National With the heating of the day there might be the odd cloud bubbling up. Could squeeze out the odd spot of rain here and there but it's not one that you say, 'hmm, don't think we'll have the outdoor plans,' we'll be fine.
Don't be surprised, typical scenario, wake up in the morning [parting curtains gesture], see the cloud and go [pulls face], 'uuurgh!'
Last summer was one of the ones we all had our buckets and spades and they all sat in the cupboard and we never got to use them.
Imagine somebody having a stove with some porridge, it's boiling away and they say, 'no! Stop!' and they take it off the stove and it starts to relax.
We've probably had different types of weather in different places.
I think this might be the week where you're thinking, 'hmmm, barbecue Tuesday, barbecue Wednesday.'
By the time we're done, hopefully we'll all have used the bucket and spade, the barbecue and, more than likely, the umbrella as well [umbrella gesture] at some point too.
National AM It's a windy old thing, like you pull a top, vyooom [top-pulling gesture], off it goes.
National PM You look at the cloud and it looks a mess, almost like taking lumps of porridge and going, fyooom [gestures throwing porridge at the weather map] like that.
The weather system: It's gonna spin round, almost like a washing machine on the spin cycle.
We've had enough of this weather system, let's kick it out the door. Bye bye, off it goes.
Put a tick next to Sunday, it might be a picnic day, a barbecue day.
Christchurch PM By Sunday you'll be thinking, 'hmm, barbecue to the outside,' [barbecue gesture].
Wellington PM With bright blue skies you'll say, 'hmmm, a barbecue?'
3News
Here's Dan on Firstline talking about summer: It is one of those weeks when we have barely allowed the raincoats to dry off.
An area of high pressure, the one that's sitting in the Tasman Sea, that's got New Zealand on its boarding pass, it is heading our way.
The sea: It was warming like a pot on the stove and then somebody turned off the gas and that has more or less gone off.
National AM It's the sort of day you say, 'I'm grabbing the sunglasses, I'm out the door.' You won't need the old raincoat.
Christchurch AM Don't be surprised, at times, you might wake up in the morning [parting curtains gesture] and see the old cloud and go, 'uuuurgh, gosh.'
National PM A lovely bright blue sky day, almost a picnic lunch day, very pleasant indeed.
Auckland PM You'll be outside with the sunglasses, looking fine over the next couple of days.
Wellington PM Very pleasant indeed. You're gonna be grabbing the old sunglasses [sunglasses gesture] saying, 'mmm,' some decent weather for the outside.
TVNZ Breakfast podcast
I was aware that Dan's been on telly a bit talking about Hurricane/Storm Sandy but unable to watch any of it due to it being unavailable outside NZ. Then @NickRH14 tweeted:
"I like to call storms like this a bull in a china shop" says Dan Corbett (of course) #ttwfn#sandy
Nick told me this came from the TVNZ Breakfast podcast. There are instructions on their website (perhaps a little out of date?), but I just went to iTunes and searched for it. There, on 30th October, four minutes and twenty-five seconds of Dan: Superstorm Sandy 'just immense' - MetService.
Thanks, Nick!
Video
Some video of Dan talking about Hurricane Sandy for Stuff.co.nz has surfaced on YouTube:
UPDATE JULY 2014:
Here's another Hurricane Sandy video. Judging by the shirt and tie I'd say this was filmed on the same day.
Hurricanes or cyclones need water temperature of twenty-six degrees or better, so anything colder than that is almost like somebody's pulling a plug on a neon light, you pull it [gestures doing so], vvv, and it fizzles out.
Wellington AM Then we bring in the area of high pressure and - voila! Thursday. Good-looking day.
National PM Notice the winds, much smaller, so it's not like you're standing at the bus stop going, 'hoho, boy!'
3News Here's Dan on Firstline talking about the lingering winter. Might remember the 'ch-ch-ch-ch' [with piano-playing-eque gesture] perhaps the soft hail falling on the windows last night.
National AM Today could be one of those days where, before you take the step outside, you might want to think twice and think, 'it's gonna be cold.'
Wellington AM By Wednesday, eight degrees, so it'll be like, 'where's the warm coat?' You'll be grabbing it.
TVNZ Breakfast Dan was on the telly talking about the expected wintry blast: Mother Nature is breathing her ugly breath and it's coming up slowly, her ugly breath up the far south of the South Island.
The ground is fairly warm, it's like trying to put snow on an oven, what happens? It melts.
Mother Nature is funny. You always look at her, think of her, she's like the fat lady in the circus because the show's not over until she sings.
Nelson Mail
Daffodils are blooming, does this mean spring has sprung in NZ?
Wednesday will be the coldest morning but Thursday is not looking like a cup of tea either.
Also, a strong contender for Dan-ism of the year:
Mr Corbett hesitated to say how summer was likely to shape up.
"So many factors affect it. It's like someone mixing a wedding cake and you think it's going to turn out beautifully but all you get is three cupcakes on a plate. Water temperature is what affects our weather, that's what makes the final ingredient to the recipe for summer."
Severe I mention the wind arrows, where you see the pinks it's like a school of salmon in springtime.
National PM The strong winds, the pink ones [wind arrows], like it's just springtime in Alaska with the salmon swimming their way in.
We lose the pinks, the salmon get the hint, they clear away as we open up the gradient slightly [gestures opening isobars], the winds start to ease and our friend high pressure that's sort of sitting there, hanging out, does start to build in.
Auckland PM
A low: Spinning around like a washing machine [draws circles in air] with bits of clothing spinning about it [waves both arms round].
Friday night: A couple of extra logs might go in handy on the fire [gestures throwing logs on fire].
Christchurch PM We bring in the high, come on chap [beckons it in].
Wellington PM Notice the colour of the winds [wind arrows], like we've had some red crayon and gone like that [scribbles].
Dominion Post
In an article titled 'Washing machine of weather' (I wonder who dreamed that title up?), Dan is quoted:
If you had a calendar of weather you'd put a big star next to Saturday, it's the kind of day that makes you say 'ahh'.
TVNZ Breakfast Here's Dan on NZ telly! I like to imagine he's talking about the appalling summer we're having in the UK, rather than winter in New Zealand.
Plenty of Dan-isms:
It's almost a smorgasbord of weather.
A spinning low: It's almost like taking a top, you wrap it with string [gestures doing so] and go, fyoom [gestures pulling string], off like that and the low spins for a couple of days.
People across the east coast of the South Island are probably saying, 'well, what about me? I'd like to go and play in the snow.'
The air is just so unstable, you can imagine putting a pot on the stove and watching the bubbles boil up [ignition gesture], bmmm.
We are slowly seeing this weather system just [pants as if out of breath] lose some of its oomph.
The flow just becomes a bit more southerly and it's almost like somebody saying, 'close the fridge!' They close the fridge door and there's a nice high that's sitting over Australia, you can almost imagine it now, it's putting a couple of tags on its baggage, it's coming our way for the weekend.
Christchurch PM This has been the cold air oozing its way in like a layer of treacle just oozing across a plate.
Wellington PM You look at the cloud right off the bat and you say, 'well, they've been busy with some paint,' just going strips here, strips there [waves arms around the map].
Look at the night-time temperatures; six or seven, so you'll be looking for a couple of extra logs [rummages] to throw on the fire [throwing gesture].
National We can finally see a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel [holds hand up to eye in a telescope-ish gesture]
A weather system is finally moving: It's almost giving something a bit of a kick up the backside [gestures doing so].
Auckland
Monday: So, yes, that's the day you probably had ticked on the calendar [ticking gesture].
3 News Dan explains the recent wild weather.
A stuck weather system: It's almost like imagining, you go to the supermarket, you've got the conveyor belt of food and somebody puts a big, long sausage across the middle and it just messes up the conveyor belt.
You think of rain when it comes through almost like you take a garden hose, you spray it in one spot, that spot's gonna get really wet. But if you go like that [moves arms slowly from one side to the other as if watering] with a hose, it'll move across areas and it won't last as long.
Fog: It's been very curious; anyone who's been in Wellington, people might've been on the road walking round like this [moves arms around in swimming-esque gesture] because it was literally- in the UK we call it pea soup.
That tropical air, you could almost go like that [we can't see Dan's gesture for a webcam view of Wellington] and it was so juicy.
That tropical air cools, it reaches its saturation point and, pfff, you've got this fog.
The weather system: It's stretching out, it's almost like having a piece of blue plasticine, you stretch it out, elongate it [gestures doing so].
Severe The winds have been very strong because of the low squeezing up against the high, like an accordion coming close together [brings fists together].
National
Winds slowly easing: It's almost like opening up an accordion [gestures doing so].
Auckland
The low: It's more or less been stuck, like we've taken a pin and gone like that [jabs finger at map as if it's a pin].
Friday: That's the dry day, put a tick next to that one [ticking gesture]
I keep forgetting to add the link to MetService TV here because I tweet it almost every day. If you're not following me on Twitter - feel free to do so. It's pretty much like this blog, but without the screengrabs ;-)
The deep low that hit New Zealand this weekend had been dubbed a 'weather bomb'. Dan had plenty to say about it.
One News
Some video featuring the spinning top analogy and a stunning line of prose:
Southern ocean starting to breathe its ugly, cold breath.
3 News
This one's amazing. The Dan-isms flow thick and fast and presenter John Campbell's face is priceless.
Literally many of us would open up the door Saturday morning and probably see the rain going sideways past the window, the wind pelting the windows.
See this little curlicue here and you say, 'well, yeah, that looks nice,' [was that a laugh in the background from John?] but that's a piece of upper-level energy that's going to work into this thing and you almost think of it like the Energiser Bunny, just sort of work in and blmpf, the whole weather system is gonna deepen and explode.
Referring to the wind arrows: It's almost like a school of fish. You'll say, 'gosh, he's been busy, hasn't he, with all those different colours?'
It's not going to be a picnic day.
Love Dan's car analogy to explain how multiple factors have contributed to New Zealand's poor summer. It's not as easy as you go in the car repair and you look at your car and say, 'you've got a flat tyre.'
Then, at the end: John: Lovely to have you in New Zealand, Daniel; both as a meteorologist and as a broadcaster.
Breakfast
Dan gives viewers an update on the developing situation:
You think of the analogy as a top. You wrap string around it [gestures doing so], you pull it [gestures doing so] and what does the top do? It just spins and spins, goes mad.
National Weather Forecast
Blimey, when I said I hoped these forecasts would become a regular feature, I wasn't expecting them to be daily. Not complaining mind.
To go with the swishy new graphics, they now have a green-screen. Chroma key!
Makes it look just like a studio-based forecast.
I'd have thought Dan would've been a little more excited, but serious weather = serious Dan; heavy rain brought flooding to northern parts of the South Island.
Think of it like taking a sponge, you push it against a wall and all the moisture comes out [some off-screen gesturing here].
There's video, below
UPDATE MARCH 2012:
MetService recently deleted all their old video forecasts from their YouTube account.
Flooding in Nelson
Wait, what's this? Yet another extreme weather event in New Zealand?
"It's just a pipeline of rain coming in from the Tasman," Mr Corbett said. "Instead of the weather going straight through, it's just piling in - almost like somebody with a strong garden hose continuing to spray it on the area."
We hear more about why Dan chose to work in New Zealand, his thoughts on long-range forecasting (it's like a thousand-piece puzzle, apparently) and the importance of using your personality when presenting a forecast.
He manages to slip a few Dan-isms (with gestures!) in there too.
Well worth a watch.
UPDATE APRIL 2014:
Due to the transitory nature of the internet, the video is no longer available.
Rugby World Cup
Three new Rugby World Cup forecast videos today, all embedded below.
UPDATE MARCH 2012:
These videos are no longer available; MetService recently deleted all their old video forecasts from their YouTube account.
Hailmageddon
I'm beginning to get suspicious about how many extreme weather events have been happening in New Zealand since Dan moved there.
The latest is 'Hailmageddon', as explained in this 3News video (Dan is 1 minute in).
It’s what we call an upper level short wave in the atmosphere. Think of it like a piece of energy as it squeezes the clouds, [presses hands together in squeezing gesture - see pic], squeezes out the moisture and, in this case, developed quite a thunderstorm that was so intense it was actually able to develop this hail.
There's a similar ~ism in the Wairarapa Times-Age, where Dan is quoted as saying, Think of it as a pair of hands squeezing the clouds together.
Loved the clips of kids sledging on a light dusting of snow.
Here's the same clip on YouTube:
He also features on a couple more TVNZ videos. First up; Breakfast: You have to almost think of these polar outbreaks ... like having a layer of treacle that sits at the top of the poles and somebody just gives it a bit of a nudge and it just starts to ooze. In this case, instead of it oozing it's just gone, brrr, straight across much of New Zealand.
Surges of moisture: Like spokes on a bicycle wheel.
You can't always say we're done with winter until the fat lady sings.
Next, Close Up.
Dan explains what graupel is: Anyone out with maybe a magnifying glass would've looked at it [gestures doing so - see pic], it didn't have the lovely pretty shapes.
Presenter Mark Sainsbury mentions that Dan has come from the Beeb. Dan: I've only been in the country for about six to eight weeks so people said when I first arrived the weather was fairly quiet. So literally, I've been here six, eight weeks and to have the outbreak we had in July and now the one in August and people today were tapping me on the shoulder and saying, 'is it something you've brought with you?'.
Jim Hickey [TV One forecaster]: I'm gonna get you re-orientated Daniel, because when we had the last outbreak you mentioned, and I like the turn of phrase, you talked about this cold snap being like treacle oozing, he said oozing down from the pole, and I'm thinking, 'are you still in the northern hemisphere?' we talk about it oozing up in this part of the world, so get yourself sorted will you mate.
Is it just me, or does he do it again moments later? Dan: The polar vortex [cups hands together as if holding an invisible cup] which is that area of cold air that sits above the poles, I use the analogy to think of it as a layer of treacle, it just sits there and most of the time it's pretty happy just sort of wobbling around. But just imagine giving it a bit of a shove and it just weakens the edge of it and if you vice it enough of a shove and it just starts to ooze towards areas to the south.
Mark: Daniel, tomorrow, where would you not want to be?
Dan: Well, that depends, Mark. Would I want to be building a snowman or would I want to be sitting in my t-shirt and shorts?
Mark: Who is going to be hit the hardest?
Dan: Well, it's not going to be a picnic for anyone.
It's not a picnic by any means. It's going to be an icy blast but I think we'll all say let's put a big check [ticks] next to Thursday or Friday on the calendar and we'll say when they come we'll all have smiles on our faces because we can kick the polar blast out the back door and say goodbye to it.
Dan also appears on this 3 News video [1 minute in] about the record-breaking weather. The way it's been going you'll probably need long lists and pieces of paper in the sense of not only snow amounts and places that haven't seen snow for a long time.
Finally, Dan talks to Marcus Lush on Radio Live. Speaking of weather systems: There are several more, almost like buses lined up in a queue waiting to pull into a bus station, they just keep coming.
16th August Dan talks to Marcus Lush on Radio Live again: You almost think of a bicycle wheel, you have spokes on the bicycle wheel. This weather system, instead of it just being one big lump or one spoke, it's been several spokes or areas of moisture.
The high pressure which has been sitting, waiting, saying 'come on, give me a chance' it finally builds in and sort of slowly kicks the backside of this nasty weather system out of the way.
Just had chat with ex colleague Dan Corbett on 5Live, now in New Zealand. Threatening to send him back cos he's brought British weather.
Many thanks to my lovely friend, Heather, for the recording his appearance on 5Live's Up All Night for me.
The funny thing is, since I've been here, about two months or so, they've actually said, 'our weather was fine until you arrived.'
What's a polar outbreak? It's just an oozing layer of treacle, the cold air.
You can imagine everyone just sort of dressed like the Abominable Snowman.
Describing a block: You take a car and it just sort of sits there, it spins its wheels in the sand or the mud and it doesn't move.
18th August Powder Watch Ridge of high pressure builds in, settles things down, it takes this weather system and just gives it a boot out the back door [does he gesture doing so?].
If you're going with the neighbours maybe skiing or they say they're going, yeah, they'll have a good time.
Bear in mind extra layers, particularly when you're sitting on that lift if you're going up you'll be [huddles] a-he! Very cold as you finish off.
So you're going skiing, you're already thinking, maybe licking your chops.
19th August Weekend Weather At least you won't be like that [touches head] with the hat.
Crunchy, cold, frosty [steps].
Temperatures overnight will go, chmmm, straight down.
Another cold, frosty night, great night for a fire.
Temperatures will finally recover so you'll start peeling off those abominable snowman layers [gestures doing so].
BBC News Channel
I forgot to mention in yesterday's post, I heard Dan was on the BBC News Channel last week, talking on the phone, presumably about the recent snow. Gutted I missed it - and it isn't on the iPlayer.
Weekend Weather The weekend, it's looking quite interesting. Maybe you've got big plans, you're wandering away to maybe Grandma's house, thinking about the skiing.
You can see the other lovely bits of swirly cloud.
If you're thinking, wash the car [gestures doing so] or something, or maybe you are skiing, it should be fine.
You'll be like this with an umbrella [two-handed umbrella gesture] and probably holding onto the hat [touches head].
That cold air just goes, fmmm, straight through. You almost imagine it like somebody having floodgates [links fingers of both hands together], the cold air there and then they go, 'ready? One, two, three, vmmm!' and then that cold air works through.
Maybe you're thinking of heading home over the weekend. Perhaps, say, from Grandma's maybe on Sunday night.
If you are planning, thinking, 'now, which day was the better day he said?' just head to the website for more details. That's the weather [point] for now [nod].
Video embedded below.
UPDATE MARCH 2012:
The video is no longer available; MetService recently deleted all their old video forecasts from their YouTube account.
Dan had his final 'extreme weather events' slot on the latest edition of the Weather Show.
It's available to watch on the iPlayer until Wednesday 8th June. The link there should take you straight to Dan's weather news at 41 seconds in, but he also features (twice) in the out-takes at the end, 23 minutes in.
Good news, Dan fans; there's one final(?) chance for us to see Dan on TV on next weekend's Weather Show.
The programme description is rather brief:
The team look at how the weather is important to sailing ships.
Disappointingly, it seems set for only 4 airings, all on the BBC News Channel:
Saturday 28th May at 04:30
Sunday 29th May at 02:30 and 23:30
Monday 30th May at 10:30
Dan was looking insanely happy to be talking about extreme weather events in his usual slot on the latest edition of the Weather Show.
It's available to watch on the iPlayer until Monday 2nd May. The link there should take you straight to Dan's weather news, but he also features in the out-takes at the end, 21 minutes in.
One day I'll get round to uploading all that video I've got saved on the Sky box. This will be among them.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013:
Ah, no need - there's video of this one below (sadly, minus out-takes).
Thanks to @milgreen for reminding me to search for details of this Easter's Weather Show, for it unearthed some other interesting news:
BBC One announces The Weather Show – Live BBC One is to tap in to the nation's obsession with weather to explore and explain the UK's climate through a new interactive 4 x 60 minute series called The Weather Show – Live (working title).
The series ... will see a team which includes weather experts travelling around the country on a quest to understand the British climate. Why do over 100 tornadoes hit the UK each year? Why is June actually "monsoon" season for the UK? And what would the UK be like without the Gulf Stream?
The British Isles are made up of a multitude of microclimates which is why it can be sunny in one part of a region whilst raining in another. The Weather Show – Live team will explore how these swirling systems affect our everyday weather. Viewers will be encouraged to join in from home via experiments like how to make a barometer. The show will also map live weather conditions through viewer reports on the weather, where they are, while they are watching.
Combining science, history, geography, heritage, and real life stories, The Weather Show – Live team will also demystify and test whether traditional phrases can predict the weather, for instance, does "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in morning shepherd's warning" really help predict the following day's weather?
The Weather Show – Live will visit Cornwall, the Lake District and Greenwich on its tour with a live and local audience at each destination.
How exciting! I'm imagining something like Springwatch or Stargazing Live, so I'll be very interested to see which 'weather experts' they've got lined up to present it.
Now for news of this Easter's Weather Show:
The Weather Show - Spring 2011
Wind, rain, snow, sunshine, and the hottest winter on record - just another page in the British weather diary, but what is it that makes the British weather so interesting, or at least our favourite subject to complain about?
Hottest winter? Really?
Watch it on the BBC News Channel:
Friday 22nd April at 10:30 and 14:30
Saturday 23rd April at 02:30
Sunday 24th April at 05:30 and 21:30
Monday 25th April at 10:30
Well, having had Dan on Christmas Eve, I didn't expect to see him today as well. BBC, you are spoiling us.
10:27 BBC News I don't know if any of the children might've heard a funny scraping noise [scraping gesture] in the night, it might've actually been Father Christmas scraping his sleigh off [scraping gesture].
Extra layers as you step to the outside maybe the afternoon maybe after that lovely warm meal [holds stomach].
10:56 BBC News The haze of blue, it's not like we've just gone like that [throwing gesture] with some blue paint, that's just the cold frosty ground in some places.
Perhaps all the family are huddled round the fire. It'll certainly come in handy, a lovely warm roasting fire in fact.
Maybe you are heading home from Grandma's, Northern Ireland, or out shopping or something for the sales. Watch for the risk of some ice.
13:29 BBC News If you've been to the outside you probably went back inside for the extra layers.
It's almost like we've gone mad with blue paint for weeks and weeks [painting gesture].
We'll take this area of cloud with what's left of this easing system that'll just sort of fizzle out and then, there it is, back again, like you just flick on the light switch [gestures doing so], vmmm [ignition gesture], the blue comes to life almost like it's been a glowing gas flame.
This coming in to meet that cold Arctic air, a bit of a battle of the two and it's like two big mud wrestlers of sorts.
Of course, any time you need the details, perhaps heading home from Grandma's or something, or heading away, just always go online. That's the weather, for now.
13:55 BBC One You're stepping to the outside for the afternoon, you could certainly do with a warm coat just like Father Christmas's.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013:
There's video of this one, below.
The Weather Show
Dan is on the Weather Show in his usual weather news slot. If you've not seen it yet, it'll be on the BBC News Channel on Sunday 26th December at 06:30, Friday 31st December at 14:30 and Saturday 1st January at 21:30 - and also available to view on the iPlayer (available until Saturday 8th January).
Carol Kirkwood presents the Christmas Weather Show where we answer viewers' questions an show the best of your photos. We also explain why the weather did what it did this year.
Set your recording devices:
Friday 24th December at 15:30
Saturday 25th December at 03:30 and 19:30
Sunday 26th December at 06:30
Friday 31st December at 14:30
Saturday 1st January at 21:30 - all on the BBC News Channel.
22:56 BBC News
Another weather system comes in: Like little bits of washing spinning around a washing machine.
23:30 BBC News As far as weekend plans, if you do have them, maybe keeping warm would be a good one and, maybe for some of us, it might even be the chance to build a snowman.
00:27 BBC News
The snow: Certainly something to bear in mind if you are going to be travelling out-and-about, maybe heading away to Grandma's or something.
01:57 BBC News If you've made a Christmas list by now, you've probably put a snow shovel on there or at least a nice warm parka, which will certainly come in handy through the course of the weekend.
Not much point it being on your Christmas list if you need it this weekend.
Shipping Forecast
Dan read the Shipping Forecast. Unfailingly reassuring. Listen again, 1 minute in. Available for 7 days from broadcast.
BBC Breakfast My spies tell me Dan was interviewed on BBC Breakfast this morning. I didn't record it as I hadn't expected he'd still be around after an overnight shift. Overnight then Breakfast; I hope he doesn't overdo it.
10:55 BBC News Carrie Gracie: Now what's Dan betting on a white Christmas? Here he is.
Dan: Well I tell you, I was doing a snow dance the other day and God knows what'll happen.
Then we go towards the course of Thursday, and it's like a big two-legged spider. This is the thing. Cold air here and you open the floodgates, there they are [indicates floodgates?] and vmmm [dropping gesture], down you bring the cold air.
Excellent, it's on YouTube (embedded below).
UPDATE MARCH 2013:
Terratec365's YouTube account has been suspended; the video is no longer available.
11:29 BBC News Quite a change in temperature. This air that's not too bad [pulls face] and that air, nah, that's rather cold, that's cold Arctic stuff ... and the whole thing's going to go, vmmm [pushes it through], straight through. By Friday we'll all be like this [hunches shoulders, looking cold] at the bus stop.
11:56 BBC News Met Office early warning for snow and for ice. You go, 'ohhh gosh'. Yeah. Bear it in mind.
What is initially rain, you say, 'ah, it's just some wet weather.' Look at this, the snow coming down.
So Thursday into Friday, all the mittens, the parkas and maybe even the snow shovel [snow shovel gesture].
12:37 BBC News
Dan's name popped up during an interview with David Williams from Ladbrokes about the odds of a white Christmas:
Rachel Schofield: When you're working out your odds, are you just watching Dan Corbett like we are, our weather presenters on the BBC, or have you got special scientific advisers dotted around in clever places.
[Hmm, don't like the implication that Dan isn't scientific. Shakes fist at Rachel.]
David: Where Dan Corbett leads, the nation follows [they both laugh], simple as that. It's true. The thing is, because we had the cold snap in November and now we're coming to another one, this has been on the radar of customers for much longer. Normally it's around about now that people start, 'you know, will it be a white Christmas?', people were talking about this in November because we had that cold snap. Of course, every single word that Dan issues, every single bulletin we get on the BBC, on the weather forecast, that is what is changing our odds because people are behaving on the back of that. It's not quite science but it's not a million miles off.
Proof that I'm not the only one hanging on Dan's every word.
13:28 BBC One and BBC News Sophie Raworth: Dan Corbett with the weather. Are we going to have a white Christmas?
Dan: Everyone wants to know and all the children are probably going, 'yes, yes, yes' [rubs hands together?]. It's actually still too early to tell but, the way it's going with the cold air we would say oh my gosh, the snowmen are probably putting smiles on their faces if they could.
The cold air comes, fmmm, straight down [dropping gesture], that is the change by the end of the week - Arctic air. So all those warm parkas, pull them back out.
Did anyone seriously put them away?!
13:55 BBC News And all the children are saying, 'yes, white Christmas' [rubs hands together].
There was a -99 on the map during this forecast. I wouldn't have mentioned it (like I didn't mention it when there was a -99 the other week, in almost the same location) but the Daily Fail chose to pick up on it.
Notice the image there; the -99 isn't in a coloured box, therefore it isn't temperature. Daily Fail indeed.
The comments are worth a read though.
A clip of Dan was shown on this week's Russell Howard's Good News.
Thanks to @Nasalhair for the heads up:
Glimpse of Corb on that Russell Howard show on BBC3, comparing American weathermen (manic) to ours (Corb: suave + debonaire)
The clip was from one of Tuesday's forecasts that I missed due to the snow interfering with the satellite signal:
You're out-and-about for the day, it will certainly be the scarf and the mittens and, more than likely, the old snow shovel [snow shovel gesture] into a few spots as well.
Ironically, Dan used to work in the States (remember this great anecdote?). Wonder if he's had to tone down his presentation style for British audiences?
The latest edition of The Weather Show is on this weekend. According to my EPG, it's on at the following times:
Friday 29th October - 23:30
Saturday 30th October - 14:30 and 20:30
Sunday 31st October - 01:30, 10:30 and 23:30
All I could find by way of programme description was the rather lame, 'a look at the weather and how it affects our daily lives'.
UPDATE:
Dan's on in his usual weather news section. Watch on the iPlayer. Available until late on Friday 5th November.
With all the recent uncertainty at the Weather Centre, let's take his 'join me next time...' at the end as a promise.
Another bank holiday weekend, another Weather Show:
The low down on the ash cloud and how it works, and a heads up on the South African Winter World Cup. Plus your questions answered, the weather news and gadgets galore.
Catch it on the News Channel on Friday at 23:30, Saturday at 15:30 and Monday at 10:30, 14:30 and 20:30.
UPDATE:
Good news, people; Dan has his usual weather news section.
First up THAT volcano. Then a dust storm in China:
Very strong winds pick up the dust in the Gobi Desert and then, shwww, just spread it right the way through.
Carol Kirkwood examines the role that weather plays in telling the story of the past. And Peter Gibbs investigates what really is a weather record and whether the world is getting colder or warmer.
Watch it on the BBC News Channel on Friday 2nd April at 10:30 and 14:30, on Saturday 3rd April at 01:30, 04:30 and 22:30.
No idea if Dan will be on it, but I have my fingers crossed he'll do the weather news segment as usual.
After seeing a brief glimpse of Alistair McGowan's Daniel Corbett impression on The One Show last year, he performed a longer version on Live at the Apollo recently:
Perhaps it's just me being my usual hard-to-please self, but I still remain unconvinced by his representation of Dan.
He seems to have made some attempt at copying Dan's speech patterns (hurried manner of talking, the extended 'awaaay') and, although I could see where he was coming from with his Dan-esque-isms, I wasn't instantly hit with him having captured the essence of Dan.
At least he could've got the sign off right, it's surely one of the most distinctive features of Dan's forecasts.
Still no further news on the content of this programme, but according to tvguide.co.uk, it's on the BBC News Channel on Friday 25th December at 06:30 and 12:30, Monday 28th December at 07:30 and 20:30 and Thursday 31st December at 22:30.
While searching, my eye was caught by a programme called 'Tornado Training', also on the News Channel, on 31st December at 10:30 and 20:30 and 1st January at 19:30.
Not sure whether it's about weather or planes.
Over on the Yahoo! group, Angela has glad tidings of great joy:
According to the Radio Times, Dan is on afternoon/evenings on Monday 28th, Tuesday 29th, and Wednesday 30th December.
Yay!
Thanks, Angela.
As an extra Christmas bonus, there's another edition of The Weather Show, but no word yet as to whether Dan's doing the weather news slot again:
We will be looking at how the City handles extreme weather and what we in the UK can learn from their example. We'll also be showing off some cool weather related gadgets.
Peter Gibbs will also be on hand to look into the sky, howl at the moon and explain the phenomena of the Northern Lights.
Added to that the usual news, interviews and chocolatey treats and you have a programme packed tighter than a fat man wearing a tight red suit.
Join us on the BBC News Channel over the Christmas and New Year -
Thursday 25th December 1630 and 2130
Friday 26th December 0630 and 1430
Saturday 27th December 0130
Thursday 1st January 1730
It's broadcast on CHRISTMAS DAY, peoples. There's a present for you.
Fingers crossed.
UPDATE:
Erm... just checked my calendar. Isn't Christmas Day on Friday this year? Is this last year's? Seems rather familiar...
Here's the link to The Weather Show on the iPlayer (cut to the chase; this link should take you straight to Dan's bit). Again, very interesting, and Dan looks particularly happy and enthusiastic throughout.
Potential nitpick mode: during the Typhoon Ketsana graphic to my eye the days don't look like they marry up to the passing day/night periods.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013:
There's video of this one, below:
Carol Kirkwood presents the summer edition of the Weather Show from the International Bristol Balloon Fiesta, looking at the effect of El Nino on our weather system and examining the state of the British summer.
It's on the BBC News Channel this Saturday at 5.30, 14:30 and 21:30; Sunday at 03:30, 10:30, 14:30 and 23:30.
UPDATE:
Don't faint: Dan was on! He talks about some recent weather news about 10 minutes in. Watch it on the iPlayer.
The Metric Police took a giant intake of breath at the mention of nine feet of rain in Taiwan - and not just the once; three times!
Still, that's a minor complaint; Dan was on the Weather Show for goodness sake!
News reached me via one of the many Dan-related Facebook groups, that Alistair McGowan was on The One Show last night doing an impression of Dan.
So it was with eager anticipation that I went to the iPlayer to watch the episode. And there, about 7 minutes in, was the so-called impression.
To say I was disappointed with it would be an understatement. It was so shockingly poor that I would never have recognised it as Dan if he hadn't said so beforehand.
This is Daniel Corbett we're talking about here, the man known for his unique presenting style, and the best McGowan can come up with is a bit of mumbling and a mis-quoted sign-off ('that's your weather, for now'? I think not).
I expected better.
However, I must be a little more constructive with my criticism.
A dig though the history on Dan's Wikipedia page reveals what an accurate impression might be expected to contain:
* Referring to temperatures as 'the numbers'
* Using creative similes, such as 'it's like I've gone mad with my crayon here'. He often refers to rain on the radar as 'blobs', 'blobs of blue' or 'little chappy/chappies'
* Giving specific weather-related advice: 'so if you're out shopping...'; 'maybe an extra blanket on the bed tonight'; 'better grab your brolly'; 'holding your brolly with both hands'; 'nice day to take the doggy out to the park'; 'a lovely day for a picnic'
* General elision when speaking, such as 'Scottun' for Scotland; 'Ingun' for England, etc.
(I even spotted an 'Ing' for England last week).
I know I'm quite hard to please when it comes to comedy but, come on Mr. McGowan, pull your finger out. You can't let The Schaf be the world's leading Daniel Corbett impersonator.
The Weather Show
Completely forgot to record The Weather Show, but turned the TV on early in readiness for Dan's 10:55 forecast; The Weather Show was on - and there was Dan, talking about snow! To say I was surprised would be an understatement.
He had his own special segment to explain weather fronts to us; You think of two different air masses [see pic] and it's where they meet they have a battle, and the battle of the two is a weather front.
Here's the vid:
Nice to see he slipped a Dan-ism in; For many spots it was the snow shovels in hand.
Don't ever recall hearing him do voice-over stuff quite like that before, but he's got just the right reassuring tone; you could imagine him doing one of those talking storybooks. Seriously.
Excellent stuff. More of this please, Weather Show people.
10:55 BBC News Maybe you're in the car taking the kids away to Grandma's or something.
That little area of blue, watch it ease its way north, almost like you pull a piece of plasticine apart pfffft [stretching gesture], like that, it fizzles out.
11:55 BBC News
Easter Sunday; Not a bad looking day for the outside, the Easter bonnets [touches head] should be coming out I think.
12:56 BBC News The wet-weather gear will come in handy through the first part of the holiday weekend but by the time we finish off I think the Easter bonnets will be coming out.
13:20-ish BBC One
Hmph. My regional news overran and cut off the first part of this broadcast, tuning in just in time to see the Easter egg background again and hear my favourite of the classic Dan-isms: ...in the meantime it'll still be the umbrella [umbrella gesture] and the wet-weather gear.
13:56 BBC News
I was about to complain about the lack of bunnies in today's forecasts, when: If the Easter bunny was out today he would probably be with an umbrella like this [umbrella gesture], but the weather will be even better by the time the Easter bunny pops up and maybe the bonnets come out on Sunday.
We'll take this lump of blue and ease it north and, like a piece of blue plasticine, you pull it apart and go fffft [stretching gesture], like that.
What is left of the wet weather easing away slowly, but it's dawdling like it's dragging a cement block [gestures dawdling as if dragging a cement block].
10:57 BBC News The weather is starting off a bit unsettled but getting better as we head through the weekend, so the Easter bonnets might be coming out after, perhaps, an umbrella or two [umbrella gesture].
Then for Easter, not a bad-looking day; I think the old Easter bunny will be bouncing around in the sunshine.
New graphic in the picture there, showing the weather website as Dan signs off.
11:27 BBC News Well, if you still haven't yet planned for the Easter weekend I think the old Easter bunny might have an umbrella in hand [umbrella gesture] for the first couple of days. After that he should be bouncing around with some fairly pleasant, dry weather.
13:29 BBC One and BBC News Maybe you're packing the kids in the car, heading maybe to Grandma's.
Not sure about that Easter egg graphic...
Then for the course of Sunday, looks fine and bright, sunny spells, I think the Easter bonnets in hand.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2013:
There's (rather jumpy) video of this one below.
13:57 BBC News The Easter weekend will be turning drier and brighter; maybe even the Easter bonnets eventually coming out.
This little surge of blue like a blue sausage just oozing its way north.
Then we get to Easter Sunday. How about a decent-looking day? The Easter bonnets will be out.
BBCi British Isles There'll be a few hiccups to start with but I think, overall, the Easter bonnets will be coming out for many [touches head].
Maybe you're getting in the car, taking the kids to Grandma's.
By the way, the Easter edition of The Weather Show is on the News Channel this weekend: Friday at 10:30 and 14:30; Saturday at 01:30 and 22:30, and Sunday at 15:30.
The Weather Show is making a festive comeback, with four new programmes over the Christmas and New Year period. Read more on the upcoming schedule here.
I was intrigued by the phrase 'four new programmes' but, after visiting the above link, I think there's just the one, repeated four times (December 25th at 1630 and 2130; 26th at 0630 and 1430; 27th at 0130 and January 1st at 1730).
This edition is coming from New York, of all places. Let's hope Carol wasn't sent there just for this show (licence-fee payers and all that, I can hear the outcry on the Points of View message boards already). Anyway, quite why they sent Carol is a mystery; surely Dan would have been a much better candidate, given that he used to live there.
This show needs new presenters; let some of The Others have time to exhibit.
So, the TBT was wrong; Dan wasn't on the afternoon and evening shift today. However, Husband said he was channel-hopping just after 5pm and caught the last few seconds of Dan on Newsround.
It's available on the iPlayer until just after 5pm tomorrow (Saturday 6th September). Dan appears around 4 minutes in.
Checking my recordings this evening, Dan was on BBC Four at the end of World News Today. Perhaps he was also on BBCi, I don't know - I was too busy to look.
According to the (now updated) TBT, Dan was on Five Live today. I didn't listen, so I wouldn't know.
However, several reports have reached my ears that Dan was on Breakfast this morning.
Luckily, my friend Angel captured the video and uploaded it to YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
TTWFN reader Kesta contacted me to say her mum saw Dan on TV in the early hours of Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the Sky+ isn't set to record anything overnight, so I didn't see it myself.
However, as BBC News is background noise here at TTWFN Towers, Husband spotted Dan on on 'Our World: Stormchasers' in the early hours of this morning (which was possibly what Kesta's mum saw, as it was on yesterday too) talking about Tornadoes [breathes sigh of relief that Dan's skills are finally recognised].
The whole programme is available on the wonderful iPlayer (until Sunday 7th September). Dan appears just around 1 minute in, then again around 7 minutes in.
I forgot to ask you Kesta, did your mum 'phone you up especially to tell you she'd seen Dan, or did it somehow crop up in conversation?
Mr. George alerted me to Dan being on Breakfast this morning to discuss Hurricane Gustav. And I was awake, concious and everything (rare for pre-9am on a weekend) - and I still missed it.
UPDATE:
Hooray! He was on again at just gone 10am and then later at about 12.30ish.
Thanks to Mr. George, we have video
UPDATE APRIL 2011:
The video is no longer available. Sorry!
"Hurricane expert"; I think so [satisfied smile].
I also saw Dan on the Five Live webcam this morning and yesterday morning, but I only listened to one forecast (Five Live isn't as bad at the weekend, but there's still a risk brain rot will set in if you listen too long). Brace yourselves: there was some suggestion that autumn approaches. Gah!
So, there's still no sign of Dan in next week's Radio Times - BUT my eye was caught by the word 'weather' in the description of this Saturday's Weakest Link:
Anne Robinson presents a special edition of the quick-fire general knowledge quiz in which nine news and weather presenters compete to win prize money for charity.
Contestants include Martin Bell, Lara Lewington, John Suchet, Martha Kearney and John Kettley.
Not even Professor Google knew the identity of the other five contestants, so it could be one to watch. Saturday 30th August, BBC1, 7.05pm.
...something (or someone) beginning with D.
Watch The Weather Show very carefully during the bit in the Weather Centre with Carol (about 13 minutes in). I may be wrong, but even Husband agreed it looked like Dan in the background.
UPDATE:
Screengrabs [pic1, pic2] - what do you reckon?
The rest of it is standard Weather Show fare, but the outtake at the end with Phil Avery and Rob McElwee is worth a watch.
The Weather Show: BBC News 24: today and tomorrow at 8.30pm; Bank Holiday Monday at 10.30am, 1.30pm and 10.30pm and on the iPlayer (available until 11pm on 1st September).
Olympics
There was a flurry of excitement here at TTWFN Towers this morning upon hearing the news that the shipping forecast will feature in the London section of tomorrow's Olympic Games closing ceremony (via BBC News). The speculation then began; who would be reading the forecast? However, as Mr. George subsequently discovered, disappointment lurks;
"and excerpts from the shipping forecast read by Radio 4 regular Zeb Soanes". (via The Guardian)
However, the rest of that part of the ceremony sounds ridiculously cringeworthy (after reading that first BBC article I had to check the calendar; it isn't April 1st), so watch at your peril.
Finally, Dan was on Radio Five Live this morning and, as you know, there's not much that can tempt me to listen to that nonsense.
The latest edition of The Weather Show is coming up. From the BBC's Weather Show page:
If you feel like going for Gold then why not don your tracksuit, take your marks, get set and go for the Weather Show this August Bank Holiday
Presented by a not at all sweaty Carol Kirkwood, the programme is the BBC's look at the world of weather around us and how it affects our lives. Carol has been training hard in the Blue Peter Garden and will be in peak meteorological fitness to take on all challengers for the summer edition of the show.
Do you have a weather question or conundrum that you have always wanted answered? Well for the first time we will be putting your questions to the 'Brains of Britain', although if we can't get them we will use Philip Avery and Rob McElwee instead.
Gah! No Dan! Missed opportunity #1.
Missed opportunity #2 coming right up:
Peter Gibbs will be exploring the power behind a tornado and spending much time scratching his head wondering just what kind of weather they have in Tornado Alley, USA.
Having parachuted safely down from the Forth Bridge, the Weather Show has decided to up its insurance premiums and take the show elsewhere on the road.
Rather than accepting the offer of supporting Jay-Z and Shakin' Stevens at Glastonbury, the Spring Bank Holiday edition of the programme will be following its own agenda in some weather beaten location.
Erm, Glastonbury is at the end of June, isn't it? Only a month out...
The programme is the BBC News Channel's look at the meteorological world around us and seeks to educate, inform and entertain.
Carol Kirkwood will once again leave the relative safety of the Blue Peter garden and take you on a magical mystery tour of meteorological mayhem, bringing you weather news from around the world and exploring just how and why, the weather impacts our lives.
The Weather Men will also be resuming regular duties and have taken off their coats, put on their shorts and applied plenty of sun cream to announce the arrival of summer. And if that image disturbs you too much, you are not alone and we may just ask them to cover up.
Last but not least there will be the usual helping of gadgets for those weather-techies amongst you, making it possibly our best show ever! Notice the word 'possibly' and assume that to be the same kind of 'possible' that is in the sentence 'possible sunny spells'.
So if you fancy getting away from the usual old television and learning more about the weather, do join us on the BBC News Channel (that's the one that used to be News 24) over the Spring Bank holiday weekend.
BBC News 'Channel', gah! Did you see me roll my eyes at the very mention of it? Yes, I'm still not over the name change.
A quick look on the Radio Times website suggests that the broadcast times on BBC News are Sunday 25th May at 11:30 and Monday 26th May at 02:30 and 10:30.
The RT has the programme description as,
'It's summer in the city, and as we get more sunshine the quality of the air decreases, we look at how this happens. Plus your weather photographs and the usual array of weather gadgets and weather news.'
Lately, the Dan-content of this programme has been alarmingly low, so bear that in mind if he's the only reason you'll watch.
