Wrap up again, the rain and cold are not done yet
WE FINALLY had some pleasant weather this week. It caught the English off-guard. We staggered through the sunshine dressed for a cold spring, sweltering under coats and scarves. But do not strip down just yet: there is lots of rain and cold still to come. The natural order will reassert itself. The weatherman will go back to being a figure of national frustration.
I wonder if other countries have quite the same relationship with their weathermen. Is there, in Russian mythology, a figure such as Michael Fish? In a broadcast on October 15 1987, a few hours before the biggest storm to hit South East England for three centuries broke, he said: “Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way – well, if you’re watching, don’t worry, there isn’t.”
I miss the days when the weather report was cardboard shapes stuck on a backdrop of the UK, the presenter looking like a hostage victim trying to give clues as to his whereabouts.
In 2014 Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, issued a warning that the country’s weather reports had to become more accurate. This doubtless made the job of weatherman that little bit more incredibly frightening.
I’ve watched some recent North Korean weather updates and can identify no sign of fear, however. The ladies declare breathlessly the triumph of sunshine and victory over the rain with consummate professionalism. In fact, it’s striking how similar their tone and look is to the British weathermen.
The graphics of suns and clouds are part of a global language that defies local politics. Weather refuses to do what dictators ask of it. Man can only look on in awe and advise that viewers carry an umbrella. As for the weekend, we march towards a glorious future of cold in the shade of strong wind. It will be thus for a while. In England, a typical May lasts till August.