Talking about the Weather

Top Talk

It was the heat wave of 1976 that first sparked Derek Brockway’s interest in the weather. The BBC Wales weatherman recalls, “I was only 8 but I was reading all the newspapers and drove my parents bonkers by channel hopping to get all the weather reports and information that I could. I was fascinated and went on to do science as A levels – maths being the most important of course. I joined the Met office when I was 19, starting at the bottom. Then I did all the internal Met office courses to become a forecaster. I’m not just a presenter.” He adds quickly.

Derek admits, “It’s always a challenge forecasting the Welsh weather. Being positioned next to the Atlantic, we get plenty of rain and the close continental landmass supplies the SW winds. Geographically, we can get it all.”

Does he ever get blamed for bad weather? “Sometimes. He shrugs, “people like to shoot the messenger. Unfortunately, they only remember the times I’m wrong not the times I’m right. Computers make forecasting more accurate these days. It’s a mix of art and science - with a lot of experience,” he explains.

How accurate are the Old Wives Tales and Folklore? “There are over 3,000 proverbs used in connection with the weather – some are good. Most methods are reactive rather than predictive. Seaweed and pinecones, for example, react to the atmosphere rather than predict the weather.”

Derek is well known for his love of walking but what about gardening? “I went through a fad as a teenager” he confesses. “I did the borders, planted bulbs and spent all Dads money in the Garden Centre buying trees. I remember buying a beautiful Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ (Japanese Cherry). My own garden now is low maintenance because my job keeps me so busy and the weekends are always full. Perhaps I’ll get stuck in again when I retire.”

Does the ‘walking weatherman’ put changes in weather patterns down to global warming? “We don’t get snow like we used to when I was a boy. The last bad snowfall was 1982. Some changes are natural, some are due to Man’s influence. I try to do my bit for the environment, though there’s always room for improvement. I wash my own car now instead of using the carwash and I’m investigating solar energy. A lot of the new solar products use radiation through clouds, you don’t need direct sunlight.”

I have to ask – how much sunshine can we expect this summer? “The trends are for the summers to get hotter and drier with more extremes, more storms. There will always be natural variations but I don’t think this summer will be as bad as last which was the wettest on record . I think it’ll be pretty mixed, a typical Welsh summer; a bit of sun, a bit of rain. Who needs heat waves anyway? They’re no good for anyone or anything. 25 degrees is great.


Flower Power

Flower colours have more effect on our moods and feelings than we perhaps realise. Yellow blooms are associated with sunshine and happiness, orange flowers will increase feelings of vibrancy and energy and reds evoke passion and sensuality. White flowers are very healing and calming whilst blue and purple are thought to be inspiring. Pinks and lilacs are associated with romance and nostalgia and creams and greens (foliage) with nurturing and compassion. What do your floral displays say about you?


Forecasting Fun

Why not have a go at predicting the weather yourself? There are a wide range of home weather stations, instruments and barometers available for the ‘want-to-be-weatherman’ (or woman). From simple rain gauges to technical data loggers and suitable for the enthusiast or educational purposes find out more at www.ukweathershop.co.uk or call 08456800868

www.lynneallbutt.co.uk