that's the weather, for now

27th January

National
The roller-coaster ride of our weather continues, but we're going over the up bit, the down bit, the things will slowly settle down [with accompanying roller-coaster gestures - see pic].

Bring it on, bring the high pressure in.

Outdoor plans, yeah, put them on the list [checklist gesture], what might it be?

Our ridge of high pressure just sort of nestles himself in. He grabs a cup of coffee, he sits down and says, 'yeah, this is nice.' He'll hang out for a while.

Auckland
Much colder air across parts of the South Island:
They stepped to the outside and they went, [looks up] 'whoo, wow.'

Maybe you're going to pack the kids in the back of the car [gestures doing so] and head up to parts of, say, Northland.

Maybe you're wondering as well, thinking, 'well, Grandma's coming over on Sunday, will it be better on that day?'

Christchurch
You stepped out this morning and you went [pulls face], phuwww, wow, quite a different feel.

See the speckly bits of cloud, the cold unstable air, it's like you take a pot and you stick it on the stove [gestures doing so] and the bubbles boil up.

Wellington
It was the odd insertion of 'ladies' here that tickled me:
If you're maybe going to the races, Trentham, you should be in fine shape. Ladies. Very pleasant indeed.

Brace yourselves: there was not a 'that's the weather, for now' in sight, not on any of these video forecasts. Gasp!

Apologies for the blog silence this week - all caught up now.

26th January

Severe Weather Update
Unstable air:
Almost like putting a pan on the stove [gestures doing so - see pic] and the bubbles pop up.

National
The weather's certainly taking a bit of a roller-coaster ride over the next day or so, almost like walking into a room, you flick a switch, turn it on, turn it off [gestures doing so], the light comes on, it goes off. That's what the weather's going to be like, quite a change.

There are pink arrows on the weather map to indicate wind strength and direction:
See the pink? Like a school of salmon swimming their way along.

Then we bring in our friend high pressure. Come on! [beckons it]

It'll be a different-looking Friday. Some of us might be thinking 'shorts, t-shirt', you'll step to the outside and you'll go, 'ho-ho, no no no,' it will be quite different.

That thing there, high pressure, bring it on [beckons it], why not?

This cold air, you think it's going to be stuck like a layer of treacle on the weather map.

Auckland
It's gonna be a very very nice anniversary weekend so if you're thinking, 'well, neighbours are coming round, we take the boat out?' Whatever you like. Outdoor plans, you're gonnna be in fine shape.

Christchurch
Quite an active weather front moving its way across the area. You'll probably notice it, you may even hear it tonight sort of banding on the window panes.

But look at the temperatures. You step outside in the morning, shorts, t-shirt, you go, 'yeah, it's fine.' Sixteen degrees.

Wellington
See how the cloud is sort of bubbly, like bits of porridge that's being flicked on the weather map [gestures doing so]. That's the colder, unstable air and this whole thing is gonna, pshooom, work its way across.

Notice how the isobars open up, like spreading out an accordion.

Still the very strong winds and they're probably going to be blowing the dustbin lid down the road in the night [sweeps arm] I wouldn't be surprised.

Surf
Dan also presented the surf forecast:
Everyone else is out surfing so I am here this weekend.

25th January

National
It is quite a weather front as well, you almost imagine like somebody sort of takes a light switch and, ready, go, one, two, three, fmmm [flicking switch gesture], flick it and watch the temperatures just drop.

Wellington
We take the isobars and go, nyeerw, like that, like an accordion [see pic].

Friday, head off to work with the umbrella [two-handed umbrella gesture] with probably two hands on it or the wet-weather gear.

24th January

National
It's one of those days where you say, 'yeah, this is good' and maybe come home early from work or if you've got the week off, very pleasant indeed.

Our weather's a bit of a roller-coaster ride of sorts [roller-coaster gesture].

Auckland
Well it looks like the barbecues could certainly get some good use in the next couple of days.

So it's very pleasant if you are perhaps off for the day or thinking, 'let's go home and have a nice barbecue.'

Christchurch
With a nice ridge of high pressure building in to New Zealand you've probably already been thinking about the picnics or barbecues.

There could be that morning cloud. Don't be surprised, you wake up in the morning [parting curtains gesture, pulls face - see pic] and go 'eurrgh, gosh!'

Wellington
Next couple of days, think about what you might have planned [checklist gesture].

There were no video forecasts yesterday due to a public holiday in Wellington.

20th January

National
Another little weak weather front. You almost have to put the glasses on double to see it [glasses gesture].

Saturday's your decent day across much of the North Island. That'll be the day we head to the barbecue, the beach.

Sunday'll be like somebody flicks a switch [gestures doing so], chmmm, they knock about three to five degrees off the temperature.

Auckland
If you are thinking, Saturday? Sunday? Saturday? Sunday? [points at hand - see pic] Pick Saturday for the barbecue.

Wellington
You've probably been like this [touches head] holding your hat for the past couple of days.

Remixed sign-offs all round today.

19th January

National
Some of us have been like that [touches head] holding onto the hats over the past couple of days.

There might just be one or two showers into the afternoon, converging winds and, pppt, you pop it up.

As we head towards the weekend that first little bend of a weather front, say goodbye to that, off it goes [small wave], there you go, bye bye.

It seems that it's not only the weather front we're saying goodbye to; it was the remixed sign-off again today, and the much loved 'that's the weather, for now' was entirely absent on the regional forecasts.

18th January

National
See the squeeze of the lines, like you take an accordion and go [accordion gesture] vvv like that.

Further north it's a decent day for the outside. What've you got planned? Maybe you're heading to the beach? Or are you gonna be out, maybe a trip to Grandma's?

Auckland
A stubborn little weather front sat across the far north of the North Island yesterday, almost like a piece of fly paper; you touch it, it's still stuck to your finger ten minutes later.

Christchurch
See the line of blue, that's the moisture. Think of it like taking a piece of blue plasticine, you pull it apart [gestures doing so] and that's what happens.

A sign-off remix on the Christchurch and Wellington forecasts today; the usual 'that's the weather for now' [point], followed by a suggestion to visit the MetService website for more information.

See for yourself on MetService TV.

17th January

National
Some fine-looking weather, yes, it certainly is the sunglasses, the sun lotion. That trip to the beach, whatever you have planned, very pleasant indeed but you see this strip of cloud to the north and you think 'what is that, Dan? Is that another weather system working in?'

Plan the decent day for the outside [scorecard-type gesture], very pleasant indeed for many of us.

The high, it's like you stick a bit of glue on the back of it [gestures doing so], leave it there, keep things pretty quiet.

Auckland
You look at the satellite and you see one big swathe of cloud to the north and you say, 'what about that weather system, Dan? What's going on?'

Little bend of a weather front, that's it, and you look at it and you say, 'is that it?'. Yes, not much. That is the main weather-maker, the ridge of high pressure and just like you pump it with air [gestures doing so], fmmm, fmmm, fmmm, like you do, you keep it sitting there.

Christchurch
Plan that trip to the outdoors, picnic, barbecue, whatever it is, very pleasant indeed.

Wellington
With some decent-looking weather to the outside you're probably already thinking what is the better day for the outside [scorecard-esque gesture again - see pic], the picnic, the beach, where are you gonna be going?

And is this the same summer jacket, as featured in the first proper post on this blog?

16th January

National
Lovely ridge of high pressure building in, we can all finally dig out the picnic baskets and the barbecues will be coming in handy too.

It's almost like you take a big balloon, you pump it with air [gestures doing so], vvv, and there it goes and it sits there and you can imagine with this high we're gonna stick a bit of glue on the back of it so we'll keep the 'haitch' in place.

The next couple of days? Remember we took a bit of glue [glueing gesture] and stuck it on the back of the high? Look what happens, it just sits here.

Auckland
The outdoor plans, you'll get the barbecue going, you'll certainly use it.

Almost like you take a bit of glue [glueing gesture] and you stick it on the back of the high, it'll sit there for a couple of days.

Christchurch
Forward planning:
Maybe you've got the week off or maybe the neighbours are coming round for the weekend.

Wellington
You probably pulled back the bedroom curtains this morning [gestures doing so], saw some fine-looking weather.

If you're quick you can watch these for yourself on MetService TV.

13th January

National
Early next week I'd look for the picnic baskets.

Not like you're all gonna be outside on Sunday saying, 'It's a nice day' across the south.

These little spokes like little soldiers of moisture just working their way across and all the while we're opening up the squeeze of the isobars like pulling apart an accordion [gestures doing so].

Our high pressure, he's sitting off to the west. He's going to be coming [beckoning], come on, slowly he will as we work towards early next week.

Auckland
Good line of storms. There they were, that was last night, bang bang, remember that on the window panes?

Dig in the cupboard and grab out the picnic basket, you're gonna be using it.

How about things for the course of Saturday? You've got plans, maybe the neighbours are coming round.

12th January

Severe Weather Update
You look at the cloud and you say, 'yeah, that means business'.

National
A stuck weather system:
That's going to get a bit of a push, almost like taking a car, you shift it into high gear [gestures doing so] and vmmmh, off you go [arms out to indicate movement].

Auckland
Find out where that picnic basket is, you might get to use it come early next week.

Big lumps of blue, like lumps of white plaster being thrown at the weather map.

Christchurch
A storm approaches:
You can see it just developing, winding up like you've pulled a lawnmower [same lawnmower *string* pulling gesture as yesterday], vmmm, off it goes.

Wellington
I think Friday is gonna be one of those days where you're certainly going to be holding onto the hats [touches head].

These video forecasts will be gone in a couple of hours, so watch 'em while you can.

New Zealand Herald
Just look at this awesome picture of Dan!

11th January

RadioLIVE
Dan was on RadioLIVE:
This little wiggly weather system, it doesn't do much, it's just almost like a strung out piece of spaghetti.

Blocking highs are like fat lazy lumps, they don't like to move, they just like to sit there. But this weather system is developing in the Tasman, he's got a good bit of kick to it so it's going to work its way in, almost like giving a workboot right up the backside to this blocking high.

Gasp!

National
That weather system really winds up. You think of it almost like pulling a lawnmower string and you go, pshoom! [gestures pulling lawnmower string] Off it goes.

Auckland
We've had quite a few weather systems working their way across. You almost need a scorecard [scorecard gesture - see pic] to keep an eye on the different weather systems that are working through.

Wellington
We've managed some dry spells over the past couple of days but it's almost been shoehorned [shoehorning gesture] in-between different weather systems so you almost need a scorecard [scorecard gesture] to keep an eye on the different weather systems.

Watch these while you can at MetService TV.

10th January

National
There's the first little weak weather front. Boom, he's gone, there he goes, away. And we're gonna slowly break down this block that sits off to the east as this weather system barrels its way through, like a big bull in a china shop.

Wellington
If you've got plans for a picnic over the next couple of days you'll want to keep an eye on the weather.

Watch them while you can on MetService TV.

9th January

National
It's been one of those weekends; some of us have been out there with the sun lotion [rubs back of hand - see pic], in other spots we've had the wet-weather gear, the wellies and literally everything else you can find.

Dan links - to May 2011

It has come as quite a surprise to me that the previous edition of Dan-links was way back in November 2010. Nothing at all last year!
This latest collection covers the period up to his leaving the BBC. In chronological order...

The Hidden Glasgow Forums
In a thread questioning forecast accuracy, a lone gem:

It's maybe my imagination, but it seems to be right a lot more often when yon Dan Corbett's presenting the forecast. I like him - he always has entertaining and very flowery wee metaphors and similes, tries to get the viewer to understand the physical processes behind the weather, and advises things like brollies, thick jumpers, or picnic baskets. As you do.

As you do indeed do.

Cook'd and Bomb'd Forum
From a site dedicated to 'comedy discussion and Chris Morris news' comes 'things we hope happen to weather forecaster Dan Corbett'.
Largely exaggerated annoyance at Dan's mention of 'finishing numbers', I'd advise against reading it in its entirety. Much of it is rather unkind, even if it's supposed to be a joke. Some is much more light hearted and whimsical, for example, 'I hope the weather one day assembles into the shape of a disapproving face to surprise Dan Corbett as he turns around' and 'I hope he gets into an untenable tautology with a herring'.
However, the final two messages - and particularly the last one with the picture - made this link worth posting.

I hope you all die. There can never be enough Dan Corbett on the telly.

The Jolly Ranter - Dan Corbett megadon!
Not quite sure what to make of this - and, to be honest, I don't understand all of it. So here it is in its original, unedited and uncorrected glory:

This dude is the consummate proffessional...he`s quite literally left all the dodgy tie`rs in his wake (scuse the pun) ...this man knows how to explain a large oceanic swell to us...Check out his material , cant see him misdiagnosing a hurricane...I love this man`s squally rain , BRRRRAP!

Any the wiser?

Liverpool Daily Post
'D Frederick from Garston' was moved to write to the editor of the Liverpool Daily Post about Dan:

Weather stories
THE oldest profession in the ascent of humankind has now more than met its match with the ancient art of story-telling. The science of weather-forecasting has apparently moved into the realm of the children’s story with the BBC’s Dan Corbett narrating.

To listen to his Radio 5 Live weather reports is to be taken back to childhood; with his soft cadence and onomatopoeic inflexion, one could almost be listening to something from Watch With Mother, or Tales From The Riverbank.

I’ve no idea what he’s going on about; and just like Hammy the Hamster, I have to venture outside to discover if we might just be due a spot of rain.

Sigh.

TV Forum's Weather Thread

The Great Daniel Corbett has been on BBC World all week this week, so far. Isn't he splendid?

Yes.

Digital Spy Forums
In a thread titled 'excessive hand waving by TV reporters, weather people', Dan's name is mentioned:

Dan Corbett's arm movements aren't excessive, they're art.

TV Newsroom - Daniel Corbett biography and images
Although this page claims to have been updated within the past 48 hours, the information and photos appear a little outdated - some from the days when the BBC News channel was still called News 24. No mention of The Move either.

The Daniel Corbett Tribute
It's been some time since we've had a new Facebook group. This one's a closed group and, as I haven't joined, there's nothing more I can tell you about it apart from the title.

There was to be a link to yet another new Facebook group (something about Dan being awesome, IIRC) but it has vanished since I first squirrelled it away.