ARmy Rumour SErvice

**kilo42** · 18-02-2012, 16:55

When was it last just cold?
Whenever I watch the weather forecast I am struck by the fact that its no longer enough to to say it will be a cold day, its always going to be "bitterly" cold. A two knot wind is an "icy blast", and a couple of snow showers are blizzards.

Ever since we started being given the temperature in Celsius, the over exaggeration has got worse. What they bang on about in excited horror as being ten below, is what I, and my our entire generation of boys in the 50s went to school in wearing grey flannel shorts. Every TV reporter that is outside a studio is wrapped up in North Face jackets that would be quite suitable for the Antarctic or Everest. I know I live in the north of Scotland, but I am sure that there are those that live in the south that don't think minus a few degrees C is anything at all to shout about.

This is the nation that produced the likes of Shackleton and his lads, Whymper and Scott for Christ's sake. Just when did the famous "British understatement" get replaced with all this over hyping of every little thing? Its all part of a very unwelcome change in what was once seen as the British character. Every time I watch a film nowadays it seems men are hugging and kissing each other, and crying all over the place; another thread recently went on about all these displays of flowers and overt and ersatz grief whenever someone gets the chop in a way that makes the news. Its a very different country than the one I was brought up in, that's for sure

**cloudbuster** · 18-02-2012, 17:08

Don't worry, you'll be dead soon.

**rockape34** · 18-02-2012, 17:28

Originally Posted by kilo42

When was it last just cold?
Whenever I watch the weather forecast I am struck by the fact that its no longer enough to to say it will be a cold day, its always going to be "bitterly" cold. A two knot wind is an "icy blast", and a couple of snow showers are blizzards.

Ever since we started being given the temperature in Celsius, the over exaggeration has got worse.

According to Pope Gore and his acolytes (Archbishops Mann, Jones and Briffa among others) it's all to do with Global Warming

**slipperman** · 18-02-2012, 17:29

I agree with the OP. TV forecasters are guilty of totally over-egging the weather - what the hell are Amber and Red weather alerts all about?
Last Friday, I had to drive up to Skipton and the weather forecasting the night before was predicting Armageddon, accompanied by the usual drivel of "don't leave home unless your journey is absolutely necessary". The reality? I had a cracking drive up north, with hardly any problems on the roads and the weather around Skipton and Bolton Abbey was glorious.
We really do need to get a grip as a country, otherwise we are going to be nannied to death.

**The_Seagull** · 18-02-2012, 17:31

Meteorologist. Best job in the world. You can be wrong nearly all the time an never get the sack.

**Alsacien** · 18-02-2012, 17:35

On the other hand, no rain for a couple of weeks in summer, a handful of leaves in autumn, an inch of snow in winter, or a bit of rain in spring, seems to bring the country to its knees.....

Not only is the UK obsessed by weather, they are Europe's weather poofs.

**SKJOLD** · 18-02-2012, 17:37

Went skiing a few weekends back. Had to drive over Hemsedal fjell. Twas minus 19 on the top and blowing severe enough that trucks were not allowed over. No problems. UK is just a bunch of southern poofters, even the ones in John O'Groats.

SK

**The_Seagull** · 18-02-2012, 17:40

Originally Posted by SKJOLD

Went skiing a few weekends back. Had to drive over Hemsedal fjell. Twas minus 19 on the top and blowing severe enough that trucks were not allowed over. No problems. UK is just a bunch of southern poofters, even the ones in John O'Groats.

SK

Very true. Winter weather is hardly noteworthy here in Alberta until it gets down to around -25 and there's more than 6 inches of snow. Even then nothing stops.

Just loads of fuckwits crash their cars more regularly meaning I have to get my pen out.

**Charm_City** · 18-02-2012, 17:44

I've always assumed the 'we're doomed' school of weather bulletin dates from the great Michael Fish/'hurricane, what hurricane?' debacle of 1987, and folk being less likely to complain if the forecast tornado/plague of gerbils/death of every first-born failed to materialise.