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| The wrong man | The wrong man |
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| Fish was on British TV screens for 32 yearsMichael Fish's infamous weather forecast 20 years ago today, in which he seemed to scotch rumours of a hurricane, has gone down in broadcasting history. There's only one problem - that wasn't what happened, as he tells BBC News' Mark Kinver. | |
| In the early hours of 16 October 1987, winds reaching 122mph ripped across the south-eastern corner of England, taking the sleeping nation by surprise. | In the early hours of 16 October 1987, winds reaching 122mph ripped across the south-eastern corner of England, taking the sleeping nation by surprise. |
| As dawn broke, 18 people had lost their lives and 15 million trees had been uprooted. | As dawn broke, 18 people had lost their lives and 15 million trees had been uprooted. |
| As journalists searched for reasons why the forecasters had failed to predict such an extreme and devastating event, it was not long before MichaelFish found himself in the eye of a media storm. | As journalists searched for reasons why the forecasters had failed to predict such an extreme and devastating event, it was not long before MichaelFish found himself in the eye of a media storm. |
| After all, we have been told, it was his 2130 forecast the evening before that highlighted how badly the Met Office had got it wrong. | After all, we have been told, it was his 2130 forecast the evening before that highlighted how badly the Met Office had got it wrong. |
| "Earlier on today apparently," he began, "a woman rang the BBC and said she had heard that there was a hurricane on the way. | "Earlier on today apparently," he began, "a woman rang the BBC and said she had heard that there was a hurricane on the way. |
| The storm took most by complete surprise"Well if you are watching, don't worry there isn't," he said sagely, reassuring millions of viewers. | The storm took most by complete surprise"Well if you are watching, don't worry there isn't," he said sagely, reassuring millions of viewers. |
| Yet just a few hours later, the worst storm since 1703 unleashed its fury. | Yet just a few hours later, the worst storm since 1703 unleashed its fury. |
| Although it was Mr Fish, now 63, who retired in 2004, he says it is not his, but the nation's collective memory that is failing. | Although it was Mr Fish, now 63, who retired in 2004, he says it is not his, but the nation's collective memory that is failing. |
| "I wasn't even on duty that night, it was Bill Giles," he explains, referring to one of his colleagues, "so I cannot claim any responsibility whatsoever." | "I wasn't even on duty that night, it was Bill Giles," he explains, referring to one of his colleagues, "so I cannot claim any responsibility whatsoever." |
| Mr Giles was on the afternoon/evening shift and Ian McCaskill was on the night shift, he recalls. | Mr Giles was on the afternoon/evening shift and Ian McCaskill was on the night shift, he recalls. |
| "Those were the only two people involved and not me at all. I came in the next morning at 0430 to do Breakfast News and the morning broadcasts." | "Those were the only two people involved and not me at all. I came in the next morning at 0430 to do Breakfast News and the morning broadcasts." |
| Mr Fish, tongue-in-cheek, refers to Bill Giles as "the guilty one", adding that it was something his former colleague "forgot to admit until after his retirement!" | Mr Fish, tongue-in-cheek, refers to Bill Giles as "the guilty one", adding that it was something his former colleague "forgot to admit until after his retirement!" |
| So what about the infamous "hurricane" forecast? | So what about the infamous "hurricane" forecast? |
| "That was some time before and it was referring to Florida and had nothing to do with the (UK) storm," he states. | "That was some time before and it was referring to Florida and had nothing to do with the (UK) storm," he states. |
| Having said that, actually the weather will become very windy What Michael Fish DID say on the day class="" href="/1/hi/sci/tech/7044050.stm">Lessons learned from the storm "In actual fact my earlier broadcast, which I am sure never got recorded, actually said 'batten down the hatches because there is some extremely stormy weather on the way'. | |
| "If that is not a good forecast, I am not sure what is." | "If that is not a good forecast, I am not sure what is." |
| Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, clips of "that" forecast are available on the web, which Mr Fish thinks originated from somebody's personal video recording. | Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, clips of "that" forecast are available on the web, which Mr Fish thinks originated from somebody's personal video recording. |
| To be fair, after telling us all not to worry, he goes on to say: "Having said that, actually the weather will become very windy." But that part is rarely shown. | To be fair, after telling us all not to worry, he goes on to say: "Having said that, actually the weather will become very windy." But that part is rarely shown. |
| For 20 years, he has been trying to put the record straight. He first tried shortly after the original broadcast, when the media attention was at its height. And he tried again in 2004, when he retired from the Met Office. | For 20 years, he has been trying to put the record straight. He first tried shortly after the original broadcast, when the media attention was at its height. And he tried again in 2004, when he retired from the Met Office. |
| Return visit | Return visit |
| His efforts "were in vain as it turned out". Which makes it odd that he has taken the BBC up on an offer, by returning to our screens 20 years on from the Great Storm, to be a guest weather presenter. Why do it? | His efforts "were in vain as it turned out". Which makes it odd that he has taken the BBC up on an offer, by returning to our screens 20 years on from the Great Storm, to be a guest weather presenter. Why do it? |
| Bill Giles (right) made the broadcast, while McCaskill was on night shift"[The BBC Weather Centre's manager], I think, had the idea of me returning to do one of the live bulletins," he says. | Bill Giles (right) made the broadcast, while McCaskill was on night shift"[The BBC Weather Centre's manager], I think, had the idea of me returning to do one of the live bulletins," he says. |
| The veteran forecaster had already approached the manager because he wanted to make himself available to be interviewed by local radio stations. | The veteran forecaster had already approached the manager because he wanted to make himself available to be interviewed by local radio stations. |
| It appears that after all these years of patiently and precisely trying to correct journalists' false recollections, he has realised that there may actually be a silver lining to the nation's clouded memory. | It appears that after all these years of patiently and precisely trying to correct journalists' false recollections, he has realised that there may actually be a silver lining to the nation's clouded memory. |
| "Craftily, I am trying to promote a book on the subject and I thought doing a round-the-houses with local radio would give me a good opportunity to indirectly plug the book because one of the major chapters was about the 1987 storm," he says. | "Craftily, I am trying to promote a book on the subject and I thought doing a round-the-houses with local radio would give me a good opportunity to indirectly plug the book because one of the major chapters was about the 1987 storm," he says. |
| "That was a good way of linking it and hopefully selling it." | "That was a good way of linking it and hopefully selling it." |
| The book, co-written by fellow forecasters Ian McCaskill and Paul Hudson, is a chronology of some of the UK's most extreme weather events. | The book, co-written by fellow forecasters Ian McCaskill and Paul Hudson, is a chronology of some of the UK's most extreme weather events. |
| 1990 was stronger | 1990 was stronger |
| So how does the storm to which he has become forever associated compare? | So how does the storm to which he has become forever associated compare? |
| 18 people were killed, 15 million trees uprooted"It was severe, but not the severest. The 1703 storm was far more severe, so was 1990 in many parts of southern England," he replies. | 18 people were killed, 15 million trees uprooted"It was severe, but not the severest. The 1703 storm was far more severe, so was 1990 in many parts of southern England," he replies. |
| He says the 1987 storm was so damaging because it struck when the trees still had many of their leaves. | He says the 1987 storm was so damaging because it struck when the trees still had many of their leaves. |
| "Whereas the 1990 storm was in the winter and although the wind was stronger, the damage was far, far less." | "Whereas the 1990 storm was in the winter and although the wind was stronger, the damage was far, far less." |
| Although his appearances at the end of the Monday's One O'clock and Six O'clock news will be his first since retiring as a "broadcast meteorologist" in 2004, he will not be out of practice. | Although his appearances at the end of the Monday's One O'clock and Six O'clock news will be his first since retiring as a "broadcast meteorologist" in 2004, he will not be out of practice. |
| Since leaving the Met Office's payroll, he has been presenting the evening weather bulletins on BBC South East. | Since leaving the Met Office's payroll, he has been presenting the evening weather bulletins on BBC South East. |
| And after more than three decades of having to limit himself to the occasional brightly coloured jumpers or fish motif ties, he recently had the chance for a full costume and career change when he appeared in The Play What I Wrote. | And after more than three decades of having to limit himself to the occasional brightly coloured jumpers or fish motif ties, he recently had the chance for a full costume and career change when he appeared in The Play What I Wrote. |
| But it may still be a little too soon to offer him the lead in Gone With The Wind. Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | But it may still be a little too soon to offer him the lead in Gone With The Wind. Add your comments on this story, using the form below. |