Weather forecasters have faced levels of trolling during this month’s extreme heat in the UK, according to leading figures in the industry.
According to reports, BBC’s team received hundreds of abusive tweets or emails questioning their reports and telling them to “get a grip”, as temperatures hit 40C. A BBC Meteorologist, Matt Taylor, said he never experienced anything like it in nearly 25 years working in weather. But the Royal Meteorological Society condemned the trolling.
Most of the abuse seemed to have been prompted as though links were made between the heatwave and climate change. The UK experienced record high temperatures on July 19, 2022, with 40C exceeded for the first time. Dozens of locations saw temperatures above the previous UK record of 38.7C and 15 fire services declared a state of emergency because of a surge in blazes.
The Met Office estimated that the heatwave was 10 times higher likely because of climate change. BBC’s Matt Taylor said “It’s a more abusive tone than I’ve ever received. I switched off a bit from it all as it became too depressing to read some of the responses.”
Other Targets of Abuse
Met Office and Royal Meteorological Society forecasters were also targeted.
Members of the latter body faced “public ridicule, accusations of lying or suggestions of being blackmailed”, Royal Meteorological Society Chief Executive, Professor Liz Bentley, said, adding that “Anecdotally, abusive comments increase when the message about climate change is intrinsic to the story”.
Met Office Lead Meteorologist, Alex Deakin, said “it’s scary in some ways”, adding that “I find it more frustrating and offensive for my colleagues – some of the great minds in climate science. Show a bit of respect and do a bit more research rather than just believe Bob down the pub or Tony on YouTube”.
The tweets were aimed at BBC Weather, alongside personal insults that told its members “its just summer”, of which many described various advice on how to stay cool as pandering to the “woke-brigade” or for “snowflakes”.
Other tweets accused the Met Office and the BBC of spreading “alarmism” and “hysteria”, telling both to “stop scaremongering”. Hundreds of people also shared their experiences of the 1976 heatwave on social media, with many making the false suggestion that this month’s heatwave was “no different”.
Temperature in 1976
The peak temperature in 1976 was 35.9C, more than four degrees lower than the 40.3C recorded on July 19, 2022. Nine out of 10 of the hottest days ever recorded in the UK have been since 1990, according to the Met Office. The hottest day from 1976 ranks as 13th on the list of the hottest UK days on record.
Periods of intense heat do occur within natural weather patterns, but they are becoming more frequent around the world, more intense and lasting longer as a result of human-induced climate change.
BBC Meteorologist, Tomasz Schafernaker, said “What frustrates me most is when I’m accused of twisting the truth. As meteorologists, we report facts. There is no conspiracy”. Jennifer Bartram, BBC North East’s Weather Forecaster, linked the level of abuse with what she saw as high-level climate disinformation circulating. She said “I’ve noticed abuse getting nastier and more personal, and it’s pretty demoralising when you’re trying to do your job.”
Matt Taylor said covering the heatwave was “really emotional” and that it felt “like a real turning point in public attitude and realisation to what has happened to our climate”.
“The weather is very emotive. It gets people so worked up. What’s good for some is bad for others and vice versa. Our climate has changed, so our reporting and response also have to change. All we’re trying to do is bring people the facts.”
BBC’s Matt Taylor
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