Another welcome change due next week is the final piece of metrication for
our weather reporting.
The Met Office TV bulletins report rainfall in mm and atmospheric pressure in
hPa, but wind speeds have remained stubbornly in MPH for some years. An
article in todays Irish Times (reported below) states that they will replace
MPH by km/h at the same time as the road speed changeover (2005-01-20).
This is another highly visible step forward. I had lobbied the Met Office
before some years ago when they changed from Beaufort Scale to MPH, but got
a non-committal we-are-constantly-reviewing-our-policy response.
Also, the deployment of metric speed signs has begun. I passed my first one
this morning on the way to work, nine days ahead of schedule (it is one of a
pair on either side of the road; the other one was left in imperial).
Tom Wade
Irish Times Text:
Weather reports to go fully metric next week
Liam Reid
Irish weather forecasters are to follow the example of the new kilometre road
signs and will abandon the use of miles per hour when giving wind speeds in
bulletins from the end of next week.
Yesterday Met �ireann said it would be mirroring the changeover of speed limits
from miles per hour (m.p.h) to kilometres per hour (k.p.h)[sic] this month.
>From January 20th, the day the metric changeover comes into legal effect for
road signs, Met �ireann will be giving wind speeds in kilometres per hour.
The use of the Beaufort scale (e.g. force four, force five, etc) for wind
strengths will continue to be used in sea-area forecasts, Met �ireann said.
Although meteorology equipment measures wind speeds in metric units or in
knots, these are then converted into m.p.h figures by forecasters for most
television and radio forecasts.
For example, forecasters were warning of wind speeds of up to 100 m.p.h for
today.
Mr Michael Walsh, head of forecasting at Met �ireann, said the use of miles was
to give a measurement that people understood and used in everyday life.
"It would seem ridiculous to keep using miles when every sign in the country is
in kilometres per hour," he said.
Forecaster Ms Evelyn Cusack said most children were taught measurements in
metric units. "It's only us old fogeys who use miles," she said.
