BBC apologises after weather app predicts 14,000mph hurricane winds for Doncaster

The corporation has said the BBC Weather website and app are experiencing a data fault issue – and graphics show estimated wind speeds of 13,508mph in London and 5,293mph in Rome - far in excess of any genuine hurricane - and overnight temperatures of 404c in Nottingham and 384c in New York.

Presenter Matt Taylor said in a post on X: "Don't be alarmed folks - Hurricane Milton hasn't made it to us here in the UK! There's been a data glitch between our suppliers and the app/online. Folk are working to solve the issue."

BBC Weather said it was aware of an issue with a third-party supplier and it is working hard to fix the problem.

In another post, presenter Simon King said: "Oops, don’t be alarmed by some of our BBC Weather app data this morning.

"Be assured there won’t be 14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404c."

Forecasters have also acknowledged the issue on TV bulletins.

In a statement, BBC Weather said: "We have an issue with some of the weather data from our forecast provider which is generating incorrect numbers and text on our BBC Weather app and website.

"It’s mainly been impacting wind readings but some temperatures are also displaying wrongly.

"We recognise there is huge interest in weather today and this is incredibly frustrating.

"We are really, really sorry about this and working very hard to fix the problem."

A BBC spokesperson also apologised and said it was working with its supplier to fix the issue as soon as possible.

In Edinburgh, the glitch suggested winds speed would be 17,246mph. In Belfast, it was suggested gusts would reach 14,398mph, and in Cardiff winds were said to be 12,585mph.

Meanwhile, Truro in Cornwall was displaying wind speeds of 16,309mph and they were said to be 15,227mph in Liverpool.

The Met Office said Florida's Hurricane Milton could bring uncertainty to the UK weather next week if its remnants end up in the Atlantic, but added it was "highly unlikely to reach the UK.