BBC Weather is perhaps the most unique weather presentation in the world. Today the BBC produces over 100 weather programmes every day for every BBC tv channels and radio, plus internationally for BBC World, BBC Arabic and BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Services) and online through it's extremely popular website. The BBC weather presenters are actually employed by The Meteorological Office (The Met Office). The BBC handles the presentation and style of forecasts.
1950s - 1960s
The first weather bulletin broadcasted in November 1936, at this time forecasters hand-drew their charts with wax crayons. The first set of basic weather symbols were introduced in 1967. They were based on international standards - with triangles for showers, and round dots for rain.
Above images of Jack Armstrong, Peter Walker and Bert Foord
1970s - 1980s
BBC Weather - Barbara Edwards1974
Our earliest recording we have featuring Barbara Edwards (pre the familiar symbols) from 23rd December 1974
BBC Weather1979
On Saturday, August 16 1975 a brand new clearer set of symbols were first launched, based around the use of a cloud symbol. They were designed by college student, Mark Allen. The symbols (over 36 of them) were rubber, with a magnetic back and used by forecasters against steel boards. They also became known for failing to stick and falling off the maps!
The forecaster here is John Sherwood
Mindstretchers - Weather Feature1980s
Jim Bacon here with a short extract from the BBC Schools programme "Mindstretchers"1985 - 1980s
Bill Giles1985
Monday, February 18th 1985, electronic graphics were introduced to replace the magentic symbols. (This was also the same day the famous BBC1 mirror globe ident was replaced with computer graphics)
Breakfast Time Weather1985 Breakfast Television began in Britain on 17th January 1983 and with it, a new breakfast weather service including a fresh new face Francis Wilson, (now with Sky News)
1988 - 1996
BBC Weather New Look1988
On May 30th 1988 more technological advances were made to allow the introduction of 'Rain Radar' where the heaviness of the rainfall could be shown as an animated sequence. Shown by using shades of blue, yellow and green, deepening from light to dark. Later in '88 the flat map look disappears, instead new map designs featuring mountains and land shaded are introduced.BBC Daytime introduced regular short bulletins in the mornings, with presenters in an informal setting, sporting nice jumpers against floral arrangements!
Super Channel Good Year Weather Forecast1989
The Super Channel weather forecast was produced by the BBC and presented from both the daytime studio and from the weather map.
It utilised the usual BBC weather forecasters of the time, and was the BBC Weather Centre's first commercial contract.
No Limits - Weather Feature1987
No Limits was a youth and entertainment music programme presented by Tony Baker and Jenny Powell. Here Jenny gives us a behind the scenes look at the BBC Weather Centre..
BBC News - Weather Report1987 Remember the storm of 1987? where Michael Fish famously reassured a viewer who phoned the BBC that there wouldn't be a hurricane? Well technically he was right, but the forecasters and Met Office did get it wrong.
In late 1992 a new front page is introduced to the weather
Weather Watch1992
Educational series presented by Craig Charles looking at different aspects of the weather.
BBC2 Weather Night1992
Bill Giles is your host for "Wet & Windy" a themed evening of weather on BBC 2 in 1992. Broadcast on 9th May 19921996 - 2000
BBC Weather1996
In 1996, BBC weather introduces new animations and graphics including Weather Advice and a subtly modernised set of new symbols. The maps also show more topographical definition and more natural shading on the land. A year later in 1997 with the introduction of the new BBC logo, the weather also adopts the BBC corporate typeface Gill Sans. Widescreen forecasts were also introduced in 1999.
The Weather Show1998
Bill Giles presented the first series of The Weather Show looking at how weather affects our lives.
The series ran from 1996 - 1999
2000 - 2005
Another tweak to the graphics in 2000, the symbols also now have a slight 3D look, using subtle shading with highlights and shadows. New title pages and warning graphics are introduced. 2004 also marked the end of an era for Michael Fish who presented his final forecast on October 6th.
BBC World Weather2002
Brian Cummins with the BBC's international news channel weather. The opening features a rather nice weather sting using the symbols.
2005 - Present
On May 16th 2005 the BBC rolled out a brand new look across all it's channels and the web. BBC Weather bought Weatherscape XT, sophisticated software from Metra to exploit advances in 3D graphics and animation to visualise the weather. Sadly the friendly symbols are history and now cloud and rain are represented as 'real' shadows and 'real' raindrops on a desert sand coloured map of the UK. We feel the redesign was a backwards step, as you now have to watch the entire weather bulletin to understand what is happening, and to make sure you don't miss your part of the country as the map flies around the screen. The old presentation might not have been as visually dynamic, but it was much easier to understand 'at a glance'. Let's hope it becomes fashionable and gets re-introduced!
Quotes from BBC News: "They have been introduced after audience research found viewers felt the current graphics were out of date."
"The new system will introduce more realism, movement and clarity," said the BBC's lead presenter Helen Young.
Unsuprisingly the contoversial new look did not go down well with viewers. Over 4,000 people complained that the North, and especially Scotland was really badly represented because they were so small on the map compared with the South of England. It only took the BBC less than 2 weeks to change the titled perspective map back to a more head-on version. Even the former head of the BBC Weather Centre, John Teather voiced his opions in the press, saying "he was depressed by the 3D graphics, which did nothing to help viewers understand the forecast, those responsible for the £1 million makeover had shown a wilful disregard for all that we learnt over the past 25 years."
