Keeping a weather eye on the growing band of met babes

Date Published: {J}

God be with the days when the weather forecast was delivered by a dull man in a well-worn suit, standing in front of a map of Ireland and armed with nothing more technical than a fistful of Velcro-backed clouds and rain to position north, south, east or west.

These days, it’s weather babes in leather trousers or cocktail dresses delivering their own version of a warm front to the nation, as they try to sugar-coat the bad news on more rain or flooding.

There was a time when Paddy McHugh, the doyen of forecasters, had nothing more than the loan of a conductor’s baton from the RTE Symphony Orchestra (true story) to point at the cardboard map of Ireland as an indication of likely hot – or more likely cold – spots, but now it’s all whistles, bells and babes.

The analysts seem to think it is all down to Jean Byrne and her penchant for leather and bondage clothing, but personally I believe it began with Gerald Fleming and his legendary wink – because that was the moment that the weather forecaster became human.

Then you had Martin King over on TV3 with birthday requests in his oul’ Dubbalin accent and his ironing board prop on which he pretended he was surfing off the coast of Sligo.

Now it’s one meteorologist after another and they all look like they just dropped in for a quick flick through the next 24 hours before heading to a drinks reception or a big ball in all of their finery.

Jean of course has her own fan club who monitor her leather attire without ever leaving their own bedroom. But she’s been reeled in by the rest of the met babes who are now frequently revealing more of themselves than they are of tomorrow’s weather.

Long gone are the Velcro clouds to be replaced by satellite images which – if you have one of those 3D HD flat screen 60 inch televisions – might well show the downpour over your own house. And that’s progress.

Last week the Met Office marked its own 75th anniversary, but the truth is that the obvious saw that one coming – and they deserve their moment in the sun, so to speak, after three-quarters of a century of delivering the weather news to the nation.

But there are two things about RTE’s weather forecast that stil get my goat – one is that the first part if the broadcast normally tells about the weather we’re having or the rain we’ve already had. It’s a bit like telling us how bad the traffic was while we were still asleep.

The other is why we now have two German forecasters who don’t so much advise that there will be rain and cold – they tell us in a way that suggests that any questioning of their statements will be met with icy stares or a period in solitary confinement.

I’ve no doubt that the pair of them are eminently qualified for their post, but – without appearing racist – English is clearly their second language. And it’s hard enough to get the news that it’s rain and wind from here to eternity without having to strain your ears to grasp it.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.