Storms

Welcome to the modern world of TV news and our incredibly up-to-date coverage of this really big and terrible storm bearing down upon America’s north east coast.

This storm is so massive and awesomely destructive that we are reporting directly from the really exposed, dangerous bits of the flooded coastline with only our colourful jackets to protect us.

Never mind that our presence makes a mockery of evacuation orders for ordinary citizens. Never mind that our soggy reporters in the field can’t actually hear the news anchor, or that they could be swept away by the storm surge, or instantly sliced like crinkle cut chips by a piece of flying debris.

Continue reading "Intrepid reporter braves storm and ugly rainwear" »

Severe weather warnings in Australia normally don’t make for especially riveting reading. They’re usually full of bureaucratic nonsense, and dry (or wet) concepts like exactly how many inches of rain to expect.

But the meteorologists working for America’s National Weather Service clearly believe in plain speaking. With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the east coast, the NWS has released the following statement. The language used by the New Jersey bureau is almost as epic as the storm itself.

For example, residents who are reluctant to evacuate are told to think about the rescue teams who will “recover your remains if you do not survive”. It’s really comforting stuff.

Continue reading "Now this is how you write a storm warning: Jersey style" »