Are you a weather watcher? Carol Kirkwood launches new crowd-sourced weather service

BBC forecaster Carol Kirkwood is promoting the new service online

BBC forecaster Carol Kirkwood is the face of a new crowd-sourced weather prediction service, dubbed BBC Weather Watchers.

 

BBC Weather Watchers is a brand-new crowd-sourced weather club for people who want to help predict the next big storm.

Users can use the Weather Watchers website to create their own weather reports and have their pictures and observations appear in real BBC broadcasts.

The BBC believes its new service will help "grow relationships with regular weather watchers getting them on air to help tell the latest on their local weather."

 

Hugely popular BBC Breakfast forecaster Carol Kirkwood, who is currently competing in Strictly Come Dancing, is helping to promote the new crowd-sourced weather app.

The Met Office forecaster tweeted about the brand-new service, which hopes to help connect people around the nations' favourite topic – weather.

The new crowd-sourced service – available at bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers – can be accessed on PC, smartphones and tablets.

 

Fancy helping @carolkirkwood with weather reports? Join our new #WeatherWatchers club https://t.co/il7a6ny39n Jo pic.twitter.com/HRVsQmsp0l

— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) November 3, 2015

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.

Users 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 classic 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.

 

Hugely popular BBC Breakfast forecaster Carol Kirkwood is the face of the new app

Head of Weather Liz Howell 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."

Mike Burnett, executive product manager, BBC Digital Weather, said: "Audiences already interact with the BBC, sending in their pictures and observations which we use on air, on social media and in our online gallery, and Weather Watchers builds on this existing relationship. 

"BBC Weather Watchers is not just a responsive website, it’s a community, enabling our audience to upload photos and weather data in real time and engage with our weather team in their local area on TV, radio and online.

"We’ve created a distinctive, personalised digital experience where users can join the nation’s favourite conversation, via smart phone, tablet or PC."

 

Weather Watchers works across devices and allows users to create their own weather reports