1. Bus Stop Language Are you understood?
John Teather, Founder and Former Editor of the BBC Weather Centre
Bus Stop Language
Are you understood?

2. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?

3. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?
Occluded Front

4. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?
Occluded Front
Solid Precipitation

5. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?
Occluded Front
Solid Precipitation
Fair Conditions

6. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?
Occluded Front
Solid Precipitation
Fair Conditions
Beaufort Scale Eight

7. At the Bus Stop
How would you talk about the weather to the person next to you?
Occluded Front
Solid Precipitation
Fair Conditions
Beaufort Scale Eight
Foehn Effect

8. At the Bus Stop We would probably say something like: Occluded Front
“its going to get colder and windier today”

9. At the Bus Stop We would probably say something like:
Solid Precipitation
“chance of snow later today”

10. At the Bus Stop We would probably say something like: Fair Conditions
”an average day for the time of the year”

11. At the Bus Stop We would probably say something like:
Beaufort Scale Eight
“there are going to be gales today”

12. At the Bus Stop We would probably say something like: Foehn Effect
“the winds will be coming down the mountains today so watch out for forest fires”

13. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!

14. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Singapore, the public did not trust the forecasts

15. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Singapore, the public did not trust the forecasts
Our morning briefing always said it would be “Fair”

16. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Singapore, the public did not trust the forecasts
Our morning briefing always said it would be “Fair”
But it didn’t describe the real conditions

17. At the Bus Stop
The weather at the Bus Stop looked and felt very different:

18. At the Bus Stop
The weather at the Bus Stop looked and felt very different:
Day One – Dull and grey

19. At the Bus Stop
The weather at the Bus Stop looked and felt very different:
Day One – Dull and grey
Day Two – Misty and cool

20. At the Bus Stop
The weather at the Bus Stop looked and felt very different:
Day One – Dull and grey
Day Two – Misty and cool
Day Three – Brilliant sunshine and hot

21. At the Bus Stop
For the people of Singapore, the aviation term of “Fair” did not describe their experience whilst waiting for a bus!

22. At the Bus Stop
For the people of Singapore, the aviation term of “Fair” did not describe their experience whilst waiting for a bus!
The term “Fair” meant many things and so the public thought the forecast was always wrong!

23. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!

24. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Kenya at the morning briefing

25. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Kenya at the morning briefing
The duty forecaster announced that there would be no rain

26. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
Training in Kenya at the morning briefing
The duty forecaster announced that there would be no rain
However, looking out of the window it was raining and people at a Bus Stop had umbrellas

27. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
On being questioned, the forecaster looked at his chart and announced there was no rain

28. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
On being questioned, the forecaster looked at his chart and announced there was no rain
When asked to look out of the window, he glanced out and then back to his chart announcing there was no rain

29. At the Bus Stop
Forecasters must use their eyes and not just their charts!
On being questioned, the forecaster looked at his chart and announced there was no rain
When asked to look out of the window, he glanced out and then back to his chart announcing there was no rain
Those at the Bus Stop knew otherwise

30. At the Bus Stop
Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!

31. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Even the most senior forecaster can get it wrong

32. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Even the most senior forecaster can get it wrong
On duty one evening at the BBC Weather Centre snow reports were coming in from the Travel Unit

33. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Even the most senior forecaster can get it wrong
On duty one evening at the BBC Weather Centre snow reports were coming in from the Travel Unit
The duty Broadcast Meteorologist told me the Travel Reports were wrong

34. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
As more snow report arrived, I asked him to phone the Senior Forecaster at the UK Met Office

35. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
As more snow report arrived, I asked him to phone the Senior Forecaster at the UK Met Office
There is definitely no snow he reported

36. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
As more snow report arrived, I asked him to phone the Senior Forecaster at the UK Met Office
There is definitely no snow he reported
I asked him to please look out of the window

37. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
As more snow report arrived, I asked him to phone the Senior Forecaster at the UK Met Office
There is definitely no snow he reported
I asked him to please look out of the window
There was a pause and sound of slow footsteps

38. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Then the sound of running footsteps approached

39. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Then the sound of running footsteps approached
“I can’t stop and talk we have got 6cm of snow outside”

40. At the Bus Stop Never keep the curtains drawn when making a forecast!
Then the sound of running footsteps approached
“I can’t stop and talk we have got 6cm of snow outside”
There was chaos on the roads that night and many people were left waiting for their buses!

41. At the Bus Stop
Never forget who you are making forecasts for - its those at the Bus Stop

42. At the Bus Stop
Never forget who you are making forecasts for - its those at the Bus Stop
You can have the best forecast in the world, but if nobody understands it……

43. At the Bus Stop
Never forget who you are making forecasts for - its those at the Bus Stops
You can have the best forecast in the world, but if nobody understands it……
Always keep in mind your audience

44. At the Bus Stop
Never forget who you are making forecasts for - its those at the Bus Stops
You can have the best forecast in the world, but if nobody understands it……
Always keep in mind your audience
They are mainly ordinary people who need you to give them weather using words they easily understand

45. Bus Stop Language Are you understood?
John Teather, Founder and Former Editor of the BBC Weather Centre
Bus Stop Language
Are you understood?