VA forecast accuracy
Now that the dust has settled (at least for the moment!), has anyone seen any proper explanation (especially from the Met Office) for the overall lack of accuracy of VA Forecasting and, in particular, for the error(s) that led to the sudden and very obvious revision between 0600 and 1200 last Monday (17th May)?
Quite apart from the disruption caused by lack of inbound flights to LGW and other short-term problems, there was also a potential risk (already mentioned above) from reassignment of certain areas of the North Sea from 'white' to Black in the same revision.
Superficially, it looked like inaccuracies in weather forecasting had been allowed to 'bleed through' into the VA Forecast, with no later corrections being applied as real weather data superseded the forecasts. I have no actual evidence of this but unless something like this occurred, how could such a major restatement of the position of the ash cloud ever be required? - unless, of course, there were other problems with the model that only came to light over the weekend 15/16th May.