{"id":27700,"date":"2017-08-24T06:40:33","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T10:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=27700"},"modified":"2017-08-24T06:40:33","modified_gmt":"2017-08-24T10:40:33","slug":"the-shipping-forecast-celebrates-150-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/the-shipping-forecast-celebrates-150-years\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shipping Forecast celebrates 150 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Source: The Guardian<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Consternation, mourning and\u00a0national soul-searching<\/a>\u00a0greeted the\u00a0temporary silencing of Big Ben last week<\/a>, but at least another favourite fixture of the nightly and early morning radio is to continue. The hymnal cadences of Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, through Shannon, Rockall, Malin all the way to south-east Iceland, will be heard as usual on Thursday, as\u00a0the shipping forecast<\/a>\u00a0celebrates 150 years of uninterrupted service.<\/p>\n

The shipping forecast, the longest continuous weather forecast ever made, has been a public service since 1867 when it was used to warn of storms. The warnings were first issued using the electric telegraph until radio became available. Storm warnings were sent over the telegraph wires to harbours, where signals were hoisted to warn ships at sea.<\/p>\n

When the\u00a0BBC<\/a>\u00a0was formed in the 1920s, the maritime forecast became a fixture of the daily wireless programme where it would remain with occasional modifications and a break during the war when the broadcast was discontinued for fear it would help the enemy. The forecast was still made, however, and disseminated to the Royal Navy.<\/p>\n

Though today\u2019s seafarers have access to many more sources of meteorological data, and many radio listeners famously use the late-night\u00a0incantatory broadcast<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 never more than 380 words, and always following the same strict format \u2013 for soporific rather than navigational purposes, the\u00a0broadcasts still fulfil a vital safety role<\/a>.[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Continue reading the full article at The Guardian.<\/a><\/p>\n

If you love The Shipping Forecast like I do, check out our archived posts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I especially love these posts by SWLing Post<\/em> contributors Dave Porter (G4OYX)<\/a><\/strong> and Kris Partridge (G8AUU)<\/a><\/strong> who have both inadvertently caused the shipping forecast to repeat!<\/p>\n

Long live The Shipping Forecast!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: The Guardian) Consternation, mourning and\u00a0national soul-searching\u00a0greeted the\u00a0temporary silencing of Big Ben last week, but at least another favourite fixture of the nightly and early morning radio is to continue. The hymnal cadences of Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, through Shannon, Rockall, Malin all the way to south-east Iceland, will be heard as usual on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3],"tags":[327,5931,2734],"class_list":["post-27700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-news","tag-bbc-world-service","tag-droitwich-transmitting-station","tag-shipping-forecast"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-7cM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8333,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/04\/and-now-the-shipping-forecast\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":0},"title":"And now, the Shipping Forecast…","author":"Thomas","date":"April 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"When I lived in the UK, I would often fall asleep and\/or wake up to the Shipping Forecast:\u00a0a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. Though I had, of course, no real need of the Forecast, on many occasions\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"shipping-forecast-locations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33310,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/the-shipping-forecast-featured-on-99-invisible\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":1},"title":"The Shipping Forecast featured on 99% Invisible","author":"Thomas","date":"July 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric McFadden (WD8RIF), who notes that one of my favorite podcasts, 99% Invisible, has featured The Shipping Forecast in their latest episode: https:\/\/dts.podtrac.com\/redirect.mp3\/media.blubrry.com\/99percentinvisible\/dovetail.prxu.org\/96\/474ddc6a-89d7-46d3-83a4-8f153c94e3a3\/316_The_Shipping_Forecast_pt01.mp3 Four times every day, on radios all across the British Isles, a BBC announcer begins reading from a seemingly indecipherable script.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-1024x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-1024x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-1024x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13047,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/shipping-forecast-tribute\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":2},"title":"Shipping Forecast tribute","author":"Thomas","date":"April 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to @realmarkfahey who shares this tribute to the Shipping Forecast via Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/bbcradio4\/status\/591484237200510976 If the embedded tweet above does not appear, click this link to listen via the web.","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"shipping-forecast-locations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9808,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/today-choppy-seas-for-the-shipping-forecast\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":3},"title":"Today: Choppy seas for the Shipping Forecast","author":"Thomas","date":"May 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Since the dawn of time, there is, there was, and there always has been...the Shipping Forecast. We set our clocks by it. Despite\u00a0the complexities of our planet--war, famine, daytime television--the Shipping Forecast has been there for us. \u00a0Our steady friend amid the choppy seas of life. Our rock of Gibraltar...our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Peeters_Sea_storm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Peeters_Sea_storm.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Peeters_Sea_storm.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Peeters_Sea_storm.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Peeters_Sea_storm.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61113,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/the-shipping-forecast-a-special-1993-filmed-version\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":4},"title":"The Shipping Forecast: A Special 1993 Filmed Version","author":"Thomas","date":"November 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and good friend, BJ Leiderman, who shares the following video on YouTube--a special Shipping Forecast tribute: On 18 December 1993, as part of the Arena Radio Night, BBC Radio 4 and BBC 2 collaborated on a simultaneous broadcast so the shipping forecast \u2013 read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Longwave"","block_context":{"text":"Longwave","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/longwave\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/shipping-forecast-locations.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47606,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/video-how-the-uk-shipping-forecast-is-made\/","url_meta":{"origin":27700,"position":5},"title":"Video: How the UK shipping forecast is made","author":"Thomas","date":"February 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David (G4EDR), who writes: I know that you and many of your readers of the SWLing Post (myself included) have a fascination with the UK Shipping Forecast so thought you may be interested in this YouTube video showing how the Met Office prepare the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}