Like many people, I am fascinated by the weather and have been a regular patron of the Weather Channel for many years. Unfortunately, in recent years, the program seems to be more focused on entertainment than on the science of meteorology. And while they have certainly played an important role in keeping the public informed regarding dangerous weather conditions, they have, in my opinion, begun to devote too much time to documentaries and travelogues.
This week, with the onset of Hurricane Season, the Weather Channel has plenty of fodder for entertainment. Their field celebrities are no doubt packed and ready to be dispatched to threatened sites and, though I'm sure that none of them want any death or destruction to result from the storms, I'm also sure they're hoping for more excitement than the last two seasons provided. But, considering the station's focus on hurricane preparation and evacuation, it seems counterproductive and downright silly that they feel the need to report from the heart of the action, standing in the wind and rain like defiant teenagers.
Anyone who pays close attention to weather forecasting knows that it is an interesting yet inexact science, with accuracy limited to 12 hours or so (often much less when it comes to storms). But, in the interest of entertainment, we are provided with seven-day forecasts and bizarre predictions of the number and severity of hurricanes to expect this season. When science is diluted by conjecture, credibility is lost and the important role that meteorologists play in public safety is compromised.
