When did it become the official truth that hot weather was bad for you? The question comes to mind when watching the weather forecast, which has now assumed a gloom and doom mode when it comes to predicting hot weather. It is so gloomy in fact that any sign of hot weather now carries an accompanying health warning to contact the NHS help line. When did the weather forecast switch over to become another part of the paraphernalia for scaring people to death, whether it be via pending warnings of terrorist actions or economic disaster?
It is also surprising that a population that spends so much of every year complaining about bad weather has so easily accepted these doomsday warnings. Bad weather in the traditional context means rain, snow, cold and wind. Or I guess any weather taken to extremes. What is the rationale for disliking a bit of hot weather?
Maybe now Wimbledon has a roof it is some sort of perverse reaction that desires wind and rain in order that the shutters can come down. It would not be that surprising given the propensity of weather forecasts to also resemble sportscasts - predicting the weather for various events. Why is this? Sport has nothing to do with the weather and millions of people – shock horror – have no interest whatsoever in sport. It is time that the boys and girls at the meteorological office got back to just telling us what the weather is going to be. We don’t want health warnings or sportscasts, just the weather please.
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Paul, It's a simple fact that any period of hot weather causes a spike in admissions to A&E departments. Also remember that the weather forecasts often give NHS help line numbers during periods of very cold weather too.
ReplyDeleteIn hot weather people tend to do bizarre things, like spend the day gardening without a hat or any protection.
I also suspect that the NHS asks the BBC to give these details, it's a public health issue.
Also, the sporting events mentioned on BBC & Sky weather forecasts are always the events the respective channels are covering, it's more advertising than any great conspiracy.