Wind speed of 27 thousand kilometers per hour, temperature exceeding 400 degrees Celsius at night – the British BBC publishes an apology after the blunder. The station's weather app showed shocking forecasts.
According to forecasts available on BBC Weather platforms, the wind speed in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was to be 17.2 thousand. miles per hour, i.e. over 27 thousand kilometers per hour. The same forecasts also indicated shocking wind strength in Belfast, Paris, and Bangkok, and unimaginably extreme heat (at night) in Nottingham (404 degrees Celsius), New York (384), and Sydney (378). Meanwhile, the strongest wind ever recorded in Great Britain blew in 1986 and reached 278 km per hour – according to information on the British government website.
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BBC apologizes for data from weather apps
The readings were quickly noticed by users, but also by BBC Weather forecasters themselves. “Oops, don't worry about some of our data,” Simon King, BBC Weather presenter and meteorologist, wrote on X. He said there would be “no 14,408 mph winds, no hurricane force winds, no 404° F overnight.”
“We are having an issue with some weather data from our forecast provider which is generating incorrect numbers and text on our BBC Weather app and website,” BBC Weather said in a statement quoted by the BBC website on Thursday. It goes on to explain that the glitch mainly affects wind readings, but also temperatures in selected locations. “We are aware of the tremendous interest in the weather today and this is extremely frustrating. We are truly sorry for this and are working very hard to resolve this issue,” the statement reads. A BBC spokesman also offered an apology. He assured that work is underway to “solve the problem as quickly as possible.”
Destructive Hurricane Milton
The British broadcaster published incorrect forecasts at a time when residents of Florida in the US are sheltering from Hurricane Milton, which could be the worst disaster there in 100 years. It was windy when it hit the Florida coast on Wednesday wind speeds over 195 km/hwhich corresponded to the third category on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale. It is currently a hurricane of the lowest category.
According to American Wall Street analysts, Hurricane Milton may cause damages totaling over $50 billion and this in the “optimistic” scenario, and in the worst-case scenario, even over USD 175 billion.
Hurricane Milton hit FloridaPAP/EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Main photo source: BBC Weather