Wind chill

Does anyone else get fed up with this form of weather forecasting, it confuses people.
My newspaper as all this winter quoted windchill figures as minimum temps that we can expect. If we must have this quoted then it should clearly state that this is an imaginary temp and not the true temp.
Afterall plants dont react in the same way we do to windchill.

 

I agree as most weather forcasts are misleading. As with a lot of places our weather is very localised and sometimes bears no relation to the forecasts. I think windchill figures are unnecessary, they can just tell us it will be colder than we think and let us judge for ourselves.

 

My imagination was running riot today :(

 

As was mine :D Lovely sunny day - but brrrrrr.

 

Wind chill can have a big effect on heat loss from a body (or plant).

Pete - I can't see any logical reason as to why plants don't feel the same effects as human 'beans'.

At a static air temperature of 0 degrees C the effect of an airflow of 10 kph can create an effective temperature of minus 3 degrees C.

This is why fairly minor frosts in spring coupled with wind can damage early blossom on fruit trees.

The increased airflow around the body (or plant) disturbs the static pocket of (warmish) air and also increases evaporation which also removes heat.

Hit your finger with a hammer and you run it under the cold tap which is more or less the same as blowing a cold wind over it. It takes heat away.

Stand outside when the temp. is just on freezing on a calm day and you'll feel a little cold. Rustle up a bit of a wind and you'll feel a lot colder and it won't be due to imagination.

Weather forecasts are very much averaged. The areas they cover are very large and local topography has a very pronounced effect on conditions.

We sit bang on one of the borders on a weather chart and it's a case of flipping the penny as to which side we take our forecast from. Most accurate option is when we raise the blinds in the morning and look at the reading on the remote thermometer!

 

The point I'm making Dave, is that if the air temp. is above freezing, quoting a minus windchill temp is confusing people.
After all I 'm only interested in if the plant is going to freeze.
I know with people its a different thing, but as I say, they quote minus 15 C windchill and everyone starts taking that as the air temp.
Another thing, changing the subject slightly, what does a 25% chance of rain mean.
Is it going to rain for 25% of the time?
Is it raining in 25% of the places mentioned?
I preferred it when they had those magnetic symbols that used to fall off, at least you got a laugh. :D

 

I too liked the symbols and the fun they had with them :D - but after getting used to the changed format, the pictures are showing much more of an indication of what is happening and what is likely to happen. Much more use of active pressure charts as well.

 

Do you think so Fran, the ones I see these days very rarely show a pressure chart, its more computer graphics (I think thats what they call them).
Too many 'weather presenters' and not enough people that know what their talking about.

 

Too much presenter, I would agree, but not certain I would agree with the last part. I only watch BBC weather, and most of those (not all) appear to know what they are talking about.