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Don’t panic! Cambridge will not experience ‘hurricane force winds’ despite BBC weather app prediction

10:32, 10 October 2024

updated: 11:11, 10 October 2024

Don’t worry Cambridge - a hurricane is not heading our way.

The BBC has apologised after its weather app bizarrely predicted “hurricane force winds” would hit the UK as it works to fix forecast data issues.

The BBC weather app has malfunctioned and is predicting 'hurricane force winds' for Cambridge.
The BBC weather app has malfunctioned and is predicting 'hurricane force winds' for Cambridge.

Graphics showed Cambridge was set to experience winds of more than 4996 mph today (Thursday, October 10) while Nottingham would have overnight temperatures of 404C.

Meanwhile, the Met Office app was predicting a more gentle 11mph winds for Cambridge on Thursday.

BBC broadcast meteorologist Matt Taylor assured the public that Hurricane Milton, the category three storm that made landfall in Florida overnight, was not on its way to the UK.

“Don’t be alarmed folks – Hurricane Milton hasn’t made it to us here in the UK!”, he wrote on X alongside a screenshot of an extreme prediction on the weather app.

“There’s been a data glitch between our suppliers and the app/online. Folk are working to solve the issue.

No need to panic buy plywood and candles.”

Lead BBC weather presenter and meteorologist, Simon King, also assured users of the website and app that there will not be “14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404C” in a social media post.

Meanwhile, BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood told BBC Breakfast viewers that the weather centre was experiencing a “technical glitch” that they were trying to fix “right now”.

A statement from BBC weather on social media said: “You may have noticed some data issues on our app and website. We are working hard to fix it quickly.

“Sorry – please bear with us.”

It added that the accurate weather headlines for Thursday included colder, clearer air moving in, rain and drizzle in the south and blustery showers near the east coast.

A BBC spokesperson added that the issue was with a third-party supplier which they were working with to fix the issue “as soon as possible.”

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