruptions or train cancellations along the way and either the trip
is no longer possible or the passenger does not wish to continue the
trip with other trains in circulation".
I've never tested this out, but based on my reading of the rules if you abandon a trip midway through for one of those "faults of the railway undertaking" reasons you can also travel back to your origin without
needing to buy another ticket, as well as claiming the refund.
In message <10jnstj$1c36h$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:20:53 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:
-aRoland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan-aDB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-a But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
-aWe do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the
unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
Do they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that we do
in UK?
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
Sounds like a classic case of mad dogs and Englishmen...
On 08/01/2026 11:26, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jnstj$1c36h$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:20:53 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:
-aRoland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan >>>> 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:-aDB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-a But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your >>>>> journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
-aWe do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the
unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
Do they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that we do
in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are generally compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether you buy 10
minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio are flexible/no reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey area somewhere between
the two,) so there's not really a qualitative difference between walk-up
and AP.
There are discounts for advance purchase but it's a very simple percentage-off-the-fare (10% off for 11 days or more in advance, 5% off
for 6 to 10 days in advance), with no quota controls. The same is true
for things like booking a return (10% discount), child tickets (100% discount under 5, 50% discount 5 to 10), or railcard (TrenPlus Card) discount (25%) - they're all just sales discounts, they don't change
"the fare" as such.
On 08/01/2026 11:26, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jnstj$1c36h$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:20:53 on Thu, 8 Jan >>2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:Do they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that we
aRoland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan >>>>> 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:aDB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
a But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your >>>>>> journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
aWe do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel >>>(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the >>>unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
do in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are generally >compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether you buy 10
minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio are flexible/no >reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey area somewhere
between the two,) so there's not really a qualitative difference
between walk-up and AP.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jnmhn$1aaao$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:32:07 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
If you buy your AP tickets from Trainsplit you can refund them for a -u5 fee
provided you first buy replacement tickets for the same route for a
different day/time.
https://trainsplit.com/how-to-amend-your-train-ticket
ItrCOs all automated and works efficiently.
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>>because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked
the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly
more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed.
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets >are generally refunded.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt
be buying AP tickets.
IrCOve learnt to book hotels that can be easily cancelled, costs about
10% more than the pay now canrCOt ever be refunded rate.
This is one reason IrCOm against the LNER fares rCLtrialrCY. Their tickets now >boil down to AP or eye watering Anytime. Flexible off peaks are more or
less extinct. This is expected to spread to other routes.
As to the weather, IrCOm afraid the railway doesnrCOt seem to like the cold. >The WCML this last Tuesday when I used it was in a terrible state with
points and signalling failures. The MML had similar problems.
In message <10jnu5j$1cg31$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:42:11 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jnmhn$1aaao$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:32:07 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan >>>>> 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of >>>>>> the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your >>>>>> journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable,
non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
If you buy your AP tickets from Trainsplit you can refund them for a -u5 fee
provided you first buy replacement tickets for the same route for a
different day/time.
https://trainsplit.com/how-to-amend-your-train-ticket
ItrCOs all automated and works efficiently.
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow
because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked
the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly
more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed.
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets >> are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt
be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of
the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered
to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-aBut what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable, non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
Am 08.01.2026 um 05:55 schrieb Roland Perry:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-aBut what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your
journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable, non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
Deutsche Bahn have declared that any AP tickets for the "Snow days" will also be valid as "any train" for Thursday
before the snow or Sunday
after the snow, or alternatively can be returned.
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed train you can >either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow
because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked
the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly
more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed.
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets >>> are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt
be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of
the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered
to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed train you can >> either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow
because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets >>>> are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt >>>> be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of
the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered
to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed train you canIrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to >>>>>> decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >>>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >>>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >>>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >>>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt >>>>> be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of >>>> the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered
to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the
weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast?
If they cancel the route because of the forecast, which they have already >done in places, then you get your money back.
If you wish to cancel because you donrCOt like the weather forecast, but they >are intending to run, then tough. Otherwise anyone would use the weather as >an excuse to get a refund. ItrCOs going to be a bit hot tomorrow, can I have >my money back.
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed train you canIrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to >>>>>>> decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >>>>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >>>>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely >>>>>>> unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a >>>>>>> specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain, >>>>>>> a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's >>>>>>> end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >>>>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train >>>>>>> trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >>>>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>>>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about >>>>>>> a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt >>>>>> be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of >>>>> the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered >>>>> to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the
weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast?
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used (not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need
to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
In message <10jo163$1ddu3$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:33:39 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On 08/01/2026 11:26, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jnstj$1c36h$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:20:53 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On 08/01/2026 09:46, Ulf Kutzner wrote:-aDo they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that we
-aRoland Perry <roland@perry.uk> posted:
In message <10jmjq1$10gbc$2@dont-email.me>, at 21:39:14 on Wed, 7 Jan >>>>>> 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:-aDB Fernverkehr does here in many cases.
On 07/01/2026 10:03, Trolleybus wrote:
-a But what a waste of a day.
So you chose to spend the day joy-riding trains. On a day when
much of
the country was under weather alerts and "don't travel unless your >>>>>>> journey is essential" advice.
That can't be helped if you've already bought your non-changeable, >>>>>> non-refundable AP tickets.
Maybe the railways need a more sensible approach to "snow days"
and allow you to postpone your travel until later, on a day
that's convenient for the traveller.
-aWe do have a heavy snow storm alert for the North and East,
type of "even if your journey is essential, you wont make
it this Friday" and "try not to leave your house this Friday
if you aren't a member of emergency services".
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for the
unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
do-a in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are
generally compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether you
buy 10 minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio are
flexible/no reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey area
somewhere between the two,) so there's not really a qualitative
difference between walk-up and AP.
So comparing apples and oranges. Glad we got that sorted out.
APs that canrCOt be used on the day because of a failure to run the trains >can usually be used the following day.So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast?
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used
(not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need
to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
I would agree with you that a more formalised severe weather protocol would >be helpful.--
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel >>>>>(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for
the unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
aDo they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that
we doa in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are
generally compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether
you buy 10 minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio
are flexible/no reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey
area somewhere between the two,) so there's not really a qualitative >>>difference between walk-up and AP.
So comparing apples and oranges. Glad we got that sorted out.
I appreciate that reading is beyond your platelet-addled brain these
days, but you may wish to note that I wasn't in fact replying to you,
and couldn't give a fuck whether it's apples or oranges that currently >interest you. Although feel free to shove any fruit of your choice so
far up where the sun doesn't shine that you choke on it.
In message <10jopth$1n4b6$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:35:46 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for
the unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
-aDo they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that
we do-a in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are
generally compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether
you buy 10 minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio
are flexible/no reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey
area somewhere between the two,) so there's not really a qualitative
difference between walk-up and AP.
So comparing apples and oranges. Glad we got that sorted out.
I appreciate that reading is beyond your platelet-addled brain these
days, but you may wish to note that I wasn't in fact replying to you,
and couldn't give a fuck whether it's apples or oranges that currently
interest you. Although feel free to shove any fruit of your choice so
far up where the sun doesn't shine that you choke on it.
Oh dear, oh dear. I asked you:
"Do they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets, that we
do-ain UK?"
And received an answer **FROM YOU** to which I replied. Because it means
your "CFR is better" comment was at best misguided, and also debunked.
I think you've completely and utterly lost it.
On 08/01/2026 20:07, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jopth$1n4b6$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:35:46 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Clank <clank75@googlemail.com> remarked:
On CFR all tickets are refundable, up until the start of travel
(actually, even after the start of travel, but it's pro-rata for >>>>>>> the unused part if you decide to abandon a journey early.)
aDo they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets,
we doa in UK?
Not really, no; tickets for InterRegio/InterCity services are
generally compulsory-reservation/fixed train regardless of whether
you buy 10 minutes before departure or 10 days (local trains/Regio
are flexible/no reservation of course, and RegioExpress is a grey
area somewhere between the two,) so there's not really a qualitative >>>>> difference between walk-up and AP.
So comparing apples and oranges. Glad we got that sorted out.
I appreciate that reading is beyond your platelet-addled brain these
days, but you may wish to note that I wasn't in fact replying to you,
and couldn't give a fuck whether it's apples or oranges that currently
interest you. Although feel free to shove any fruit of your choice so
far up where the sun doesn't shine that you choke on it.
Oh dear, oh dear. I asked you:
"Do they have the same split between walk-up and AP tickets,
that we doain UK?"
And received an answer **FROM YOU** to which I replied. Because it
means your "CFR is better" comment was at best misguided, and also >>debunked.
I think you've completely and utterly lost it.
That was not the the message which introduced oranges (or apples), as
you well know.
You really are a cretinous moron.
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026,
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Not if you live in Cornwall. 56000 properties without power. We also have about an inch of snow. ItrCOs not all about Ely/Cambridge.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026,
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Not if you live in Cornwall. 56000 properties without power.
We also have about an inch of snow.
ItrCOs not all about Ely/Cambridge.
In message <10jqegd$27rl2$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:33:17 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026,
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Not if you live in Cornwall. 56000 properties without power.
That's not very many in the great scheme of things.
We also have about an inch of snow.
BBC News this morning was desperately trying to find some footage of
people stuck in the snow, and all they could find was someone sliding sideways slightly (something which happens when a front wheel drive car
with wide wheels doesn't either get some practice or some snow tyres.
ItrCOs not all about Ely/Cambridge.
Indeed so, and this instance three quarters of the country wasn't
affected either, despite the dire warnings of a "Weather bomb".
The roads here were deserted at 9m this morning, despite the conditions being better than have been for days.
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some doom-
mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jqegd$27rl2$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:33:17 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026, >>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>>> Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
Not if you live in Cornwall. 56000 properties without power.
That's not very many in the great scheme of things.
We also have about an inch of snow.
BBC News this morning was desperately trying to find some footage of
people stuck in the snow, and all they could find was someone sliding
sideways slightly (something which happens when a front wheel drive car
with wide wheels doesn't either get some practice or some snow tyres.
ItrCOs not all about Ely/Cambridge.
Indeed so, and this instance three quarters of the country wasn't
affected either, despite the dire warnings of a "Weather bomb".
The roads here were deserted at 9m this morning, despite the conditions
being better than have been for days.
The weather forecast was pretty much correct here. We didnrCOt get the upper >limit of snow forecast, more towards the bottom estimate. However we
normally donrCOt get snow when forecast and vice versa. And the east of the >country was outside the warning areas, so again correct. Not the wrong sort >of forecast at all. Weather bomb is a favourite of the Daily Express.
On 09/01/2026 06:33, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some doom- >>>mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing >>outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
The forecast has been remarkably accurate here in Wales.
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed train you canIrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to >>>>>> decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >>>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >>>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely >>>>>> unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a >>>>>> specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain, >>>>>> a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's >>>>>> end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >>>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train >>>>>> trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >>>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about >>>>>> a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt >>>>> be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of >>>> the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered >>>> to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the
weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast?
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used (not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need
to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
That's why organisations have SWP's (Severe Weather Protocols) which
*they* invoke on receipt of warning from the Met Office or wherever.
It's not just something at the whim of an individual passenger.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketedIrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow
because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to
decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >> >>>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >> >>>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a
specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain,
a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >> >>>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >> >>>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment
first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption
AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt
be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of >> >>>> the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered >> >>>> to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest
Gathering".
train you can
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the
weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast?
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used
(not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need
to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
That's starting to bleed into travel insurance land. If the Greatest >Gathering (or the football match or whatever) is cancelled but trains run, >you don't get a refund.
You paid the railway to get you from A to B and
they could do that as agreed, then I don't see what reason they have to give >you leeway with your booking.
If there is no flexible ticketing option available that's something else.
In that case I think reservations should be refundable if you don't want to >travel (perhaps with a small fee to discourage people making multiple >bookings and then refunding the others).
That's why organisations have SWP's (Severe Weather Protocols) which
*they* invoke on receipt of warning from the Met Office or wherever.
It's not just something at the whim of an individual passenger.
Agreed that there should be some kind of designator for such events, like
the yellow/amber/red by the Met Office but with more specific implications. >(and the geographical extent needs to be nailed down too... if Cumbria >invokes a SWP maybe the WCML is still ok as far as Preston, but if Deeside >gets one the North Wales Coast is likely stuffed even if not directly >affected by the weather)
On 09/01/2026 06:33, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some doom-
mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
The forecast has been remarkably accurate here in Wales.
In message <10jqn9d$29g7p$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:03:09 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 09/01/2026 06:33, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <7tHVP8Aqt2XpFATJ@perry.uk>, at 08:31:38 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some doom- >>>mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment first thing >>>Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about
a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing >>outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
The forecast has been remarkably accurate here in Wales.
I have a friend in Shropshire who also got quite a bit of snow. The
problem with the forecasts/warnings was they included far too much of
the country.
In message <TEe*lwewA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 14:52:29 on Fri,
9 Jan 2026, Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used >>> (not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
What exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketedIrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>>>>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are having to >>>>>>>>> decide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you booked >>>>>>>>> the original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be significantly >>>>>>>>> more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely >>>>>>>>> unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a >>>>>>>>> specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's >>>>>>>>> "Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain, >>>>>>>>> a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's >>>>>>>>> end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before >>>>>>>>> Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not >>>>>>>>> want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if I did. >>>>>>>>>
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train >>>>>>>>> trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if postponed. >>>>>>>>>
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some >>>>>>>>> doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment >>>>>>>>> first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about >>>>>>>>> a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption >>>>>>>> AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you shouldnrCOt
be buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick one of >>>>>>> the several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be bothered >>>>>>> to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "Greatest >>>>>>> Gathering".
train you can
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the >>>>> weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather forecast? >>>
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need >>> to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
That's starting to bleed into travel insurance land. If the Greatest
Gathering (or the football match or whatever) is cancelled but trains run, >> you don't get a refund.
Travel insurance won't pay out the cost of Greatest Gathering tickets if
the trains fail to run.
You paid the railway to get you from A to B and
they could do that as agreed, then I don't see what reason they have to give >> you leeway with your booking.
If there is no flexible ticketing option available that's something else.
In that case I think reservations should be refundable if you don't want to >> travel (perhaps with a small fee to discourage people making multiple
bookings and then refunding the others).
That's why organisations have SWP's (Severe Weather Protocols) which
*they* invoke on receipt of warning from the Met Office or wherever.
It's not just something at the whim of an individual passenger.
Agreed that there should be some kind of designator for such events, like
the yellow/amber/red by the Met Office but with more specific implications. >> (and the geographical extent needs to be nailed down too... if Cumbria
invokes a SWP maybe the WCML is still ok as far as Preston, but if Deeside >> gets one the North Wales Coast is likely stuffed even if not directly
affected by the weather)
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with normal snow).
Ob rail: the prolonged cold period had a significant effect on the WCML on Tuesday. Lots of points and signal failures.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >>> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >>>> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
about prolonged low temperatures.
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >>>>> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >>>>> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in the media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday morning to
see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too fast I think.
Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for about a week.
about prolonged low temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
Got a bit of drizzle, no snow, and it's two degrees above freezing
outside at 6am.
Wrong kind of weather forecast, I think.
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in the
media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday morning to
see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too fast I think.
Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for about a week.
about prolonged low temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
DidnrCOt I say rCLpossible icerCY. ItrCOs well above zero here but we have residual
ice in shady areas. Weather warning come with further detail if you dig
into them.
In message <10jrdpo$2ht6e$1@dont-email.me>, at 17:27:20 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in the
media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday morning to >>> see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too fast I think.
Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for about a week.
about prolonged low temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
DidnrCOt I say rCLpossible icerCY. ItrCOs well above zero here but we have residual
ice in shady areas. Weather warning come with further detail if you dig
into them.
Oh, I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There
was frost on the road that morning, only.
I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than
possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There
was frost on the road that morning, only.
I wrote:
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west. You had a >weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
In message <10jri07$2jc0t$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:39:03 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than
possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There
was frost on the road that morning, only.
I wrote:
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west. You had a
weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
...ie [including] ice...
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
The stats don't say that.
In message <TEe*lwewA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 14:52:29 on Fri,
9 Jan 2026, Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:having to
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan >>> >> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>> >>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are
bookeddecide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you
significantlythe original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be
I did.more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a >>> >>>>>> specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain, >>> >>>>>> a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if
postponed.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if
shouldnrCOt
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment
first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about >>> >>>>>> a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption
AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you
one ofbe buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick
botheredthe several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be
forecast?to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "GreatestWhat exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed
Gathering".
train you can
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the >>> >> weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used >>> (not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need >>> to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
That's starting to bleed into travel insurance land.-a If the Greatest
Gathering (or the football match or whatever) is cancelled but trains
run,
you don't get a refund.
Travel insurance won't pay out the cost of Greatest Gathering tickets if
the trains fail to run.
You paid the railway to get you from A to B and
they could do that as agreed, then I don't see what reason they have
to give
you leeway with your booking.
If there is no flexible ticketing option available that's something else.
In that case I think reservations should be refundable if you don't
want to
travel (perhaps with a small fee to discourage people making multiple
bookings and then refunding the others).
That's why organisations have SWP's (Severe Weather Protocols) which
*they* invoke on receipt of warning from the Met Office or wherever.
It's not just something at the whim of an individual passenger.
Agreed that there should be some kind of designator for such events, like
the yellow/amber/red by the Met Office but with more specific
implications.
(and the geographical extent needs to be nailed down too...-a if Cumbria
invokes a SWP maybe the WCML is still ok as far as Preston, but if
Deeside
gets one the North Wales Coast is likely stuffed even if not directly
affected by the weather)
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with normal snow).
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned
out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in the media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday morning to
see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too fast I think.
Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for about a week.
about prolonged low-a temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
In message <TEe*lwewA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 14:52:29 on Fri,
9 Jan 2026, Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jolp4$1ldtp$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:08 on Thu, 8 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:having to
In message <10johmt$1j4t3$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:15:41 on Thu, 8 Jan >>> >> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
IrCOve just done this for a trip I donrCOt fancy making tomorrow >>> >>>>>>> because of the
weather forecast.
This is a step in the right direction, but the snags are
bookeddecide the alternative trip immediately, and especially if you
significantlythe original ticket weeks ago, the replacement could be
I did.more expensive.
As recounted here, I've often found Avanti AP tickets completely
unavailable weeks ahead, let alone days ahead.
Having said all this, I tend to only travel by train if there's a >>> >>>>>> specific [usually pre-paid] event linked (such as last year's
"Greatest Gathering", flights for a retro computer show in Spain, >>> >>>>>> a Railtour to Bath booked six months in advance, North Norfolk's
end-of-season Gala, and a meet with my kids the Saturday before
Xmas) so if the trip is impossible not only will I probably not
want to rebook, but there would be collateral implications if
postponed.
Most of the announcements from the railways seem to assume train
trips are discretionary, and little harm would be done if
shouldnrCOt
It doesn't look like the snow tonight will be as bad as some
doom-mongers have predicted, but my GF has a GP appointment
first thing
Friday to remove some stitches, so unless there's more than about >>> >>>>>> a foot settled, I'll be getting the 4x4 out.
If you have to abandon starting a journey because of disruption
AP tickets
are generally refunded.
But I don't want to abandon my trip.
If you want the flexibility to not go for $Reasons then you
one ofbe buying AP tickets.
I don't want that sort of flexibility. What I'm buying (to pick
botheredthe several examples aI gave) is the first train they can be
forecast?to run to Derby on the morning of the final day of the "GreatestWhat exactly do you want? If they donrCOt run your AP ticketed
Gathering".
train you can
either abandon your trip or get the next train they do run.
The goalposts seem to have blown away (maybe in the forecast high
winds). The topic was "cancelling/postponing your trip because of the >>> >> weather forecast", not just one train failing to turn up.
So you want an AP that can be cancelled because of the weather
Do try to keep up! What I asked for was an AP ticket which could be used >>> (not by me, because if I'm travelling I *need* to travel, and a day or
two later the Greatest Gathering or whatever is over, so there's no need >>> to go) by passengers choosing to postpone their trip on a snow day, to
soon after.
That's starting to bleed into travel insurance land.-a If the Greatest
Gathering (or the football match or whatever) is cancelled but trains
run,
you don't get a refund.
Travel insurance won't pay out the cost of Greatest Gathering tickets if
the trains fail to run.
You paid the railway to get you from A to B and
they could do that as agreed, then I don't see what reason they have
to give
you leeway with your booking.
If there is no flexible ticketing option available that's something else.
In that case I think reservations should be refundable if you don't
want to
travel (perhaps with a small fee to discourage people making multiple
bookings and then refunding the others).
That's why organisations have SWP's (Severe Weather Protocols) which
*they* invoke on receipt of warning from the Met Office or wherever.
It's not just something at the whim of an individual passenger.
Agreed that there should be some kind of designator for such events, like
the yellow/amber/red by the Met Office but with more specific
implications.
(and the geographical extent needs to be nailed down too...-a if Cumbria
invokes a SWP maybe the WCML is still ok as far as Preston, but if
Deeside
gets one the North Wales Coast is likely stuffed even if not directly
affected by the weather)
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were
affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with normal snow).
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to >>>>>> be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for
this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jri07$2jc0t$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:39:03 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than
possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There
was frost on the road that morning, only.
I wrote:
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west. You had a
weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
...ie [including] ice...
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
The stats don't say that.
They do. Your temperatures yesterday have peaked at 4 but have been lower.
In shady areas after a prolonged cold period there is still the possibility of ice. The weather warning is about that. But of course you know better,
as always.
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jri07$2jc0t$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:39:03 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than
possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There >>>>> was frost on the road that morning, only.
I wrote:
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west. You had a >>>> weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
...ie [including] ice...
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
The stats don't say that.
They do. Your temperatures yesterday have peaked at 4 but have been lower. >> In shady areas after a prolonged cold period there is still the possibility >> of ice. The weather warning is about that. But of course you know better,
as always.
You can get frost from about 4C down - see a couple of messages in parallel sub-threads.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out
to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and
parts of Wales.
I kept an eye on my local forecast on the internet and we had exactly
as forecast.
Did you look at your local forecast on the internet?
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degreesIt's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has
been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in
the media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday
morning to see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too
fast I think. Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for
about a week.
about prolonged low-a temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
Frost can form at 4C and even a bit higher. I had frost on my car at
2C overnight a few days ago.
in E/W were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a
normal day, with normal snow).
Err, you may so that but others do not believe you. Not a "unormal day"
in Scotland
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jri07$2jc0t$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:39:03 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
I read "that is exactly what you got" as actual ice, rather than
possible ice.
Tuesday morning was the first time I had to scrape ice off the
windscreen for a couple of weeks, and the only time this week. There
was frost on the road that morning, only.
I wrote:
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west. You had a
weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
...ie [including] ice...
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
The stats don't say that.
They do. Your temperatures yesterday have peaked at 4 but have been lower.
In shady areas after a prolonged cold period there is still the possibility >of ice. The weather warning is about that. But of course you know better,
as always.
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is >> very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about
4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient >temperature hits 4C.
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about
4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient temperature hits 4C.
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient >temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out
to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
-aThe TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out
to-a be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were-a affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with-a normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
I kept an eye on my local forecast on the internet and we had exactly
as forecast.
Did you look at your local forecast on the internet?
Only when boating. The rest of the time I watch TV weather forecasts and
see Met Office weather warnings being copied all over social media.
Back in the day I used to get emailed the daily 8am Met Office full
weather briefing for the day.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 JanThe BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out
to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
In message <10jrm5l$2kkrr$2@dont-email.me>, at 19:50:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower. It was four degreesIt's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees? It's been above zero
since Tuesday morning, Monday was colder and hence some pictures in
the media about ice. I actually went down to the river on Tuesday
morning to see if it had frozen over, but it hadn't. It moves too
fast I think. Last time it partially froze, it had been minus 8 for
about a week.
about prolonged low-a temperatures.
Let's move the goalposts back to "ice".
Frost can form at 4C and even a bit higher. I had frost on my car at
2C overnight a few days ago.
We've not had there here since Tuesday morning. But, as I said to Sam:
We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday morning
which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a
regular cold night in Winter.
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 JanThe BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the
difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
Did you look at your local forecast on the internet?
Only when boating. The rest of the time I watch TV weather forecasts
and see Met Office weather warnings being copied all over social
media.
Back in the day I used to get emailed the daily 8am Met Office full >>weather briefing for the day.
It is oner thing getting emailed it, it is another thing understanding
it.
If you get your information from social media it's no wonder you are >confused.
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 JanThe BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 JanThe BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >>> outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>> were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>> day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >>> see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >>> strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the forecast, >or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was absolutely
no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday morning
which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a
regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest >>>>>>>> bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm
turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. >>>>>>> That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why
there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road
surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably
dry air
evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create
frost on the ground.-a This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >>> outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >>> see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >>> strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>> were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>> day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the forecast, >or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was absolutely >no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >>>> outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >>>> see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >>>> strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>> were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>> day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the forecast, >> or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was absolutely >> no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast. I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
What a selfish attitude.
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >>>> outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >>>> see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >>>> strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>> were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>> day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the forecast, >>or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was absolutely >>no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
On 10/01/2026 06:25, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan 2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest >>>>>>>> bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm
turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>>> day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. >>>>>>> That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for >>>>>>> yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why
there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road
surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably
dry air
evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >> frost on the ground.-a This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular cold night in Winter.
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast. I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
In message <34OGayIyihYpFA7C@perry.uk>, at 09:15:30 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan >2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan >>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>>>> to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>> were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>> day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>>>> parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the forecast,
or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was absolutely >>no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow from
1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and didn't
get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the toilet rolls I bought>>.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >accurate, as was your original position.
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>> morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted
over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds".
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.-a I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in
accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast. I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in
accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could well
say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and trot
off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting in the Village Hall, and so on.
In message <34OGayIyihYpFA7C@perry.uk>, at 09:15:30 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest >>>>>>>> bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm
turned out
to-a be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>>> were-a affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>>> day, with-a normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West
Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
showed the
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was
interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned
about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the
forecast,
or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was
absolutely
no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
-aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow from
1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and didn't
get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the toilet rolls I bought>>.
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
They also read the Daily Mail and believe that, doesn't make it true.
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.-a I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in
accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could well
say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and trot
off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting in the Village Hall, and so on.
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.-a I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>> morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>> -a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>> just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted
over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds".
Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
In message <34OGayIyihYpFA7C@perry.uk>, at 09:15:30 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest >>>>>>>> bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm
turned out
to-a be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>>> were-a affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>>> day, with-a normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West
Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
showed the
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was
interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned
about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the
forecast,
or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was
absolutely
no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
-aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow from
1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and didn't
get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the toilet rolls I bought>>.
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Including you it seems.
The weather forecasts I kept my eye on during the week were entirely accurate.
You need to review where you obtain your weather forecasts.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could well
say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and trot
off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting in the
Village Hall, and so on.
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publications
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>> morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>> -a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>> just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted
over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds".
Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
Reading the current trend in this part of the thread, it seems there is
a certain familiarity. As a regular Usenet reader, including the UK.... >collection, I notice a few posters, who like me, often appear in several >groups. The striking feature is the way they frequently find something
to complain about, often starting a new thread for that purpose. For >example, the BBC is a very popular source regardless of the group topic.
No names but there seem to be folk whose main pleasure in life is >complaining that others lack their own perceived perfection.
Rant over, I thought the forecasters and media did quite a good job with
the recent adverse weather. If you actually looked and listened properly >they were careful to highlight the most affected areas and explain the >difficulty of predicting the boundary between rain and snow falling.
Looking at the outcome in the worst hit areas it is hard to justify
"crying wolf" claims.
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned >>>>>>> out
to-a be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>> were-a affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>> day, with-a normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country >>>>>> and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
showed the
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was
interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned
about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
ThatrCOs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the
forecast,
or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was
absolutely
no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out
to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2I kept an eye on my local forecast on the internet and we had exactly
as forecast.
Did you look at your local forecast on the internet?
Only when boating. The rest of the time I watch TV weather forecasts and
see Met Office weather warnings being copied all over social media.
Back in the day I used to get emailed the daily 8am Met Office full
weather briefing for the day.
On 2026-01-10 09:43, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <34OGayIyihYpFA7C@perry.uk>, at 09:15:30 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026,
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> remarked:
In message <10jt3qc$31ftg$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:49:16 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrlvk$2kkrr$1@dont-email.me>, at 19:47:00 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>>> 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest >>>>>>>>> bit
embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm
turned out
toa be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W >>>>>>>>> werea affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal >>>>>>>>> day, witha normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West
Country and
parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that >>>>>>> the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
showed the
outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>>>>> difference between the various states. How do I know? I was
interested to
see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned
about the
strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads >>>>> would be impassable.
ThatAs probably down to a failure to pay proper attention to the
forecast,
or to not reading exactly what the warning was about. There was
absolutely
no snow warning on the maps for East Anglia.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning
for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow from
1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and didn't
get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the toilet rolls I
bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
nib
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does! Here is a website for Roland to try:- https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the
worst in 25yrs" Really??
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the >>worst in 25yrs" Really??
Hint: all newspaper articles telling the "exact time" that weather >predictions by WXcharts will hit are best ignored, similarly any
newspaper headline with "warnings issued by" Martin Lewis ...
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >>evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >>frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >>4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient >>temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that,
Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:Yes, Reach is now apparently generating more stories by AI.
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Including you it seems.
The weather forecasts I kept my eye on during the week were entirely
accurate.
You need to review where you obtain your weather forecasts.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could well >>> say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and trot
off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting in the
Village Hall, and so on.
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publications
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
In message <10jtfc0$34pvh$1@andyburns.eternal-september.org>, at
12:06:24 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the
worst in 25yrs" Really??
Hint: all newspaper articles telling the "exact time" that weather
predictions by WXcharts will hit are best ignored, similarly any
newspaper headline with "warnings issued by" Martin Lewis ...
That may work for a select few, but I'm more concerned about the
effect it has on the general public. Who simply don't have the
time or inclination [Big Ben vs Pisa] to drill down and fact-check
every single thing they read.
On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:54:37 -0000 (UTC), Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:Yes, Reach is now apparently generating more stories by AI.
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>> >>>>>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>>>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Including you it seems.
The weather forecasts I kept my eye on during the week were entirely
accurate.
You need to review where you obtain your weather forecasts.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could well >>>> say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and trot >>>> off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting in the >>>> Village Hall, and so on.
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publications
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
And, bizarrely, it now forces the Express and the Mirror to share pages!
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtfc0$34pvh$1@andyburns.eternal-september.org>, at
12:06:24 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the
worst in 25yrs" Really??
Hint: all newspaper articles telling the "exact time" that weather
predictions by WXcharts will hit are best ignored, similarly any
newspaper headline with "warnings issued by" Martin Lewis ...
That may work for a select few, but I'm more concerned about the
effect it has on the general public. Who simply don't have the
time or inclination [Big Ben vs Pisa] to drill down and fact-check
every single thing they read.
No you are not. Your original position was that the forecast was incorrect. >This has now morphed to a faux concern for others.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtfc0$34pvh$1@andyburns.eternal-september.org>, at
12:06:24 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the
worst in 25yrs" Really??
Hint: all newspaper articles telling the "exact time" that weather
predictions by WXcharts will hit are best ignored, similarly any
newspaper headline with "warnings issued by" Martin Lewis ...
That may work for a select few, but I'm more concerned about the
effect it has on the general public. Who simply don't have the
time or inclination [Big Ben vs Pisa] to drill down and fact-check
every single thing they read.
No you are not. Your original position was that the forecast was incorrect. This has now morphed to a faux concern for others.
In message <10jrur3$2nqp6$1@dont-email.me>, at 22:18:10 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
in E/W were-a affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a
normal day, with-a normal snow).
Err, you may so that but others do not believe you. Not a "-unormal
day" in Scotland
Snip: clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire
"the worst in 25yrs" Really?? Plus photos of roads that had been cleared
but piles of snow at the side, as if the whole place had been as deep as those piles.
Reading the current trend in this part of the thread, it seems there is
a certain familiarity. As a regular Usenet reader, including the UK.... >collection, I notice a few posters, who like me, often appear in
several groups. The striking feature is the way they frequently find >something to complain about, often starting a new thread for that
purpose.
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with >>>>>>>> normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for
yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >> evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create
frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about
4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnrCOt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for >>>>>>>> yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >>> evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >>> frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >>> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the
alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
It was you who brought up the 4C warnings, so IrCOm afraid you encouraged, if not initiated, the drift.
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026
aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] is expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in >>Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
In message <msepd5Ff0riU1@mid.individual.net>, at 10:53:24 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, nib <news@ingram-bromley.co.uk> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> -aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] is expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow
at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <msepd5Ff0riU1@mid.individual.net>, at 10:53:24 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, nib <news@ingram-bromley.co.uk> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>>> -aThe warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] is expected until midday on the 9th.
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in
Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show. >>>> Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but
suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow
at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Or someone who canrCOt tell the difference between yellow and amber.
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which were >countermanded.
On 10/01/2026 09:45, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.a I'm sure those in
the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
The forecasts were accurate. You have either misinterpreted their
reports or relied on journalists who misinterpreted them.
On 10/01/2026 18:27, Sam Wilson wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrusm$2nr8f$2@dont-email.me>, at 22:19:02 on Fri, 9 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jrbrl$2h774$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:54:13 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jr6s6$2ff6q$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:29:10 on Fri, 9 Jan >>>>>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>>>>>>> embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out to
be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W were >>>>>>>>>> affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal day, with
normal snow).
It wasnAt a gross exaggeration for folks in the south west.
Like I said "a handful of counties".
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for >>>>>>>>> yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnAt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatAs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air
evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >>>> frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >>>> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the
alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
It was you who brought up the 4C warnings, so IAm afraid you encouraged, if >> not initiated, the drift.
I'm been in contact with my friends in Cornwall, indirectly in one case.
One elderly friend has been without electricity and water for exactly 48 >hours.
Two friends with a young child had no electricity or heating for about
42 hours.
An elderly couple have been without electricity for over 48 hours. They >have no telephonic or internet communication as both are now offline.
This is the same for their whole village.
And Roland calls the forecast alarmist. I'm lost for words.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanAt help if your local Reach ojournalistso canAt read the Met OfficeAs >>> output. But thatAs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in
accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:24:05 +0000, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:45, Roland Perry wrote:ISTR the Daily Heil some years back habitually summarising the weather
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.-a I'm sure those in >>>> the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings for
snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
The forecasts were accurate. You have either misinterpreted their
reports or relied on journalists who misinterpreted them.
for everywhere from Lands End to Saxa Vord into one sentence.
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at 11:10:26 on
Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which were
countermanded.
But countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled trains, reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all the attendees
at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and the roads which
would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted (and had no snow at
all of course) which means lots of people had made other plans for the
day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread title).
On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:18:34 GMT, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com>
wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:Several newspapers push their content via Facebook and Twitter, often
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>>> The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
with comparatvely sensational headlines which is clearly as far as
many people read. Typical offenders are the Daily Mail, Daily Express
and the Manchester Evening News who frequently warn of impending doom
and gloom without immediately mentioning it applies to somewhere many
miles away or evem on a different continent. "Edinburgh Live" (Reach
plc) is pushing an article on Facebook about a child's health problem;
the child is in the deep south Edinburgh suburb of Coventry but you
don't see that until half way through the text.
On Sat, 10 Jan 2026 10:18:34 GMT, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com>
wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:Several newspapers push their content via Facebook and Twitter, often
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>>> The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
Can-At help if your local Reach -ojournalists-o can-At read the Met Office-As
output. But that-As a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
with comparatvely sensational headlines which is clearly as far as
many people read. Typical offenders are the Daily Mail, Daily Express
and the Manchester Evening News who frequently warn of impending doom
and gloom without immediately mentioning it applies to somewhere many
miles away or evem on a different continent. "Edinburgh Live" (Reach
plc) is pushing an article on Facebook about a child's health problem;
the child is in the deep south Edinburgh suburb of Coventry but you
don't see that until half way through the text.
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but
suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow
at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Or someone who canrCOt tell the difference between yellow and amber.
On 11/01/2026 07:50, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at 11:10:26
on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which
were countermanded.
But countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled
trains, reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all the >>attendees at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and the
roads which would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted (and
had no snow at all of course) which means lots of people had made
other plans for the day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread title).
Tough
Here's comments to a newspaper article, first writer lives in >>Hertfordshire:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show.
Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I
bought>>.
Michael Fish was accurate. We did not have hurricane force winds in
the UK. You are so ignorant.
In message <10jt0qb$30nfe$1@dont-email.me>, at 07:58:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
The BBC TV news via their weather forecast portions repeatedly showed the >>outlines of the various Met Office weather warnings, and explained the >>difference between the various states. How do I know? I was interested to >>see if we were in the predicted snowfall area. They also warned about the >>strong winds in Cornwall, which materialised.
The forecast for East Anglia were sufficiently dire that a group
cancelled their Friday meeting in the Village Hall, fearing the roads
would be impassable.
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does!
Here is a website for Roland to try:- >https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
In message <10jufaj$3f3tn$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:11:47 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow
from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show. >>>>> Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office
alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but
suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow
at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Or someone who canrCOt tell the difference between yellow and amber.
I doubt they would write "We were on an amber warning" if they weren't.
In message <10jvngr$3p62f$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:37:47 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 07:50, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at 11:10:26
on-a Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which
were-a countermanded.
-aBut countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled
trains,-a reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all
the attendees-a at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and
the roads which-a would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted
(and had no snow at-a all of course) which means lots of people had
made other plans for the-a day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread
title).
Tough
I take a different view, which is that if by applying better methods
to a problem, "toughness" on the general public can be avoided, then
it ought to be done.
In message <10jtc5i$32fnq$5@dont-email.me>, at 11:11:46 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does!
Recliner's grasp of modern media seems fragile at best. Most newspapers
have moved online, and their content is available to anyone with
Internet access.
Indeed, it's *pushed* to many of us, whether we want it
or not.
Here is a website for Roland to try:-
https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
Yes, I've tried that and several similar sites. They usually get their
data for Ely from Mildenhall RAF base. One of the Cambridge data logging sites is about two miles from my GF's house in Girton.
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtc5i$32fnq$5@dont-email.me>, at 11:11:46 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does!
Recliner's grasp of modern media seems fragile at best. Most newspapers
have moved online, and their content is available to anyone with
Internet access.
The serious ones have paywalls, thereby excluding cheapskates like you. Unlike you, I pay for subscriptions to a number of publications, so please donrCOt provide your usual ignorant commentary on modern media that you canrCOt
afford to access. The free local newspapers arenrCOt really local at all, and are run with skeletal resources.
But few people get their weather forecasts these days from newspapers, whether online or not, or paywalled or not. In the modern world, most
people use weather apps.
Indeed, it's *pushed* to many of us, whether we want it
or not.
Here is a website for Roland to try:-
https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
Yes, I've tried that and several similar sites. They usually get their
data for Ely from Mildenhall RAF base. One of the Cambridge data logging
sites is about two miles from my GF's house in Girton.
You need to read up on how weather forecasts are done. ItrCOs nothing like you think.
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old folk operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
The TV weather forecasters this morning don't seem the slightest bit >>>>embarrassed that the weather warning for the current storm turned out >>>>to be a gross exaggeration, and only a handful of counties in E/W
were affected (and the ones in Scotland it's pretty much a normal
day, with normal snow).
It most certainly was not a gross exaggeration in the West Country and >>>parts of Wales.
Like I said "a handful of counties". Not the countrywide blanket that
the media was predicting based on Met Office weather warnings.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
There were a couple of yellow ones, quickly withdrawn when it became
clear that circumstances had changed.
On 11/01/2026 11:06, Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtc5i$32fnq$5@dont-email.me>, at 11:11:46 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does!
Recliner's grasp of modern media seems fragile at best. Most newspapers
have moved online, and their content is available to anyone with
Internet access.
The serious ones have paywalls, thereby excluding cheapskates like you.
Unlike you, I pay for subscriptions to a number of publications, so please >> donrCOt provide your usual ignorant commentary on modern media that you canrCOt
afford to access. The free local newspapers arenrCOt really local at all, and
are run with skeletal resources.
But few people get their weather forecasts these days from newspapers,
whether online or not, or paywalled or not. In the modern world, most
people use weather apps.
Indeed, it's *pushed* to many of us, whether we want it
or not.
Here is a website for Roland to try:-
https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
Yes, I've tried that and several similar sites. They usually get their
data for Ely from Mildenhall RAF base. One of the Cambridge data logging >>> sites is about two miles from my GF's house in Girton.
You need to read up on how weather forecasts are done. ItrCOs nothing like >> you think.
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old folk
operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next hour,
which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five hours and 58% in >> six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jufaj$3f3tn$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:11:47 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow >>>>>> from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show. >>>>>> Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office >>>>> alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but >>>> suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow >>>> at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Or someone who canrCOt tell the difference between yellow and amber.
I doubt they would write "We were on an amber warning" if they weren't.
I think you might be surprised. Also a lot of people are quite
geographically challenged and struggle to locate exactly where they live
when a map is presented on the TV.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtfc0$34pvh$1@andyburns.eternal-september.org>, at
12:06:24 on Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:
clickbait newspaper articles. One foot of snow in Aberdeenshire "the
worst in 25yrs" Really??
Hint: all newspaper articles telling the "exact time" that weather
predictions by WXcharts will hit are best ignored, similarly any
newspaper headline with "warnings issued by" Martin Lewis ...
That may work for a select few, but I'm more concerned about the
effect it has on the general public. Who simply don't have the
time or inclination [Big Ben vs Pisa] to drill down and fact-check
every single thing they read.
No you are not. Your original position was that the forecast was incorrect. >This has now morphed to a faux concern for others.
This is one result of the weather in Cornwall:- >https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/10/cornwall-storm-goretti-w >eather-man-dies-caravan-uk~
In these circumstances Roland's complaints that the forecast was wrong
are absolutely disgusting. Someone lost their life and he makes these >unfounded allegations.
He should not be picking fights when someone lost their life.
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old
folk operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next
hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five
hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
In message <10jtav0$33hr3$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:51:12 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
Reading the current trend in this part of the thread, it seems there
is a certain familiarity. As a regular Usenet reader, including the
UK.... collection, I notice a few posters, who like me, often appear
in several groups. The striking feature is the way they frequently
find something to complain about, often starting a new thread for that
purpose.
I'll use this as an opportunity to explain a few things.
40yrs ago I was in charge of developing several series of home
computers, which had to be 'right first time'. No opportunity to
patch the ROMs or download [where from?] new DOS or utility programs.
A couple of years later, ~12m sold, and no serious bugs reported. Mainly because I'd debugged them myself, with help from others, reporting the slightest thing which didn't seem right to the developers.
Locomotive were on message from the start, because I'd worked with them before. So if I said I thought there was something which needed fixing,
they knew it was never a wild goose chase. Microsoft took a few months
to catch on, maybe helped when I sent them the fixes for their code
(which I'd disassembled, theoretically not permitted, even for their
biggest customer outside the USA).
Jump to early 90's, when (as about half my billable hours) I had columns
in a monthly bookstand magazine, and a fortnightly trade publication
(where I had the prestigious back cover). Overall perhaps eight pages a month. Plus the occasional commission for other publications like
Computer Guardian and The Independent, and most challenging the "Group tests" for things I specialised in like modems and PDAs.
I'd spend maybe a third of the time gathering material - going to Press launches/tours, trade shows, reading press releases, site visits, and so
on. Another third testing items I'd been lent by the OEMs for the
purpose, and a third writing the eight pages.
The content of which are colloquially known as "reviews", but in more
modern parlance, had they been written for internal consumption only, "a critical friend".
By the Millennium I was doing much the same thing, but with legislation which affected IT and the Internet, my audience being lawmakers
nationally and internationally. Most of them very quickly came to
realise that, while initially sceptical, when I was saying "this won't work", once explained to them "why it won't work" they agreed.
Of course they then said "can you better?" so I'd roll up my sleeves and submit things which ended up in EU Directives, UN Treaties [where I
spent a fortnight at a conference in India getting one word changed],
and UK Acts of Parliament.
As a recreation, I began to transfer these skills to Usenet, and *very* occasionally would post about things which I though were so broken, that something really ought to be done about it. I'm also a moderator at ulm, which is a crossover with my former day-job.
And that's where we are today, with me raising perhaps one issue every fortnight, rather than the so-many-more I encounter on a daily basis.
Which partly I simply haven't got the time to document, but also I do realise it can create fatigue in the audience.
But nothing compared to the nitpicking, false narratives, and deliberate misinterpretation which almost inevitably results.
Today's issue, which is completely off-topic for uk.r, is that the new Inspector Lynley show is entirely filmed in Ireland, rather than
Norfolk. But there are other places where people are interested in that. Also the original series was much better, and I knew a detective (cyber specialist) at the Met who was the spitting image and personality of the sidekick.
Nice Jensen though, I always wanted a similar-looking Scimitar GTE, but
had to make do with a Lotus Europa (which almost entirely lacks luggage space).
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>folk operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five
hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say "sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on Friday, >after all".
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>>>morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>>>just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted >>>over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds".
Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall. It
didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>>>morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>>>just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted >>>over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds".
What he wants is all weather forecasts to be based on where he happens
to be at the time. He doesn't care about the rest of us.
I'm been in contact with my friends in Cornwall, indirectly in one
case.
One elderly friend has been without electricity and water for exactly
48 hours.
Two friends with a young child had no electricity or heating for about
42 hours.
An elderly couple have been without electricity for over 48 hours. They
have no telephonic or internet communication as both are now offline.
This is the same for their whole village.
And Roland calls the forecast alarmist. I'm lost for words.
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That >>>>>>>> is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for >>>>>>>> yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was >>>>>>> such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air >>> evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >>> frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >>> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the
alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
It was you who brought up the 4C warnings, so IrCOm afraid you encouraged, if >not initiated, the drift.
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist
weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>>morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>>just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted >>over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Which happened,
or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
On 10/01/2026 18:01, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtav0$33hr3$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:51:12 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
Reading the current trend in this part of the thread, it seems there
is a certain familiarity. As a regular Usenet reader, including the
UK.... collection, I notice a few posters, who like me, often appear
in several groups. The striking feature is the way they frequently
find something to complain about, often starting a new thread for that
purpose.
I'll use this as an opportunity to explain a few things.
40yrs ago I was in charge of developing several series of home
computers, which had to be 'right first time'. No opportunity to
patch the ROMs or download [where from?] new DOS or utility programs.
A couple of years later, ~12m sold, and no serious bugs reported. Mainly
because I'd debugged them myself, with help from others, reporting the
slightest thing which didn't seem right to the developers.
Locomotive were on message from the start, because I'd worked with them
before. So if I said I thought there was something which needed fixing,
they knew it was never a wild goose chase. Microsoft took a few months
to catch on, maybe helped when I sent them the fixes for their code
(which I'd disassembled, theoretically not permitted, even for their
biggest customer outside the USA).
Jump to early 90's, when (as about half my billable hours) I had columns
in a monthly bookstand magazine, and a fortnightly trade publication
(where I had the prestigious back cover). Overall perhaps eight pages a
month. Plus the occasional commission for other publications like
Computer Guardian and The Independent, and most challenging the "Group
tests" for things I specialised in like modems and PDAs.
I'd spend maybe a third of the time gathering material - going to Press
launches/tours, trade shows, reading press releases, site visits, and so
on. Another third testing items I'd been lent by the OEMs for the
purpose, and a third writing the eight pages.
The content of which are colloquially known as "reviews", but in more
modern parlance, had they been written for internal consumption only, "a
critical friend".
By the Millennium I was doing much the same thing, but with legislation
which affected IT and the Internet, my audience being lawmakers
nationally and internationally. Most of them very quickly came to
realise that, while initially sceptical, when I was saying "this won't
work", once explained to them "why it won't work" they agreed.
Of course they then said "can you better?" so I'd roll up my sleeves and
submit things which ended up in EU Directives, UN Treaties [where I
spent a fortnight at a conference in India getting one word changed],
and UK Acts of Parliament.
As a recreation, I began to transfer these skills to Usenet, and *very*
occasionally would post about things which I though were so broken, that
something really ought to be done about it. I'm also a moderator at ulm,
which is a crossover with my former day-job.
And that's where we are today, with me raising perhaps one issue every
fortnight, rather than the so-many-more I encounter on a daily basis.
Which partly I simply haven't got the time to document, but also I do
realise it can create fatigue in the audience.
But nothing compared to the nitpicking, false narratives, and deliberate
misinterpretation which almost inevitably results.
Today's issue, which is completely off-topic for uk.r, is that the new
Inspector Lynley show is entirely filmed in Ireland, rather than
Norfolk. But there are other places where people are interested in that.
Also the original series was much better, and I knew a detective (cyber
specialist) at the Met who was the spitting image and personality of the
sidekick.
Nice Jensen though, I always wanted a similar-looking Scimitar GTE, but
had to make do with a Lotus Europa (which almost entirely lacks luggage
space).
I think your point is that your complaints are not just any complaints,
they are Roland Perry complaints. Based on vast experience and
knowledge, carefully selected as the cr|?me de la cr|?me of the long list
of errors and mistakes by others that you are forced to endure daily. >However, *nobody* is infallible and often your facts are really
opinions. Regardless, any disagreement from others is ignored as the >twittering of lesser mortals. In this thread dozens have decried your
claim that the weather forecasters have been crying wolf. The evidence
that the claim was nonsense is everywhere. You remain unmoved within
your cocoon of perfection.
In message <10ju5mg$3bvb2$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:27:28 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> remarked:
You had a weather warning for cold temperatures and possible ice. That
is exactly what you got having just looked at the Ely stats for >>>>>>>>> yesterday.
There was no ice yesterday, and I remember asking someone why there was
such a warning when the temperature was 4 degrees. Which is warm for >>>>>>>> this time of year.
It's not been below zero since dawn on Tuesday. The highest wind has >>>>>>>> been 20mph.
Zero isnrCOt the defining temperature for a warning
My car moans when it's 4 degrees or lower.
It was four degrees
yesterday. Does ice often form at four degrees?
ThatrCOs the air temperature. The temperature on a dark, wet road surface is
very likely to be lower, and could quite possibly be below freezing.
Apologies if this is covered later in the thread, but with suitably dry air
evaporating dampness from the surface can use up enough energy to create >>>> frost on the ground. This is a ground frost and it can happen from about >>>> 4C down, hence cars often warning you about frost when the ambient
temperature hits 4C.
I understand about that, but we are drifting off the point which is the
alarmist weather predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not just a regular
cold night in Winter.
It was you who brought up the 4C warnings, so IrCOm afraid you encouraged, if >>not initiated, the drift.
No, I said the temperature here wasn't nearly as low as forecast (which
also included wind and snow). The 4C is simply what modern cars get
nervous about.
In message <10jtb32$31vn4$2@dont-email.me>, at 10:53:21 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>>weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday
morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>>>> -a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not
just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted >>>>over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds". >>> Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
What he wants is all weather forecasts to be based on where he happens
to be at the time. He doesn't care about the rest of us.
Doesn't *everyone* usually prioritise the weather forecast were they
are? The weather forecast 200 miles away is only of interest if you are >likely to be travelling there, or perhaps if you have vulnerable
relatives. The others are grown-ups and take their own precautions.
What's bad is the weather forecast for 200 miles away erroneously being >published for where *you* are.
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old
folk operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next
hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five
hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say "sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on Friday, after all".
On 10/01/2026 18:01, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtav0$33hr3$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:51:12 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
Reading the current trend in this part of the thread, it seems thereI'll use this as an opportunity to explain a few things.
is a certain familiarity. As a regular Usenet reader, including the >>>UK.... collection, I notice a few posters, who like me, often appear
in several groups. The striking feature is the way they frequently
find something to complain about, often starting a new thread for
that purpose.
40yrs ago I was in charge of developing several series of home >>computers, which had to be 'right first time'. No opportunity to
patch the ROMs or download [where from?] new DOS or utility programs.
A couple of years later, ~12m sold, and no serious bugs reported.
Mainly because I'd debugged them myself, with help from others,
reporting the slightest thing which didn't seem right to the developers.
Locomotive were on message from the start, because I'd worked with
them before. So if I said I thought there was something which needed >>fixing, they knew it was never a wild goose chase. Microsoft took a
few months to catch on, maybe helped when I sent them the fixes for
their code (which I'd disassembled, theoretically not permitted, even
for their biggest customer outside the USA).
Jump to early 90's, when (as about half my billable hours) I had
columns in a monthly bookstand magazine, and a fortnightly trade >>publication (where I had the prestigious back cover). Overall perhaps >>eight pages a month. Plus the occasional commission for other >>publications like Computer Guardian and The Independent, and most >>challenging the "Group tests" for things I specialised in like modems and PDAs.
I'd spend maybe a third of the time gathering material - going to
Press launches/tours, trade shows, reading press releases, site
visits, and so on. Another third testing items I'd been lent by the
OEMs for the purpose, and a third writing the eight pages.
The content of which are colloquially known as "reviews", but in
more modern parlance, had they been written for internal consumption >>only, "a critical friend".
By the Millennium I was doing much the same thing, but with
legislation which affected IT and the Internet, my audience being >>lawmakers nationally and internationally. Most of them very quickly
came to realise that, while initially sceptical, when I was saying
"this won't work", once explained to them "why it won't work" they agreed. >> Of course they then said "can you better?" so I'd roll up my sleeves
and submit things which ended up in EU Directives, UN Treaties [where
I spent a fortnight at a conference in India getting one word
changed], and UK Acts of Parliament.
As a recreation, I began to transfer these skills to Usenet, and
*very* occasionally would post about things which I though were so >>broken, that something really ought to be done about it. I'm also a >>moderator at ulm, which is a crossover with my former day-job.
And that's where we are today, with me raising perhaps one issue
every fortnight, rather than the so-many-more I encounter on a daily >>basis. Which partly I simply haven't got the time to document, but
also I do realise it can create fatigue in the audience.
But nothing compared to the nitpicking, false narratives, and
deliberate misinterpretation which almost inevitably results.
Today's issue, which is completely off-topic for uk.r, is that the
new Inspector Lynley show is entirely filmed in Ireland, rather than >>Norfolk. But there are other places where people are interested in
that. Also the original series was much better, and I knew a
detective (cyber specialist) at the Met who was the spitting image
and personality of the sidekick.
Nice Jensen though, I always wanted a similar-looking Scimitar GTE,
but had to make do with a Lotus Europa (which almost entirely lacks >>luggage space).
I think your point is that your complaints are not just any complaints,
they are Roland Perry complaints. Based on vast experience and
knowledge, carefully selected as the cr*me de la cr*me of the long list
of errors and mistakes by others that you are forced to endure daily.
However, *nobody* is infallible and often your facts are really
opinions.
Regardless, any disagreement from others is ignored as the twittering
of lesser mortals. In this thread dozens have decried your claim that
the weather forecasters have been crying wolf. The evidence that the
claim was nonsense is everywhere.
Perhaps he really was the paragon of perfection he claims, 45 years
ago. That must be why he plays such a prominent role as one of Alan
Sugar's team of experts on the Apprentice. But whatever skills he might
once have possessed have long rotted away, as we can see almost every
day here.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>>>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old
folk operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next
hour, which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five
hours and 58% in six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say "sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for >misreporting.
In message <hh77mk1kodr0r154cpt2ankqpskta5635l@4ax.com>, at 13:02:42 on
Sun, 11 Jan 2026, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
Perhaps he really was the paragon of perfection he claims, 45 years
ago. That must be why he plays such a prominent role as one of Alan
Sugar's team of experts on the Apprentice. But whatever skills he might
once have possessed have long rotted away, as we can see almost every
day here.
I'll break my silence and say just one thing: What a complete and
utterly despicable liar and stalker you are, what is it about your
sad anonymous life which urges yo to post such drivel?
I know you probably have a chip on your shoulder from 40yrs ago,
which makes me more determined to unmask you, and so we can all
understand what drives you in this pattern of abusive behaviour.
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publicationsYes, Reach is now apparently generating more stories by AI.
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the
Met OfficerCOs output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that
the forecasts were in accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is, >>people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
Including you it seems.
The weather forecasts I kept my eye on during the week were entirely >accurate.
You need to review where you obtain your weather forecasts.
Next time they see a headline about predictions for snow they could
well say "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and >>trot off to work or the railway station, fail to cancel the meeting
in the Village Hall, and so on.
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publications
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10-aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday
morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>>>> -a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not
just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted
over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.-a It
didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
I care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza,
Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips
were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all on
the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
In message <10jt879$32mbu$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:04:25 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday
morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>>> -a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not
just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
-aThe storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted
over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now forgotten
what the term means
On 10/01/2026 09:45, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather >>>bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.a I'm sure those
in the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings
for snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of >>people will tend ignore the warnings.
The forecasts were accurate. You have either misinterpreted their
reports or relied on journalists who misinterpreted them.
In message <10jt9c5$32fnq$2@dont-email.me>, at 10:24:05 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 09:45, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt62q$31vn4$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:27:53 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a weather
bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.-a I'm sure those
in the west country don't agree with you.
That's not what I said. The problem was Amber and Yellow warnings
for snow in widespread areas that in fact saw not a single flake.
What a selfish attitude.
I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings.
The forecasts were accurate. You have either misinterpreted their
reports or relied on journalists who misinterpreted them.
For the umpteenth time, I'm not worried about the weather as it impacts
me (as Billy Connolly says "There's no such thing as bad weather, only
the wrong clothes".
And despite what my anonymous coward stalker keeps repeating, my car is
fit or any weather. I've only had to put the terrain control into "Snow" once the last twelve months.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination to
be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to cancel
meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination to
be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to cancel
meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for 2026 >>>> -a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the
Met OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>> accurate, as was your original position.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is, >>people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
They also read the Daily Mail and believe that, doesn't make it true.
In message <10jt8lj$32mbu$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:12:03 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 09:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt6k7$328mo$1@dont-email.me>, at 09:37:11 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Newspaper headline:
-a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for >>>>> 2026
-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather warning >>>>> for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again] is
expected until midday on the 9th.
CanrCOt help if your local Reach rCLjournalistsrCY canrCOt read the Met >>>> OfficerCOs
output. But thatrCOs a long way from claiming that the forecasts were in >>>> accurate, as was your original position.
It's what they believe, and act upon, which matters in this context.-aI know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem is,
people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
They also read the Daily Mail and believe that, doesn't make it true.
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>>Jana 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>>>weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & >>>>>>>Friday morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. >>>>>>>Not just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was >>>>>predicted over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>winds".
Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.a It >>>didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
I care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza, >>Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips
were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all
on the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
I care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza, >>>Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips >>>were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all
on the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who >cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of the >forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services were
working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they were >getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait online >newspapers.
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, >>>>>> often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old
folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next
hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five
hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say "sorry, >>> I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on Friday, >>> after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>>> Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:-aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist
weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & >>>>>>>> Friday morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. >>>>>>>> Not just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was
predicted over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.-a It
didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
I care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza,
Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips
were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all
on the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of the forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services were
working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they were getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait online newspapers.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jufaj$3f3tn$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:11:47 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
<<Looked on my phone's weather app before going to bed... said snow >>>>>> from 1am to 7am... Woke up this morning and not even a hint of show. >>>>>> Definitely a Michael Fish moment. We were on an amber warning and
didn't get a single flake of snow. Can I get a refund on all the
toilet rolls I bought>>.
Was there an amber for East of England? I subscribe to the Met Office >>>>> alert emails and I can see only yellows.
The closest amber was in East Midlands.
I don't know exactly where the person with the Amber warning lives, but >>>> suffice to say they *had* an Amber warning, and subsequently *no* snow >>>> at all.
This is evidence the Amber warning was applied to areas it perhaps
should not have been.
Or someone who canrCOt tell the difference between yellow and amber.
I doubt they would write "We were on an amber warning" if they weren't.
I think you might be surprised. Also a lot of people are quite
geographically challenged and struggle to locate exactly where they live
when a map is presented on the TV.
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 JanYour actual words were:
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc
are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable description.
On 11/01/2026 16:42, MikeS wrote:
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 JanYour actual words were:
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably >>>>> will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the >>>>> home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number of
similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office
forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc
are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable
description.
Presenters, not journslists
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>>> Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:-aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist
weather
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & >>>>>>>> Friday-a morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. >>>>>>>> Not-a just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was
predicted-a over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.-a It
didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
-aI care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza,
Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips
were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all
on-a the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of the forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services were
working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they were getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait online newspapers.
On 11/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jvngr$3p62f$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:37:47 on Sun, 11
Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 07:50, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at
11:10:26 ona Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> >>>>remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which >>>>>werea countermanded.
aBut countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled >>>>trains,a reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite allTough
the attendeesa at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and
the roads whicha would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted >>>>(and had no snow ata all of course) which means lots of people had >>>>made other plans for thea day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread title). >>>
I take a different view, which is that if by applying better methods
to a problem, "toughness" on the general public can be avoided, then
it ought to be done.
You are basing all that on an unconfirmed whinge from someone you don't
know at a place you don't know and from a source you don't know. You
haven't even asked their age, I thought you claimed to be a journalist?
Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
On 11/01/2026 16:42, MikeS wrote:
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:Your actual words were:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably >>>>>> will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the >>>>>> home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number of >>> similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office
forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc >>> are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable
description.
Presenters, not journslists
It looks like the TV weather presenters have had quite a bit of relevant training. They may not be Met Office professionals any more, but theyrCOre not just reading off an auto-cue. I think they write their own scripts and perhaps do some interpretation of the more technical forecast theyrCOre working from.
In message <10jvvq3$3rab1$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:59:15 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jvngr$3p62f$1@dont-email.me>, at 08:37:47 on Sun, 11
Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 07:50, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at
11:10:26-a on-a Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com>
remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which
were-a countermanded.
-aBut countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled
trains,-a reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all >>>>> the attendees-a at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and >>>>> the roads which-a would normally be nose-to-tail were almost
deserted (and had no snow at-a all of course) which means lots of
people had made other plans for the-a day. All of this is a "waste" >>>>> (see thread title).
Tough
-aI take a different view, which is that if by applying better methods
to a problem, "toughness" on the general public can be avoided, then
it ought to be done.
You are basing all that on an unconfirmed whinge from someone you
don't know at a place you don't know and from a source you don't know.
You haven't even asked their age, I thought you claimed to be a
journalist?
In this instance I'm not a journalist (currently I'm mainly a chef, but that's not important right now) but a reporter. Reporting on what others have published.
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11
Jan 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on >>>>>>>reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say "sorry, >>>> I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on Friday, >>>> after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my >>attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,Your actual words were:
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number
of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met
office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers,
websites, etc are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest >reasonable description.
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 JanYour actual words were:
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably
will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the
home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc
are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable description.
On 11/01/2026 17:43, Recliner wrote:
Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
On 11/01/2026 16:42, MikeS wrote:
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>>> 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:Your actual words were:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>>>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports, often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably >>>>>>> will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the >>>>>>> home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public reads >>>>>>> - which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say >>>>>>> "sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on >>>>>>> Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your >>>>>> original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for >>>>>> misreporting.
Why do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of my
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number of >>>> similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office >>>> forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc >>>> are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable
description.
Presenters, not journslists
It looks like the TV weather presenters have had quite a bit of relevant
training. They may not be Met Office professionals any more, but theyrCOre >> not just reading off an auto-cue. I think they write their own scripts and >> perhaps do some interpretation of the more technical forecast theyrCOre
working from.
BBC are going back to using the Met Office and some ITV regions use ex-forecasters as presenters.
In message <10jtb32$31vn4$2@dont-email.me>, at 10:53:21 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>>weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & Friday >>>>>>morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. Not >>>>>>just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was predicted >>>>over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and winds". >>> Which happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind.
What he wants is all weather forecasts to be based on where he happens
to be at the time. He doesn't care about the rest of us.
Doesn't *everyone* usually prioritise the weather forecast were they
are?
The weather forecast 200 miles away is only of interest if you are--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
likely to be travelling there, or perhaps if you have vulnerable
relatives. The others are grown-ups and take their own precautions.
What's bad is the weather forecast for 200 miles away erroneously being >published for where *you* are.
In message <10k0jss$1d3j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:42:04 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11
Jan-a 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>>>> 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports,-a often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for >>>>>>>> their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably >>>>> will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the >>>>> home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public
reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
-aWhy do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of myYour actual words were:
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number
of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met
office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers,
websites, etc are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest
reasonable description.
I'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all propagating
the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be a wrong
prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
On 11/01/2026 11:06, Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10jtc5i$32fnq$5@dont-email.me>, at 11:11:46 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:18, Recliner wrote:
Do people still go to newspapers for weather forecasts? How quaint!
It seems Roland still does!
Recliner's grasp of modern media seems fragile at best. Most newspapers
have moved online, and their content is available to anyone with
Internet access.
The serious ones have paywalls, thereby excluding cheapskates like you.
Unlike you, I pay for subscriptions to a number of publications, so please >> donrCOt provide your usual ignorant commentary on modern media that you canrCOt
afford to access. The free local newspapers arenrCOt really local at all, and
are run with skeletal resources.
But few people get their weather forecasts these days from newspapers,
whether online or not, or paywalled or not. In the modern world, most
people use weather apps.
Indeed, it's *pushed* to many of us, whether we want it
or not.
Here is a website for Roland to try:-
https://www.windy.com/52.199/0.133?51.808,0.133,8
Yes, I've tried that and several similar sites. They usually get their
data for Ely from Mildenhall RAF base. One of the Cambridge data logging >>> sites is about two miles from my GF's house in Girton.
You need to read up on how weather forecasts are done. ItrCOs nothing like >> you think.
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on reports, often >>> via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old folk
operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next hour,
which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five hours and 58% in >> six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
In message <10k0jss$1d3j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:42:04 on Sun, 11 Jan<washout>
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
[I've come to the conclusion that there's one house in Cambs whichYour actual words were:
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of >>people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number
of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met
office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers, >>websites, etc are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest >>reasonable description.
I'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all propagating
the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be a wrong
prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
It's what they believe, and act upon, which matters in this context.aI know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problem
is, people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them.
They also read the Daily Mail and believe that, doesn't make it true.
Still their problem, not the forecasters.
On 11/01/2026 16:28, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan >>2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10 >>>>Jana 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.a It >>>>>didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, >>>>>>>10 Jana 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind. >>>>>
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>>>>>
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & >>>>>>>>>Fridaya morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in
aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. >>>>>>>>>Nota just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was >>>>>>>predicteda over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>>winds".
aI care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza, >>>>Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway
trips were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was >>>>cancelled, all ona the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who >>cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of
the forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services
were working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they >>were getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait
online newspapers.
I cannot comment on railways but my council use forecasts by
professional organisations (was the Met Office prior to my retirement
but contracts are reviewed periodically so may have changed) for
getting snow forecasts (grit or no grit), load or not load at the oil >terminal (lightning or not), wind (for berthing tankers etc). I would >anticipate that any responsible TOC would have similar contractural >arrangements.
BBC are going back to using the Met Office and some ITV regions use
ex-forecasters as presenters.
At least one of the Female ones makes the point that she is a trained >meteorologist and not a rCLWeather GirlrCY though seems happy at other times >to double up as the photogenic presenter having a jolly on some out of
studio expedition
Newspaper headline:
a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for >>2026
a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
They go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks again]
is expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
In message <10jtb5d$33jbf$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:54:37 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
You also need to understand that these days journalistic publicationsYes, Reach is now apparently generating more stories by AI.
are more to do with click bait than accuracy.
One of their headlines today couldn't even correctly spell
"Cambridgeshire".
pps I drove past the Met Office building in Exeter a couple of months
-a-a-a ago, with my Lovejoy hat on, and back in the day their former
-a-a-a Bracknell Office was close to ICL where I worked at the time. Not
-a-a-a far to go if their mainframe broke down.
In message <msig14F3hikU1@mid.individual.net>, at 20:37:56 on Sun, 11
Jan 2026, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> remarked:
BBC are going back to using the Met Office and some ITV regions use
ex-forecasters as presenters.
At least one of the Female ones makes the point that she is a trained
meteorologist and not-a a rCLWeather GirlrCY though seems happy at other times
to double up as the photogenic presenter having a jolly on some out of
studio expedition
One of my friends is an ex ITV 'Weather Girl', but originally trained as
a journalist. Now she lobbies against Violence against Women and Girls, having experienced a particularly bad episode of stalking.
Including threats like "If you don't agree to go out with me, you'll
come home one day and find your cat nailed to the front door". Why
anyone would want to go out with someone capable of writing that, is a mystery.
And yes, her producers from time to time insisted she did the forecast
as an outside-broadcast.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.a It
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, 10 >>>>>>> Jana 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind. >>>>>
aaaaaaaaa We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist >>>>>>>>> weather
aaaaaaaa predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night &
Friday morning
aaaaaaaa which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in huge >>>>>>>>> aaaaaaaa unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc. >>>>>>>>> Not just a
aaaaaaaa regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was
predicted over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>> winds".
didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
I care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza,
Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway trips >>>> were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was cancelled, all
on the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who
cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of the
forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services were
working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they were
getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait online
newspapers.
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather dependent, they >almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their routes. >And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole >service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less affected.
On 11/01/2026 18:31, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0jss$1d3j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:42:04 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 15:03, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k09gn$3u959$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:44:55 on Sun, 11
Jan-a 2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k03dj$3scvb$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:00:51 on Sun, 11 >>>>>> Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
But the point is the *general public* don't, they rely on
reports,-a often
via online newspapers, or online broadcasters like BBC and Sky, >>>>>>>>> for
their weather forecasts.
No, most people use weather apps on their phones. Only doddery old >>>>>>>> folk-a operate like you.
For example, I know thererCOs a 7% chance of rain here in the next >>>>>>>> hour,-a which rises hour by hour to 19% in four hours, 53% in five >>>>>>>> hours and 58% in-a six hours, after which it declines.
None of which guarantees there will be any rain at all.
Indeed, and what my sad anonymous coward stalker still, and probably >>>>>> will never, comprehend is that the exact same data is what feeds the >>>>>> home screen of mobile phones, and what most of the general public >>>>>> reads
- which is clickbait stories from online newspapers.
No such newspaper is ever going to push you a retraction and say
"sorry,
I was wrong, you can rebook the Village Hall for your meeting on
Friday,
after all".
And has nothing to do with the forecast being wrong, which was your
original assertion. The Met Office canrCOt be held responsible for
misreporting.
-aWhy do you think the focus, repeated over and over again, of myYour actual words were:
attention is *just* the Met office. It's is, and always has been,
those who propagate the Met office forecasts to the general public.
"I'm calling out the *forecasters* for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings".
The forecasters *are* the people at the Met Office plus a tiny number
of similar organisations. The 1000s of people who propagate the Met
office forecasts to the general public via TV, radio, newspapers,
websites, etc are not forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest
reasonable description.
I'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all
propagating the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be a
wrong prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the forecasts
say on Thursday?
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at 11:10:26 on
Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which were >>countermanded.
But countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled trains, >reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all the attendees
at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and the roads which
would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted (and had no snow at
all of course) which means lots of people had made other plans for the
day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread title).
I always thought 8am was a bit late, if for example one's role was
-a-a organising gritting lorries, or deciding if a school should have a
-a-a snow-day.
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
-aNewspaper headline:
-a -a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named for >>> 2026
-a-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
-aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning-a for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] is-a expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
Of course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2There were a couple of yellow ones, quickly withdrawn when it became
clear that circumstances had changed.
But I doubt people could then re-book the Village Hall for the evening >meeting and tell everyone to turn up despite the earlier cancellation.
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination
to be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of those
who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they should
look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blame
them for the mistakes of others.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather dependent, they >>almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their routes. >>And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >>route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole >>service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less affected.
There's no probably about it, of course they pay for accurate
forecasts. I've seen this on TV programmes about, for instance,
Paddington, and read RAIB reports. The railways also have severe
weather committees that are convened when bad weather is forecast. The >committee will have representatives of Network Rail, the ToCs and
others interested. Such meetings will decide what to do: impose
blanket or local speed limits, increase inspections, or even close a
line.
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
--There were a couple of yellow ones, quickly withdrawn when it became >>>clear that circumstances had changed.
But I doubt people could then re-book the Village Hall for the evening >>meeting and tell everyone to turn up despite the earlier cancellation.
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and
winds".
Which happened,
-aBut is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten-a what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
In message <2vf9mk17nfkmcgpfrgn50c4teqcgkvc91r@4ax.com>, at 09:39:19 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather
dependent, they
almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their
routes.
And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >>> route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole
service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less
affected.
There's no probably about it, of course they pay for accurate
forecasts. I've seen this on TV programmes about, for instance,
Paddington, and read RAIB reports. The railways also have severe
weather committees that are convened when bad weather is forecast. The
committee will have representatives of Network Rail, the ToCs and
others interested. Such meetings will decide what to do: impose
blanket or local speed limits, increase inspections, or even close a
line.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like it did
last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now >>>forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>> winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
This is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
On 12/01/2026 06:08, Roland Perry wrote:
pps I drove past the Met Office building in Exeter a couple of months
-a-a-a ago, with my Lovejoy hat on, and back in the day their former
-a-a-a Bracknell Office was close to ICL where I worked at the time. Not
-a-a-a far to go if their mainframe broke down.
My father worked in the Bracknell office and we lived within sight of
the ICL building. Somewhere I have photos of it under construction.
On 12/01/2026 06:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <msig14F3hikU1@mid.individual.net>, at 20:37:56 on Sun, 11
Jan 2026, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> remarked:
BBC are going back to using the Met Office and some ITV regions use
ex-forecasters as presenters.
At least one of the Female ones makes the point that she is a trained
meteorologist and not-a a rCLWeather GirlrCY though seems happy at other times
to double up as the photogenic presenter having a jolly on some out of
studio expedition
One of my friends is an ex ITV 'Weather Girl', but originally trained as
a journalist. Now she lobbies against Violence against Women and Girls,
having experienced a particularly bad episode of stalking.
Including threats like "If you don't agree to go out with me, you'll
come home one day and find your cat nailed to the front door". Why
anyone would want to go out with someone capable of writing that, is a
mystery.
And yes, her producers from time to time insisted she did the forecast
as an outside-broadcast.
Common throughout the ITV network, Exbury gardens was our favourite in
the spring.
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination
to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they
should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
But we are where we are, and they don't.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blame
them for the mistakes of others.
That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because my
head is sore from banging it on this wall.
In message <10k0jjh$inn$6@dont-email.me>, at 16:37:05 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
It's what they believe, and act upon, which matters in this context.-aI know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but the problemThey also read the Daily Mail and believe that, doesn't make it true.
is, people do read newspaper articles (even Reach's) and believe them. >>>>
Still their problem, not the forecasters.
I know I'm banging my head on a brick wall here, but its not just
*their* problem, because the decisions they make as a result (eg
knee-jerk cancelling Friday's meeting at the Village Hall) has
consequences
for others.
My diary is primarily arranged around such meetings/events (and I know
I'm not the only one). Often overbooked - the worst recently was one Saturday in September when I was quadruple booked - and have chosen
which to attend, and which to refrain from buying tickets for or send apologies - if that one is cancelled, the whole day goes to pot.
In message <10k0q15$3r0n$1@dont-email.me>, at 18:26:44 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:28, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0h0j$inn$2@dont-email.me>, at 15:52:51 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 12:51, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtb88$31vn4$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:56:08 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 10/01/2026 10:04, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 10/01/2026 09:08, Roland Perry wrote:Try telling my friends in Cornwall who lost their garden wall.-a It >>>>>> didn't happen to him so he doesn't care.
In message <10jt3b5$319j9$2@dont-email.me>, at 08:41:09 on Sat, >>>>>>>> 10 Jan-a 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked: >>>>>>>>-aWhich happened, or perhaps you don't think 100 mph+ is a bad wind. >>>>>>
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a We are drifting off the point which is the alarmist
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a predictions for a "Weather Bomb" Thursday night & >>>>>>>>>> Friday-a morning
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a which turned out to be mistaken - and resulted in >>>>>>>>>>
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a unnecessary cancellations on transport networks etc.
Not-a just a
-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a regular cold night in Winter.
It wasn't a mistake, it happened.
The storm did not produce the wind, rain and snow that was
predicted-a over a wide area.
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
Yes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>>> winds".
-aI care about them (and also thousands losing their lives in Gaza, >>>>> Ukraine etc), but I also care about the people here who railway
trips were cancelled, whose meeting in the Village Hall was
cancelled, all on-a the basis of an erroneous weather forecast.
The forecast wasn't erroneous.
Doesn't matter. The vast majority of the public (including those who
cancelled meetings at the Village Hall) were working from reports of
the forecast. What the trains companies who pre-cancelled services
were working from we can only speculate, but I'd prefer to think they
were getting the forecasts at first hand, rather than clickbait
online newspapers.
I cannot comment on railways but my council use forecasts by
professional organisations (was the Met Office prior to my retirement
but contracts are reviewed periodically so may have changed) for
getting snow forecasts (grit or no grit), load or not load at the oil
terminal (lightning or not), wind (for berthing tankers etc). I would
anticipate that any responsible TOC would have similar contractural
arrangements.
Indeed, and I have previously commented in this thread that I used to receive such bulletins (at 8am) daily for several years in a part time post-retirement job I had. Part of which incidentally was managing the Severe Weather Protocol for the organisation, which I drafted for them.
It was also necessary for me to look at the Met Office's current "Yellow/Amber/Red" web page, because that's what a lot of people I encountered had seen, and not necessarily that same day. So when they
said "Why are you doing <X>, because there's an Amber warning for
today", I could reply "No, that was a prediction two days ago, and it's
no longer valid".
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now >>>>forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
This is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
On 12/01/2026 10:46, Trolleybus wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>> winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
This is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
An atmospheric physicist knows how it happens but has no idea where or when.
On 12/01/2026 10:14, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan >>2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>winds".
Which happened,
aBut is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now >>>>forgottena what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so
I know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty >>simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
I had a GF who did simultaneous translations in French and German, I
still can't speak German.
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan >>2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:But we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>toa be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to >>>>cancela meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they >>>should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blame >>>them for the mistakes of others.That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters,
not the media follow-ups.
In message <87k9mk1qoob7fg39lsaeuoe026sghnqpdv@4ax.com>, at 10:46:23 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>> winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I
know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
This is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
That's because you don't appreciate the breadth of my knowledge!
In message <10k2jor$28t7l$4@dont-email.me>, at 10:52:11 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:46, Trolleybus wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-a-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>>> winds".
Which happened,
-a But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten-a what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I >>>> know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
-aThis is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
An atmospheric physicist knows how it happens but has no idea where or
when.
Not true. Anyway, fun fact I learnt from her recently (we still meet up
from time to time) was that weather forecasts went a wobbly during
Covid, because there were fewer transatlantic planes, and much of the
data the forecasters rely upon is gathered by them as they fly.
You are basing all that on an unconfirmed whinge from someone you
don't know at a place you don't know and from a source you don't
know. You haven't even asked their age, I thought you claimed to be
a journalist?
In this instance I'm not a journalist (currently I'm mainly a chef,
but that's not important right now) but a reporter. Reporting on what >>others have published.
No, you are repeating the errors other people have made.
The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office forecasts to the >>>general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc are not >>>forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable description.
I'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all
propagating the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be
a wrong prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the forecasts
say on Thursday?
In message <10k2kmj$29j88$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:08:03 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:But we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>> to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they >>>> should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blameThat's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
them for the mistakes of others.
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters,
not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
In message <2vf9mk17nfkmcgpfrgn50c4teqcgkvc91r@4ax.com>, at 09:39:19 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather
dependent, they
almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their
routes.
And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >>> route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole
service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less
affected.
There's no probably about it, of course they pay for accurate
forecasts. I've seen this on TV programmes about, for instance,
Paddington, and read RAIB reports. The railways also have severe
weather committees that are convened when bad weather is forecast. The
committee will have representatives of Network Rail, the ToCs and
others interested. Such meetings will decide what to do: impose
blanket or local speed limits, increase inspections, or even close a
line.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like it did
last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
In message <10k15tm$7lvu$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:49:42 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
The 1000s of people who propagate the Met office forecasts to the >>>general public via TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc are not >>>forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest reasonable description.
I'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all >>propagating the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be
a wrong prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the forecasts
say on Thursday?
That doesn't matter. By Thursday it's too late to rebook the Village
Hall and inform all the people the meeting is un-cancelled, etc.
On 12/01/2026 10:16, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <2vf9mk17nfkmcgpfrgn50c4teqcgkvc91r@4ax.com>, at 09:39:19 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather
dependent, they
almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their
routes.
And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >>>> route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole >>>> service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less
affected.
There's no probably about it, of course they pay for accurate
forecasts. I've seen this on TV programmes about, for instance,
Paddington, and read RAIB reports. The railways also have severe
weather committees that are convened when bad weather is forecast. The
committee will have representatives of Network Rail, the ToCs and
others interested. Such meetings will decide what to do: impose
blanket or local speed limits, increase inspections, or even close a
line.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if the
weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like it did
last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
Rubbish.
We had a yellow warning cancelled just the other day.
Where do get these weird ideas from.
In message <2vf9mk17nfkmcgpfrgn50c4teqcgkvc91r@4ax.com>, at 09:39:19 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
Like other large organisations whose operations are weather
dependent, they
almost certainly pay for specialised, detailed forecasts for their
routes.
And it may come as a surprise for someone like you, but if one part of a >>> route is forecast to be badly affected, they probably cancel the whole
service, even if other parts of the route are expected to be less
affected.
There's no probably about it, of course they pay for accurate
forecasts. I've seen this on TV programmes about, for instance,
Paddington, and read RAIB reports. The railways also have severe
weather committees that are convened when bad weather is forecast. The
committee will have representatives of Network Rail, the ToCs and
others interested. Such meetings will decide what to do: impose
blanket or local speed limits, increase inspections, or even close a
line.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like it did
last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
In message <10k2kmj$29j88$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:08:03 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:But we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>> to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they >>>> should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blameThat's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
them for the mistakes of others.
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters,
not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
In message <10k2kmj$29j88$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:08:03 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:-aBut we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>> to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps
they should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blame-aThat's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
them for the mistakes of others.
my-a head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the
forecasters, not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
. . . "Edinburgh Live" (Reach
plc) is pushing an article on Facebook about a child's health problem;
the child is in the deep south Edinburgh suburb of Coventry but you
don't see that until half way through the text.
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 07:50:08 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <qrc4mklotvjntrs32b3hj1fm6k595p5o3c@4ax.com>, at 11:10:26 on
Sat, 10 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
I didn't get an amber, near Stansted Airport. Just yellows which were
countermanded.
But countermanding a warning doesn't reinstate the pre-cancelled trains,
reinstate the booking for the village hall and invite all the attendees
at a day's notice. I went into Cambridge at 9am and the roads which
would normally be nose-to-tail were almost deserted (and had no snow at
all of course) which means lots of people had made other plans for the
day. All of this is a "waste" (see thread title).
I'm aware of the thread title as I'm OP.
I really don't know what your point is. Weather is chaotic - we know
that. There can never be a guarantee that a forecast is entirely
accurate and they can sometimes be wildly wrong, especially a few days
out. If it appears that an issued forecast was wrong it is corrected.
If the forecast weather meets certain parameters: wind speed,
temperature, precipitation, combinations of the above a graduated
system of warnings is issued. If the forecast changes they will be
amended or withdrawn.
What local organisations do with that information is down to them.
What else can they do? You seem to think that warnings should only be
issued when they're not going to be withdrawn.
I accept that a village hall meeting being cancelled is important for
you but the impact wasn't felt down here, 30 miles away. It seems we
dodged a bullet.
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k2kmj$29j88$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:08:03 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:But we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>>> to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to >>>>>> cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they >>>>> should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blame >>>>> them for the mistakes of others.That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters, >>> not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the
forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt you to >concede that your original statement was incorrect.
In message <10k0qhe$3ubf$2@dont-email.me>, at 18:35:26 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
You are basing all that on an unconfirmed whinge from someone you >>>>don't know at a place you don't know and from a source you don't
know. You haven't even asked their age, I thought you claimed to be
a journalist?
In this instance I'm not a journalist (currently I'm mainly a chef, >>>but that's not important right now) but a reporter. Reporting on what >>>others have published.
No, you are repeating the errors other people have made.
I am REPORTING ON what others have said. We don't know that what they
said was wrong, seems odd to go to the trouble of leaving an erroneous >comment.
Your role as a minimum wage, part-time river warden seems to have come with unusual responsibilities?
I accept that a village hall meeting being cancelled is important for
you but the impact wasn't felt down here, 30 miles away. It seems we
dodged a bullet.
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are >>discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git in
East Anglia.
On 12/01/2026 13:13, Recliner wrote:
Your role as a minimum wage, part-time river warden seems to have come with >> unusual responsibilities?
Good Lord. Is there no beginning to his talents?
I have to say, reading this newsgroup has become a good deal more >entertaining and less taxing on the blood pressure since I was finally >provoked into finding out how Thunderbird's killfile worked...
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k2kmj$29j88$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:08:03 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:12, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k0iu7$inn$5@dont-email.me>, at 16:25:43 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 11/01/2026 16:04, Roland Perry wrote:But we are where we are, and they don't.
What I worry about is others who don't have the time or inclination >>>>>> to-a be weather geeks, and rely on media reports when deciding to
cancel-a meetings at the Village Hall, or whatever.
That, as has been explained to you several times, is the fault of
those who rely on poor secondary sources for their info. Perhaps they >>>>> should look for accurate information from reliable sources.
Instead you attack professionals doing their job properly and blameThat's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
them for the mistakes of others.
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters,
not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the
forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt you to concede that your original statement was incorrect.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters, >>>> not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the
forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt
you to concede that your original statement was incorrect.
Absolutely, and everyone but Roland can see that!
In message <10k37fo$2fc5f$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:28:40 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, ColinR <rail@greystane.shetland.co.uk> remarked:
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters, >>>>> not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the >>>> forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt
you to concede that your original statement was incorrect.
Absolutely, and everyone but Roland can see that!
I can see why you think that, but it's an incorrect assumption.
We've had this before - invisible word syndrome. I see one invisible
word, and you see a completely different one.
Perhaps it would help if I quoted the message I was replying to:
<<So you're saying that unless the whole of the UK if having a
weather bomb than it should not be in the weather forecast.>>
Where I read from the earlier context of the thread, to mean: "in the TV weather forecast".
And the people who deliver such things are called [TV weather] *forecasters*.
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on-a Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
-aGood for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on their phone *and* use it?
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git in
East Anglia.
One of the reasons I don't have a weather app is because my phone has
238 apps already, and my reaction(sic) to that is "enough is enough
unless some vital new functionality appears".
For example, one recent app is for my Starlink. Hands up the old gits elsewhere in the country who have one of those?
On 12/01/2026 06:23, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
aNewspaper headline:
a a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named
for 2026
aa The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>>
aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather >>>>warninga for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] isa expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
Of course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here.
You don't understand that a yellow alert can be withdrawn do you
obviously don't.
On 12/01/2026 15:33, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12
Jan 2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at
09:53:31 ona Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> >>>>remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV >>>>>> news.
aGood for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are >>>>discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app
on their phone *and* use it?
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git
in East Anglia.
One of the reasons I don't have a weather app is because my phone
has 238 apps already, and my reaction(sic) to that is "enough is
enough unless some vital new functionality appears".
That's very interesting.
I don't have any weather apps on my phone either. I use the same
websites on both my main computer and my mobile and they render
usefully on both devices.
Do you have any browsers on your phone or are they not one of your 238 apps?
I wonder how many of your 238 apps you could get rid off by using a
browser instead!
I really don't understand how you cope in today's society. Weather wise
you still function in the 1980s.
I spoke to a friend and he confirms we had a yellow warning for snow
revoked last week. Judging by where it did snow the snow line must
been just a few hundred feet above here. This shows just how on the
ball the forecasters are.
It's just a shame you refuse to use the information made available and
then start complaining.
And just so your know I still have friends in Cornwall without power or >water resulting from the storm you deny even happened.
For example, one recent app is for my Starlink. Hands up the old
gits elsewhere in the country who have one of those?
My diary is primarily arranged around such meetings/events (and I know
I'm not the only one). Often overbooked - the worst recently was one >Saturday in September when I was quadruple booked - and have chosen
which to attend, and which to refrain from buying tickets for or send >apologies - if that one is cancelled, the whole day goes to pot.
NB. I was *not* planning on attending that *particular* meeting.
Do you have any browsers on your phone or are they not one of your 238 apps?
I have the Chrome which is part of the phone's standard bundled apps.
I wonder how many of your 238 apps you could get rid off by using a
browser instead!
Almost none. What's happened especially the last couple of years is
numerous banking/ecommerce/booking features, things like Railcard presentation,
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <87k9mk1qoob7fg39lsaeuoe026sghnqpdv@4ax.com>, at 10:46:23 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
In message <10k0h40$inn$3@dont-email.me>, at 15:54:40 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
NB do you actually know the definition of a weather bomb?
-aYes, but the media interpreted it as "really really bad snow and >>>>>>>> winds".
Which happened,
But is a *consequence* of the weather bomb, or have *you* now
forgotten what the term means
Unlike you I have actually done courses in weather forecasting.
One of my former girlfriends had a degree in atmospheric physics, so I >>>> know more about it than you suppose. But even without, it's pretty
simple general knowledge for well trained engineer.
This is the most Dunning-ruger think I've ever read!
That's because you don't appreciate the breadth of my knowledge!
But we very much do!
Based on what you post here, itrCOs measured in angstroms (|a). I donrCOt think
IrCOve ever come across anyone else who could be so confidently wrong on such a wide variety of different topics.
In message <10k2gao$27pep$2@dont-email.me>, at 09:53:28 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 06:23, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
-aNewspaper headline:
-a -a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named >>>>> for-a 2026
-a-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>> >>>>> -aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather
warning-a for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks
again] is-a expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
-aOf course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here.
You don't understand that a yellow alert can be withdrawn do you
obviously don't.
Do try to keep up :) The issue as I've described at least half a dozen
times now isn't that they can be later withdrawn (or not), but many
people make irrevocable plans two or three days ahead.
On 12/01/2026 11:57, Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <87k9mk1qoob7fg39lsaeuoe026sghnqpdv@4ax.com>, at 10:46:23 on
Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
Based on what you post here, itAs measured in angstroms (+). I donAt think >> IAve ever come across anyone else who could be so confidently wrong on such >> a wide variety of different topics.
If Roland continues the exponential growth in examples of his over >confidence for a few more days this thread will provide enough material
for a PhD study proposing a Supra-DunninguKruger effect. This would >hypothesise that certain people with low intelligence are generally >overconfident on any topic, instead of describing the specific >overconfidence of people unskilled at particular areas.
On Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:28:25 +0000, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> wrote:
On 12/01/2026 11:57, Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <87k9mk1qoob7fg39lsaeuoe026sghnqpdv@4ax.com>, at 10:46:23 on >>>> Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
Based on what you post here, it-As measured in angstroms (|a). I don-At think
I-Ave ever come across anyone else who could be so confidently wrong on such
a wide variety of different topics.
If Roland continues the exponential growth in examples of his over
confidence for a few more days this thread will provide enough material
for a PhD study proposing a Supra-Dunning-uKruger effect. This would
hypothesise that certain people with low intelligence are generally
overconfident on any topic, instead of describing the specific
overconfidence of people unskilled at particular areas.
It's very often the high achievers who seem to be the worst because
they seem to think that because they're good at something they must be
better than others - even experts - at other things. My example would
be Roger Scruton who use the Radio 4 A Point of View slot to claim
that he could objectively prove that moden pop music was poorer than
in the past.
On 13/01/2026 08:05, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k2gao$27pep$2@dont-email.me>, at 09:53:28 on Mon, 12
Jan 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 06:23, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10 >>>>Jana 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
aNewspaper headline:
a a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named >>>>>>fora 2026
aa The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>> >>>>>> aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather >>>>>>warninga for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks >>>>>>again] isa expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
aOf course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here.
You don't understand that a yellow alert can be withdrawn do you >>>obviously don't.
Do try to keep up :) The issue as I've described at least half a
dozen times now isn't that they can be later withdrawn (or not), but
many people make irrevocable plans two or three days ahead.
This is always going to happen when one makes irrevocable plans based
on revocable information. The trick is to leave the decision as late >possible. One could even state the event is under review as a prior
warning and state when a final decision will be made.
Of course if you make the decision based on yesterday's newspaper's
weather forecast there is a high probably this will be wrong.
On Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:28:25 +0000, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> wrote:
On 12/01/2026 11:57, Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <87k9mk1qoob7fg39lsaeuoe026sghnqpdv@4ax.com>, at 10:46:23 on >>>> Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:47 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
Based on what you post here, itrCOs measured in angstroms (|a). I donrCOt think
IrCOve ever come across anyone else who could be so confidently wrong on such
a wide variety of different topics.
If Roland continues the exponential growth in examples of his over >>confidence for a few more days this thread will provide enough material >>for a PhD study proposing a Supra-DunningrCoKruger effect. This would >>hypothesise that certain people with low intelligence are generally >>overconfident on any topic, instead of describing the specific >>overconfidence of people unskilled at particular areas.
It's very often the high achievers who seem to be the worst because
they seem to think that because they're good at something they must be
better than others - even experts - at other things. My example would
be Roger Scruton who use the Radio 4 A Point of View slot to claim
that he could objectively prove that moden pop music was poorer than
in the past.
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are >>>discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on >their phone *and* use it?
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:33:18 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV >>>>>> news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on
their phone *and* use it?
Yes, 100% of the people I know.
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:33:18 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV >>>>>> news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on
their phone *and* use it?
Yes, 100% of the people I know.
Roland constantly tells us that he was a very high achiever 40-45 years
ago, single-handedly specifying, designing,
implementing and marketing a succession of Amstrad's world-beating home computers. I have no idea how true this all is,
but there's no doubt he believes it.
In message <10k59th$32lid$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:22:25 on Tue, 13 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 13/01/2026 08:05, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k2gao$27pep$2@dont-email.me>, at 09:53:28 on Mon, 12
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 06:23, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
-aNewspaper headline:
-a -a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named >>>>>>> for-a 2026
-a-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>> >>>>>>> -aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather >>>>>>> warning-a for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks >>>>>>> again] is-a expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
-aOf course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here.
You don't understand that a yellow alert can be withdrawn do you
obviously don't.
-aDo try to keep up :) The issue as I've described at least half a
dozen-a times now isn't that they can be later withdrawn (or not), but
many-a people make irrevocable plans two or three days ahead.
This is always going to happen when one makes irrevocable plans based
on revocable information.-a The trick is to leave the decision as late
possible.-a One could even state the event is under review as a prior
warning and state when a final decision will be made.
That might be better, but in practice people make decisions about
cancelling events usually two days before. So that all the preparations
and visitor invitations can be walked back.
Of course if you make the decision based on yesterday's newspaper's
weather forecast there is a high probably this will be wrong.
So how do you suggest fixing that?
Am 13.01.2026 um 14:11 schrieb Roland Perry:
So how do you suggest fixing that?
Why do you think anybody would need to fix it?
It's completely up to the organizer to decide whether to cancel an event "because there might be weather problems" or to hold an event and find nobody is able to attend it due to real weather problems.
For what it's worth, the organizer could roll some dice or call a
soothsayer two days in advance to decide whether or not to cancel the planned event.
In an ideal world, the organizer
a) consults a meaningful weather forecast for the correct relevant location b) balances the loss of reputation and monyey from needlessly cancelling
the event with the loss of reputation and money from not cancelling the event in case of catastrophy
To be honest, nobody cares about a village fair.
The state of Nordrhein-Westfalen decided all schools were closed on
Monday (idea was to do a day of home schooling) due to flash-ice
conditions forecast to cover one third of the state (but it was unclear which part of the state).
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
Roland constantly tells us that he was a very high achiever 40-45 years
ago, single-handedly specifying, designing,
implementing and marketing a succession of Amstrad's world-beating home
computers. I have no idea how true this all is,
but there's no doubt he believes it.
To be fair in Alan Sugars biography rCLWhat you see is what you getrCY Roland >does get a mention and AS , though I cannot recall the exact wording does >describe him as brilliant on some project.
Why he left the Amstrad organisation is for Roland to explain or not as he >feels, perhaps when he publishes the book he mentions occasionally we may >find out.
But there is no doubt that though he must be fairly intelligent he just >cannot accept that in some fields others have more knowledge and there is
no way he can be an expert on everything though he writes as if he is.
Comes across as quite narcissistic and seems to be the only surviving
member of this newsgroup to fall out with others on a regular basis, if he
is the same in real life no wonder he has trouble with railway staff etc.
Perhaps he would have been happier 100+years ago when Railway Servants
bowed to people who thought themselves superior as they tipped them Half a >Crown.
Am 13.01.2026 um 14:11 schrieb Roland Perry:
In message <10k59th$32lid$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:22:25 on Tue, 13 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 13/01/2026 08:05, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k2gao$27pep$2@dont-email.me>, at 09:53:28 on Mon, 12
Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 06:23, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10jtbsl$32fnq$4@dont-email.me>, at 11:07:01 on Sat, 10 >>>>>> Jan-a 2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked: >>>>>>
-aNewspaper headline:
-a -a<< 'Heavy Snow' warning for Cambridgshire as first storm named >>>>>>>> for-a 2026
-a-a The warning will be in place from Thursday evening (January 8)>> >>>>>>>> -aThey go on to say this is based on a Met Office yellow weather >>>>>>>> warning-a for snow, and that "heavy snowfall" [their quote marks >>>>>>>> again] is-a expected until midday on the 9th.
Do you actually know what a "yellow alert" is?
-aOf course. I thought that should be obvious from my postings here. >>>>>You don't understand that a yellow alert can be withdrawn do you
obviously don't.
-aDo try to keep up :) The issue as I've described at least half a
dozen-a times now isn't that they can be later withdrawn (or not), but >>>> many-a people make irrevocable plans two or three days ahead.
This is always going to happen when one makes irrevocable plans based
on revocable information.-a The trick is to leave the decision as late
possible.-a One could even state the event is under review as a prior
warning and state when a final decision will be made.
That might be better, but in practice people make decisions about
cancelling events usually two days before. So that all the preparations
and visitor invitations can be walked back.
Of course if you make the decision based on yesterday's newspaper's
weather forecast there is a high probably this will be wrong.
So how do you suggest fixing that?
Why do you think anybody would need to fix it?
It's completely up to the organizer to decide whether to cancel an event >"because there might be weather problems" or to hold an event and find >nobody is able to attend it due to real weather problems.
For what it's worth, the organizer could roll some dice or call a
soothsayer two days in advance to decide whether or not to cancel the >planned event.
In an ideal world, the organizer
a) consults a meaningful weather forecast for the correct relevant location >b) balances the loss of reputation and monyey from needlessly cancelling
the event with the loss of reputation and money from not cancelling the >event in case of catastrophy
To be honest, nobody cares about a village fair.
If Roland continues the exponential growth in examples of his over >confidence for a few more days this thread will provide enough material
for a PhD study proposing a Supra-DunningrCoKruger effect. This would >hypothesise that certain people with low intelligence are generally >overconfident on any topic, instead of describing the specific >overconfidence of people unskilled at particular areas.
In message <10k56o9$31jp2$1@dont-email.me>, at 10:28:25 on Tue, 13 Jan
2026, MikeS <MikeS@fred.com> remarked:
If Roland continues the exponential growth in examples of his over
confidence for a few more days this thread will provide enough material
for a PhD study proposing a Supra-DunningrCoKruger effect. This would
hypothesise that certain people with low intelligence are generally
overconfident on any topic, instead of describing the specific
overconfidence of people unskilled at particular areas.
I'd willing participate in a study of "Modern Renaissance Men" with an
IQ of 125 or over.
On Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:33:18 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV >>>>>> news.
Good for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on
their phone *and* use it?
Yes, 100% of the people I know.
Roland constantly tells us that he was a very high achiever 40-45 years ago, single-handedly specifying, designing,
implementing and marketing a succession of Amstrad's world-beating home computers. I have no idea how true this all is,
but there's no doubt he believes it.
But something then seems to have gone wrong. Normally highly talented young executives like that would be tempted to
stay by rapid promotion and pay rises, but, no, Roland departed the Sugar empire. How could Alan have failed to keep his
top-performing employee?
And why doesn't he use Roland as one of his advisers on the Apprentice?
Normally such a move would be because he'd been head-hunted to a better, higher paid role in another company in the
industry, or to found his own start-up (which he should have been unusually well qualified to do, being a world expert
in every aspect of the business),
but, no, Roland then proceeded to keep moving home, job and industry, never staying
long anywhere.
He appears never to have been offered a senior manager role, instead operating as a self-employed
consultant scrabbling for daily projects.
His income apparently steadily declined along the way.
Sadly, like many others, he lost his latest, political lobbying, role, thanks to Covid,
and seems not to have been invited back after normal business resumed.
Despite being of retirement age, he hadn't manage to accumulate enough
savings or pension finds to retire,
and had to scramble to find any work available, such as teaching small businesses
how to use their mobile phones (which must have created lots of remedial work for local phone shops!).
Clearly, Roland is less proud of the later stages of his multifarious downwards-spiral career, and prefers to live in
the early 1980s, when he was apparently an acknowledged expert in everything. He either still believes it's true, or
simply prefers to re-live that period of his life. I don't think any of us knew that version of Roland, so we can only
judge him by what he posts now, which is usually rubbish. But he still thinks he's Really Perfect, as he apparently was
45 years ago.
In message <10k15tm$7lvu$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:49:42 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
The 1000s of people who propagate the Met-a office forecasts to the
general public via TV, radio, newspapers,-a websites, etc are not
forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest-a reasonable description.
-aI'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all
propagating-a the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to be
a wrong-a prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the forecasts
say on Thursday?
That doesn't matter. By Thursday it's too late to rebook the Village
Hall and inform all the people the meeting is un-cancelled, etc.
My example would
be Roger Scruton who use the Radio 4 A Point of View slot to claim
that he could objectively prove that moden pop music was poorer than
in the past.
In message <10k2ipc$28t7l$3@dont-email.me>, at 10:35:24 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
On 12/01/2026 10:17, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <s3h9mktip9rlhjs6fptbuvqaonhli4uvii@4ax.com>, at 09:53:31
on-a Mon, 12 Jan 2026, Trolleybus <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:52:22 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk>
wrote:
No need. I find the Met Office app adequate.
I live quite close to you and saw no such warnings.
Perhaps you don't get a feed from local newspapers, or watch the TV
news.
-aGood for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on their phone *and* use it?
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git in
East Anglia.
One of the reasons I don't have a weather app is because my phone has
238 apps already, and my reaction(sic) to that is "enough is enough
unless some vital new functionality appears".
For example, one recent app is for my Starlink. Hands up the old gits elsewhere in the country who have one of those?
To be fair in Alan Sugars biography rCLWhat you see is what you getrCY Roland >does get a mention and AS , though I cannot recall the exact wording does >describe him as brilliant on some project.
I see that Sugar credits Roland's team with rescuing the CPC project, >praising him as a genius for the technical design, including the
integrated cassette and keyboard concept that defined the CPC.
So it's not surprising that he keeps showing off about it, even if it
was from well over 40 years ago. What a pity he doesn't have even
greater triumphs to boast of from the rest of his career.
what went wrong thereafter?
Why he left the Amstrad organisation is for Roland to explain or not as he >>feels, perhaps when he publishes the book he mentions occasionally we may >>find out.
Ah, the famous, mythical book that exists only in his imagination!
I'd willing participate in a study of "Modern Renaissance Men" with an
IQ of 125 or over.
Would I have perhaps met you in Mensa meetings?
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if
the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like
it did last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
Rubbish.
We had a yellow warning cancelled just the other day.
Where do get these weird ideas from.
That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because
my head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters,
not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the
forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt you to >concede that your original statement was incorrect.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if
the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like
it did last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
This is a falsehood. We had a yellow warning withdrawn only last week.
Tomasz Schafernaker has A-levels in mathematics, physics and art,
followed by a BSc (Hons) in Meteorology.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the
forecasts say on Thursday?
That doesn't matter. By Thursday it's too late to rebook the Village >>Hall and inform all the people the meeting is un-cancelled, etc.
Once again, tough.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather app on
their phone *and* use it?
Yes, 100% of the people I know.
<AOL>
Do you have any browsers on your phone or are they not one of your 238 apps?
I have the Chrome which is part of the phone's standard bundled apps.
I wonder how many of your 238 apps you could get rid off by using a
browser instead!
Almost none. What's happened especially the last couple of years is
numerous banking/ecommerce/booking features, things like Railcard
presentation,
Which Railcard is only available as an app?
Renewed my senior one in October 2025 and chose the physical one ,
has it changed since.
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather appI find the Met Office app adequate.
aGood for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are >>>>discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
on their phone *and* use it?
The same stats as you are using to claim they don't.
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git
in East Anglia.
One of the reasons I don't have a weather app is because my phone
has 238 apps already, and my reaction(sic) to that is "enough is
enough unless some vital new functionality appears".
For example, one recent app is for my Starlink. Hands up the old
gits elsewhere in the country who have one of those?
Certainly none in Iran these days.
But the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if
the weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like
it did last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be reversed.
Again, tough.
In message <10k2s1f$2bqe2$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:13:19 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because >>>>> my-a head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters, >>>> not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the
forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff.
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt you to >> concede that your original statement was incorrect.
I would if it was incorrect, but it's your analysis which is incorrect.
Feel free to apologise.
In message <10k2qha$2b4av$3@dont-email.me>, at 12:47:38 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> remarked:
-aBut the problem is, having made their plans to cancel services, if
the-a weather forecast change quite significantly for the better (like
it did-a last Thursday night/Friday) those cancellations can't be
reversed.
This is a falsehood.-a We had a yellow warning withdrawn only last week.
The cancellations of the things cancelled because of an earlier warning, can't usually be uncancelled.
My indicative example was a religious service at a village hall (God can wait), but there are many more serious examples.
On 12/01/2026 12:24, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k15tm$7lvu$1@dont-email.me>, at 21:49:42 on Sun, 11 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
The 1000s of people who propagate the Met-a office forecasts to the >>>>> general public via TV, radio, newspapers,-a websites, etc are not-aI'll give you 5/10 for that. But those journalists were all
forecasters. Journalists would be the nearest-a reasonable description. >>
propagating-a the *forecast* issued on Tuesday, which turned out to
be a wrong-a prediction for what happened on Thursday night.
Two days is a long time in weather forecasting. What did the
forecasts say on Thursday?
That doesn't matter. By Thursday it's too late to rebook the Village
Hall and inform all the people the meeting is un-cancelled, etc.
Once again, tough.
In message <10k7u1j$3t1u7$2@dont-email.me>, at 11:18:11 on Wed, 14 Jan
2026, Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> remarked:
Do you have any stats on the number of people who have a weather appI find the Met Office app adequate.
-aGood for you. But the vast majority of people, the people we are
discussing in this thread, don't use that.
Most use some kind of app, they tend to be standard on smart phones.
on their phone *and* use it?
The same stats as you are using to claim they don't.
Mine are anecdotal from people who I know. Unlike many others here I
appear to have friends who aren't also geeks.
You are still confusing "most people" with one reactionary old git
in East Anglia.
One of the reasons I don't have a weather app is because my phone
has 238 apps already, and my reaction(sic) to that is "enough is
enough unless some vital new functionality appears".
For example, one recent app is for my Starlink. Hands up the old
gits elsewhere in the country who have one of those?
Certainly none in Iran these days.
One of the reasons I mentioned that particular app.
But I still see no-one here admitting to having a starlink, such
stick-in the muds.
On 14/01/2026 12:13, Roland Perry wrote:
In message <10k2s1f$2bqe2$1@dont-email.me>, at 13:13:19 on Mon, 12 Jan
2026, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
Clarified - no. Moved the goalposts - yes. It really wouldnrCOt hurt you to >>> concede that your original statement was incorrect.That's you misunderstanding what I wrote. I won't repeat it, because >>>>>> my-a head is sore from banging it on this wall.
A post from you dated 10th 09:45 stated:
"I'm calling out the forecasters for crying wolf. Next time lots of
people will tend ignore the warnings."
Where is the misunderstanding - you clearly criticised the forecasters, >>>>> not the media follow-ups.
I have since clarified that, about a dozen times. And in any event, the >>>> forecasters in question are the actors on TV, not the Met Office staff. >>>
I would if it was incorrect, but it's your analysis which is incorrect.
Feel free to apologise.
Roland, try looking up this thread at the quote from your post on 10th
Jan - it is you who is incorrect in your analysis.
On 12/01/2026 06:08, Roland Perry wrote:
I always thought 8am was a bit late, if for example one's role was
aa organising gritting lorries, or deciding if a school should have a
aa snow-day.
The gritters here use a targeted forecast which is provided as
necessary. For Roland's benefit this means the local authority's
forecast provider here provides an alert when gritting may be necessary >followed by a further alert if it is necessary or a stand-down if it is
not necessary.
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