In brief
The BBC issued an apology after its weather app erroneously predicted impossibly extreme weather conditions, such as 832-degree temperatures in Brazil, due to a data glitch.
An unexpected glitch in the BBC Weather app led to astronomical weather predictions worldwide, with Saturday forecasts showing temperatures reaching 832 degrees in Brazil and hurricane-force winds in Chicago. The BBC quickly apologized for the error, which was caused by inaccurate data from third-party provider DTN. While the predictions were obviously incorrect, they were displayed on the BBC’s website and app, alarming users. The company announced it was working with DTN to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and by Thursday evening, corrections began rolling out. BBC meteorologist Simon King assured the public on social media that such extreme conditions were not real. The incident highlights challenges faced by weather services which rely on automated data from national weather agencies and underscores the necessity of expert interpretation. The BBC weather app has been downloaded millions of times since its launch in 2013, making accuracy paramount for its widespread user base.
