‘Oops’ moment for BBC: Apology issued after weather app gaffe shows ‘hurricane winds’ in London
The British Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday issued an apology for a data fault issue in its weather app after it incorrectly predicted “hurricane force winds” across London or overnight temperatures of “404C” in Nottingham.
“Oops, don’t be alarmed by some of our @bbcweather app data this morning. Be assured there won’t be 14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404°C,” weather presenter Simon King said in a post on X.
The BBC Weather also issued a statement where it apologised for the mistake saying: “We are really, really sorry about this and working very hard to fix the problem.”
“We have an issue with some of the weather data from our forecast provider which is generating incorrect numbers and text on our BBC Weather app and website,” it said.
Rectifying the mistake, it said that the south of the UK would experience rain and drizzle this Thursday, with blustery showers anticipated along the east coast. Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 30 mph in Aberdeen, according to the Met Office. However, the UK will not face the hurricane-force winds currently impacting the United States.
The Met Office also noted that remnants of Hurricane Milton, which is currently wreaking havoc in Florida, could introduce some uncertainty to UK weather patterns next week if they move into the Atlantic. However, the likelihood of the hurricane reaching the UK is deemed “highly unlikely.”
As Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, it is bringing tornadoes, floods, and the threat of storm surges to the region.