RE: [backstage] who to ask? weather feeds: why is the "explanation of the symbols" not used consistently

[Paul Daniel]

We may have to make explicit which sets of icons we are talking about.
Embarrassing admission 1. For a long time I thought that the semicircular
sun symbol on the BBC local weather page icons meant "sunny intervals" in
addition to whatever the main section of the symbol meant. No wonder I was
so often disappointed with the weather forecast. I have now concluded that
the semicircular sun symbol distinguishes between day and night (sometimes).
Now if the night time weather had a crescent moon symbol, for instance, I
may just have understood the symbolism earlier.
Embarrassing admission 2. I do not understand the meaning of "showers". Both
the BBC and the Met Office confuse me here. For instance, the Met Office
symbols page ( HYPERLINK
"http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/guide/key.html"http://www.metoffice.
gov.uk/weather/uk/guide/key.html) has symbols for:
Heavy rain shower (day) - dark cloud with 2 rain drops and a sun symbol at
the top right of the cloud
Heavy rain shower (night) - dark cloud with 2 rain drops and a moon(?)
symbol at the top right of the cloud
Heavy rain - dark cloud with 2 rain drops and no day/night indication
I could conclude that the people in both weather centres are a right shower 
(Chambers - a disparaging term applied to any particular group of people one
disapproves of ).

Paul Daniel
 
 
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Al Petfield
Sent: 25 July 2007 17:47
To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk
Subject: Re: [backstage] who to ask? weather feeds: why is the "explanation
of the symbols" not used consistently



there is a fair amount of duplication not sure why this might be
2.gif and 7.gif for instance.
perhaps they have different alpha transparencies?


Jonathan,

The BBC weather icons dovetail with the Met Office ones [1] but the Met
Office have different icons for weather events at night to those during the
day and the BBC don't make that distinction.

2.gif corresponds to HYPERLINK
"http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w2x15.gif"http://www.met
office.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w2x15.gif - Partly cloudy (night)
7.gif corresponds to HYPERLINK
"http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w7x15.gif"http://www.met
office.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w7x15.gif - Medium-level cloud

A curious thing: the two sets don't completely tally - the BBC's 32.gif is
Hazy, in the Met Office's set they don't have a 32 but they do have 33 which
is Haze.

Best wishes,

Al


[1] HYPERLINK
"http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/guide/key.html"http://www.metoffice.
gov.uk/weather/uk/guide/key.html
 



No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/917 - Release Date: 25/07/2007
01:16



No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.19/917 - Release Date: 25/07/2007
01:16