What is the most accurate weather service for the UK?

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nortonmargie

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I am flying to Heathrow Friday and picking up a bike in Woking. I like to check the weather forecast. Who does the most accurate forecast?

Also - good roads through the Cotswolds? What is Cirencester like?
 
Check your weather rock hanging out the window, more accurate than any weather forecast service lol.
 
nortonmargie said:
I am flying to Heathrow Friday and picking up a bike in Woking. I like to check the weather forecast. Who does the most accurate forecast?

Also - good roads through the Cotswolds? What is Cirencester like?
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good Roman museum at Cirencester. Routes: from Woking, I would suggest the Reading (pronounced Redding!)- Goring-Blewbury-Wantage-Faringdon -Cirencester route. It has some nice downland ups and downs, a bit of the Thames river at Goring etc. The Cotswolds further north are pretty, but the roads are often straightish and flattish, though the famous burnt yellow stone on houses is stunning. The Cotswolds are also getting a reputation as second homes for very rich Americans just in the last year…..
Where else are you visiting?
I use the BBC weather app.: generally vg, but in UK you cannot rely on graphics that show rain showers drifting over: they only show an artistic impression, not precise positions!!
 
The met office is excellent, it is a free app for your phone and is as good as they get.

Cotswolds route? I often travel from London to the Welsh borders. The A40 is a good road, but best use the M40 out to Junction 5 to get past various towns, then the 'old' A40 towards Oxford.

The A40 west of Oxford is pleasant, but there are roadworks near Witney which can cause long tailbacks. But you will go by The Farmers Dog (Jeremy Clarkson's pub). Never (yet) been in there, but will do one day. If you carry on along the A40, Northleach is pretty, then past Northleach go left on to the A436 to the Seven Springs roundabouts and then on to Cirencester.

Alternatively, from Oxford, take the A44 north, then through Woodstock (Blenheim Palace) up to Chipping Norton, then a couple of miles north of CN take the A436 to Stow in the Wold, then through Stow on to the B4077. There is a steam train station at Toddington with a cafe. And the B4077 is a very nice road.

Or, stay on the A44 and carry on via Moreton in Marsh and Broadway / Fish Hill to Malvern & Worcester etc.

There is so much to see and visit...

If you have been following the Norton unit 650 thread, this video shows some of the roads you could ride once you get into Wales; https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/interesting-650-norton-prototype.40675/post-695798 Llyn Brianne is near Llandovery
 
I define accuracy as if I look to the weather forecast for the next 3 hours then that is what should happen. So if it says no rain but then you get a hailstone shower 2 hours later you know its useless, so that's the Met Office app deleted. The others seem to be not much better but then my taxes don't pay for them so I may be biased.
 
Thanks everyone! Unless it is raining, I plan to go to Andover Norton, and then head north to Cirencester. I have been checking the forecast and it is iffy - maybe rain, maybe not. Such is the life of the traveler.

Think of the fortunate weather forecaster. What other job keeps you on despite being wrong 60% of the time?
 
I wouldn't take too much notice of the weather forecast (from any source) beyond 2 or 3 days. UK weather can (and often will) change dramatically within a couple of days.
 
Whilst on your lovely holiday might I add a point to remember?
Speed limits and their associated cams be they static or in plod's hands.
They are insane but such is life. They will make you crazy but pay attention
all the time.
And do NOT forget the pushbikes...those types now wear fore and aft cams
and will turn you in if you violate their legally protected zone. You will get
done and pay as well.
Otherwise enjoy your stay.
 
And just because you are in the US does not mean you do not done for speeding etc, they create a virtual driving licence for you and add the points ready for the next time you visit. Even when back in the US you can take an online course and forgo the points keeping your virtual licence clean so the rental company does not know.
 
Re. Cotswolds. My travels yesterday took me to Guiting Power, I have been through that area frequently but never visited the place. It is a spectacularly pretty village, and the Farmers Arms did a good lunch. And fantastic views heading out from the village. Must go there again to visit The Hollow Bottom.
 
today’s forecast for Swindon, for example, is showers, some heavy , coming across from the west. Tomorrow is mainly dry, except later evening.
Welcome to English weather variability!
 
Margie, sadly it seems you have been joined on your arrival to our little island by a large wet weather front!

Regardless of the app you’re using… you’re gonna get rained on over the next few days for sure, so best to dress / prepare accordingly. And when on the back lanes of the Cotswolds and Wales etc, take care for standing water on the roads.

Enjoy !
 
kommando said:
I define accuracy as if I look to the weather forecast for the next 3 hours then that is what should happen. So if it says no rain but then you get a hailstone shower 2 hours later you know its useless, so that's the Met Office app deleted. The others seem to be not much better but then my taxes don't pay for them so I may be biased.
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This is the cross that weather forecasters must bare. They can be correct in 80% of what they do, but people always remember the occasions where they were spectacularly wrong.
We went to a really interesting lecture at the local university, where they were talking about weather prediction, and one of the nuggets that came out was that because it's such a chaotic system (the atmosphere that is!) it's actually impossible to do a detailed forcast more than 14-21 days in advance. All that can be done is to look at the statistical probabilities, but an actual numerical solution is simply not possible.
 
SteveBorland said:
This is the cross that weather forecasters must bare. They can be correct in 80% of what they do, but people always remember the occasions where they were spectacularly wrong.
We went to a really interesting lecture at the local university, where they were talking about weather prediction, and one of the nuggets that came out was that because it's such a chaotic system (the atmosphere that is!) it's actually impossible to do a detailed forcast more than 14-21 days in advance. All that can be done is to look at the statistical probabilities, but an actual numerical solution is simply not possible.
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14-21 days ?!

I’d just like them to get the next 24 hrs close enough to be meaningful !!
 
The old weather rock hanging on a string outside your window is the only accurate way to know, if its swing its blowing, if it's wet its raining, if it warm or hot its sunny, if its got ice on it its snowing, no chance of that in my state, but bad weather never puts me off if I am out and about on the bike or traveling I just be prepared for it, but light showers on the ride I don't bother as my leather jacket is treaded for light rain and the jeans dry out real quick when the showers have stopped, but I do hate it when it gets so bad the boots full up with soaking water they take days to dry out.
Once I was traveling up to Bundaberg from Brisbane a 3hr ride as I got out of town it started to piss down rain and by the time I stopped to put the wet gear on my leather jacket was already soaking through, so I put the wet weather gear under the leather jacket for the 2 1/2 hr ride.
It pissed down all the way was so bad I was just following tail lights in front of me, but I was dry and the full face helmet did its job except for the soaking wet socks and boots, got about 10 kms from my mate's place and it stopped raining and for the whole week up there no rain at all, but the rain didn't stop me while heading up there and once there I just hopped under a nice hot shower and hung my riding gear up to dry, the boots took a day or two in the sun to dry out.
But on the trip up there quiet a few bikes parked under bridges or at the service stations, but I just kept going as you never know how long the rain is going to hang around, all part of motorcycling, take the good with the bad, 50+ years of experience and the joys of riding in all sorts of weather.
 
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