Weather bulletin praised

Press, 27 July 1988, Page 4

Weather bulletin praised

PA Wellington TVNZ’s new network news weather bulletin has been given the thumbs-up by members of the Meteorological Society — with a few reservations. The society has about 500 members including professional and amateur meteorologists, and people who rely on the weather for either professional or recreational reasons. The secretary, Dr Jim Salinger, said conversations with 10 members revealed praise for the bulletin. “There is room for improvement but members appreciate the move towards a more comprehensive presentation.” Computer graphics, animated satellite pictures, selective use of temperatures and regional forecasts were all improvements. Dr Salinger suggested that if maximum forecast temperatures were provided for main centres, minimum figures could also be displayed as these were of interest too.

As long as TVNZ continued to make improvements and maintained the flexibility to include more information and the order forecasts were given in (depending on weather patterns) members would remain happy, he said. TVNZ’s controller of news and current affairs, Mr Paul Norris, said the weather bulletin would be refined in the coming months. “We have certainly not finished by any means at this stage.”