BBC Weather app forecasts hurricane force winds

A fault with the BBC Weather website and app has led to incorrect forecasts of impossibly high wind speeds in the UK and across the globe.

Graphics warned of hurricanes and showed estimated wind speeds of 13,508mph in London and 5,293mph in Rome – far in excess of any genuine hurricane such as Milton, which struck Florida overnight.

Temperatures of 404C in Nottingham, 384C in New York and 378C in Sydney were among those being wrongly displayed.

BBC Weather said it was aware of a data issue with a third-party supplier and it was fixing the problem.

Weather presenters worked to reassure users who had spotted errors appearing on Thursday morning.

On social media, lead presenter Simon King said: “Oops, don’t be alarmed by some of our BBC Weather app data this morning.

“Be assured there won’t be 14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404C.”

Forecasters also acknowledged the issue on TV bulletins, which were not affected by the fault.

In a statement, BBC Weather said: “We have an issue with some of the weather data from our forecast provider which is generating incorrect numbers and text on our BBC Weather app and website.

“It’s mainly been impacting wind readings but some temperatures are also displaying wrongly.

“We recognise there is huge interest in weather today and this is incredibly frustrating.

“We are really, really sorry about this and working very hard to fix the problem.”

A BBC spokesperson also apologised and said it was working with its supplier to fix the issue as soon as possible.

Meteorological forecasting company DTN, which supplies BBC Weather with data, has apologised for what it called a “technical error”.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the US-based firm said the “root cause” of the error had been addressed, but it could take “several hours” for correct forecasts to reappear.

The glitch suggested winds speed would be 17,246mph in Edinburgh. In Belfast, it was suggested gusts would reach 14,398mph, and in Cardiff winds were said to be 12,585mph.

Meanwhile, Truro in Cornwall was displaying wind speeds of 16,309mph and they were said to be 15,227mph in Liverpool.

Forecasts also said Paris and Bangkok would experience wind gust of more than 13,000mph.

Accurate weather headlines for Thursday included colder air moving in, with rain and drizzle in the south of the UK and blustery showers near the east coast.

The Met Office said winds would reach a maximum of 33mph in Aberdeen.

Next week, Florida’s Hurricane Milton could bring uncertainty to UK weather if its remnants end up in the Atlantic, but the Met Office said it was “highly unlikely” to reach the UK.

Hurricanes are powerful storms which develop over tropical waters.

They involve sustained winds near the surface of at least 74mph. In a category 5 hurricane, the most severe on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, winds can reach over 157mph.

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a category 3, storm has battered Florida, bringing tornadoes, floods, and the risk of storm surges.

More than three million homes and businesses are without power, and at least six deaths have been reported in the state.