That’s scary! BBC Weather glitch gets UK residents panicking

A data fault on the BBC Weather website and app sent residents in the UK panicking after forecasts showed hurricane-force winds hitting the country.

Graphics show estimated wind speeds of 13,508mph in London – far in excess of any genuine hurricane – and overnight temperatures of 404C in Nottingham.

The affected areas also included Edinburgh with 17,246mph, Belfast at 14,398mph, Cardiff at 12,585mph, Truro in Cornwall at 16,309mph, and Liverpool at 15,227mph.

Presenter Matt Taylor said in a post on X: “Don’t be alarmed folks – Hurricane Milton hasn’t made it to us here in the UK! There’s been a data glitch between our suppliers and the app/online. Folk are working to solve the issue.”

In response, the BBC Weather apologised and said it is working hard to fix the problem.

Forecasters have also acknowledged the issue on TV bulletins.

In a statement, BBC Weather said: “We have an issue with some of the weather data from our forecast provider which is generating incorrect numbers and text on our BBC Weather app and website.

“It’s mainly been impacting wind readings but some temperatures are also displaying wrongly.

“We recognise there is huge interest in weather today and this is incredibly frustrating.

“We are really, really sorry about this and working very hard to fix the problem.”