The BBC has launched BBC Weather Watchers, a brand new, online crowd-sourced weather club for people who want to join in the nation’s favourite conversation and help tell the story of the UK’s weather.
First announced in March as part of BBC Make it Digital, BBC Weather Watchers will allow people to develop basic digital skills wherever they are.
Open to everyone with an interest in what the weather is up to, BBC Weather Watchers will play a key role in bringing a wide audience together on this much-loved topic. Not only can they have fun creating their own weather reports, they can even have their pictures and observations appear in BBC broadcasts. A first for the BBC, the club will connect the audience’s passion for weather with BBC storytelling on the BBC’s local radio stations across the North East and Cumbria and network TV and will also aim to grow relationships with regular weather watchers getting them on air to help tell the latest on their local weather.
The website is easy to navigate and works on whatever platform it is accessed from: PC, mobile or tablet. Irrespective of scientific knowledge and equipment, people will be able to sign in and create simple digital weather reports to “now-cast” whatever the weather is doing where they live. They will develop basic digital skills such as uploading content to the web or sharing their report cards on social media thanks to easy to complete digital templates, and a selection of iconic BBC weather symbols.
Working with the Royal Meteorological Society – the project’s academic partner – BBC Weather Watchers also provides information about the science behind the weather and behind-the-scenes info from BBC national and regional weather presenters.
Liz Howell, Head of Weather, said: “BBC Weather Watchers is for everyone. Easy to use, it will bring the nation together on a topic they love so that where ever they are in the country, they can be a part of BBC weather. It will help some take steps into the digital world and boost existing skills, whilst fulfilling the BBC’s public purposes such as supporting education and learning, representing the many communities in the UK and delivering the benefit of emerging media technologies.”
Phil Roberts, Head of Regional and Local Programming in the North East and Cumbria, said: “Our local audiences already interact with the BBC by sending in their pictures and observations which we use on air, on social media and in our online galleries. Weather Watchers builds on this existing relationship. It’s a community which enables our local audiences to upload photos and weather data and engage with our teams in the North East and Cumbria on TV, radio and online.”
David Holdsworth, Controller of English Regions, said: “We know local and regional audiences are fascinated by the weather as it generates high levels of contacts to our Local Radio stations and regional TV News programmes up and down the country. Now using the BBC’s unique relationship with local audiences we are bringing people together to share this fascination with each other and the whole country. BBC Weather Watchers will be rooted in our local and regional broadcasting through radio, TV and online and I look forward to audiences joining in the conversation.”
To register for a BBC Weather Watchers account log on to www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers
