Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

According to FLO's Clear Outside site, 99% cloud coverage will become 5% in the next 5 minutes..

digital_davem

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 37
  • Created
  • Last Reply
digital_davem

digital_davem

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It says 5% here at 23:00 and 2% at 00:00. I can assure you it's 100% ;)

Blowing a nasty gale too...

Same here. Not a spot of sky to see.

I hope FLO don't think their investment in original data sources wasted. Sometimes I wonder why the met guys don't throw away their supercomputers and just ask volunteers to look out the window and report by Twitter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChrisLX200

ChrisLX200

Posted
Posted

Same here. Not a spot of sky to see.

I hope FLO don't think their investment in original data sources wasted. Sometimes I wonder why the met guys don't throw away their supercomputers and just ask volunteers to look out the window and report by Twitter.

The BBC want you to do just that... http://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers

ChrisH

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mapstar

mapstar

Posted
Posted

Don't bother with forecasts. Just keep a look out, it's been either permacloud here or windy clear gaps in the sky. I'd like to know what's happened to those clear, crisp and calm winter days and nights,

Nick.

I remember those Nick, November was always a fantastic month and I can recall as a youngster many a bonfire night where we used to sit around the fire and my Dad would point out the constellations.

Great memories.

Now in my 40's, so it's quite a while ago but the weather has been very poor for the last few years especially the last two with more storms than I care to count!

The last full viewing session I did was in September with a cheap 80mm frac and it was a joy to be out. We've had a couple of clear nights since but the wind put paid to any thoughts of getting the scope out!

It's disheartening to say the least

Damian

Link to comment
Share on other sites
digital_davem

digital_davem

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Don't bother with forecasts. Just keep a look out, it's been either permacloud here or windy clear gaps in the sky. I'd like to know what's happened to those clear, crisp and calm winter days and nights,

Nick.

Clear outside now reports 100% cloudcover and yet I can see areas of blue sky and patchy cloud - my estimate 40-50% clear.

Do forecasters ever bother to verify their predictions of what is actually happening right now?

If I were a professional forecaster making predictions to incredible levels of fine detail and I could refute the whole lot merely by looking, I'd hang my head in shame and I'd certainly be embarrassed to draw a salary.

What happened to accountability? 

It's one thing feeling depressed about lost opportunities for stargazing, but these forecasts are informing decisions about whether to put out to sea in a 20 foot yacht....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Charic

Charic

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure if its wrong for everyone, but it certainly does not match the local climatic conditions here in Moray. We have the  protection factor of the Mountains to the South and West of my location, giving us milder weather conditions than my surrounding areas, even with storms passing by!

Don't get me wrong, the roads are often shut here, on our boundaries, so access to Aberdeen can take longer to reach if the A96 is closed at Foundland (often)  or the A9 at the Slochd or further South at Aviemore or the A9 Drumochter pass ( nightmare diversions here?)

There are far  better  weather forecasts available to me, but not all forecasts incorporate the information that astronomers want to see, but its not too difficult to work out  how cold, how clear and no rain imminent?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beulah

Beulah

Posted
Posted

I look forward to those clear skies as a rare treat.

Pretty sure if we had clear nights 365 days of the year, most of us wouldn't have time/energy to be out there all the time with work and other daytime obligations - and it would become commonplace!

All part of the fun of this mad, crazy hobby...  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Charic

Charic

Posted
Posted

If their unreliable, their unusable.

That weatherman is just blaming his tools,  probably unreliable too?

I have  found the android app UK Weather has proven to be pretty reliable for my needs, and  for a more specific local weather report, the aviation broadcast or shipping reports suffice my requirements.

At night if the Stars are  visible and steady,  its good to go, if there's any scintillation (twinkling), I`ll leave the scope indoors?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
digital_davem

digital_davem

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Just assume 100% cloud and you'll be right 99% of the time ;)

Clear outside currently (midday) reports for Bromley, Kent:

99% cloud cover with 90% low cloud coverage.

A quick look outside shows 100% very low, very thick clouds.

Not bad from C.O. maybe? Except... 12 hours ago, C.O. said there was 2% cloud coverage and excellent astronomy conditions for a 3 hour period.  Looked outside and it was exactly the same as it is now, 100% cloud.  And this is exactly the same as it has been for the last week!!!

The forecasts appear to be completely useless. And FLO supposedly pays for these forecasts...

ps

And it's predicting 5% cover again at 4pm. Very unlikely/

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChrisLX200

ChrisLX200

Posted
Posted

Forecasts are based on historical data and probabilities - so what happened last time as the result of observed conditions is quite likely to happen this time. The trouble is with global warming and consequently changing weather patterns the old models are becoming increasingly invalid, and what happened last time is less likely to happen in the future.

ChrisH

Link to comment
Share on other sites
souls33k3r

souls33k3r

Posted
Posted

Ah and my bad luck continues. Since I bought my scope which was late October, my luck had only brought gales and cloudy nights. There was this one night when I took the scope out but that seems ages ago because I had no idea how to do polar alignment. Don't get me wrong, i still don't know how to polar align the scope properly because the darn clouds wouldn't go away!!!

I've taken a day off on Wednesday and according to CO Tuesday night looks very good and clear but then again ill use my own weather station (poking my head out of the window) to determine whether it is a potential stargazing night or not.

Sorry all, my lucky seems to have affected the entire UK

Link to comment
Share on other sites
digital_davem

digital_davem

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Clear outside currently (midday) reports for Bromley, Kent:

99% cloud cover with 90% low cloud coverage.

A quick look outside shows 100% very low, very thick clouds.

Not bad from C.O. maybe? Except... 12 hours ago, C.O. said there was 2% cloud coverage and excellent astronomy conditions for a 3 hour period.  Looked outside and it was exactly the same as it is now, 100% cloud.  And this is exactly the same as it has been for the last week!!!

The forecasts appear to be completely useless. And FLO supposedly pays for these forecasts...

ps

And it's predicting 5% cover again at 4pm. Very unlikely/

As I predicted zero clear sky at 4PM...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paul73

Paul73

Posted
Posted

Tuesday is looking dodgy now.....

If as Scope Nights & Clear(ha ha ha) Outside agree, then there is a chance that a clear patch may appear (+/- 24hrs).

Paul

PS. How do they manage to forecast 0% Cloud and Rain at the same time!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
digital_davem

digital_davem

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Tuesday is looking dodgy now.....

If as Scope Nights & Clear(ha ha ha) Outside agree, then there is a chance that a clear patch may appear (+/- 24hrs).

Paul

PS. How do they manage to forecast 0% Cloud and Rain at the same time!!!

According to clear outside, Bromley has clear skies today. Yet when I look outside, it's 100% cloud cover, exactly like it's been for the last couple of weeks.  This site:

http://en.sat24.com/en/gb

shows real time satellite imagery and obvious thick cloud.

Where do CO get their data from, it's laughable...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.