Weather Radio

Packing up the house, and have gotten to the battery-powered weather alert radio. This is triggered by alerts sent via radio from our local National Weather Stations, when the radio sounds an alert tone and then receives the voice broadcast from the NWS. Rather obviously, there are no NWS in Scotland, but is there a service that might use the same frequencies (the radio has a range of frequencies to which it can be set). Not sure it'd ever be needed, really - how often are there tornadoes in Glasgow ? (Knocking on wood that we don't bring the first one on record down on the city).

It's old, and we're going to donate it to AMVets, but am curious if it would work at all there.

What frequencies does it cover? There aren't any alerts for things like that in the UK, as far as I know (and I'm a forecaster for our national weather service).

Bit of trivia though: the UK actually gets more tornadoes per square kilometre than the US (though not more tornadoes in total) - about 30 per year...they are usually triggered behind cold fronts, but they rarely reach the ground and hardly ever cause damage.

Two videos of an August 2012 tornado in Glasgow:

What frequencies does it cover? There aren't any alerts for things like that in the UK, as far as I know (and I'm a forecaster for our national weather service).

Bit of trivia though: the UK actually gets more tornadoes per square kilometre than the US (though not more tornadoes in total) - about 30 per year...they are usually triggered behind cold fronts, but they rarely reach the ground and hardly ever cause damage.

Two videos of an August 2012 tornado in Glasgow:

Oh my.  Good to know that in advance.  I would have been walking down the street after doing shopping and looked up and promptly had a breakdown.

There are 7 different frequency settings - 162.400; 162.425; 162.450; 162.475; 162.500;
162.525; 162.550 - on the radio.  It's really rather handy, as it has either a warning tone that they sound or a recorded voice comes on (our choice of setting) and gives you the urgent news.  Alternately, you can push a button and it will just give you the current conditions and forecast.

When we lived in Tornado Alley it was a godsend, I have to say - gave us enough time to run for the storm shelter more than once (or to get the car pulled under the carport to save it from the hail).  There was a movie out recently that had an earthquake destroying San Francisco. They used the weather radio warning tone and voice in one scene to announce a tsunami and I have to say it was an effective prop - both the Daughter and I had that instinctive "oooh, helllllll" reaction before we realized it.

It runs on batteries - does the weather service there have any sort of radio broadcast system at all? Could I get lucky and be able to use this over there? We've been together (and woken up in the middle of the night too often) for me to part with it easily. I guess it's rather like an electronic teddybear!

Lol - I've never seen a tornado in the UK in my life... and I've been observing the weather in the UK on a daily basis for over 5 years... I don't think you need to worry.

No, we have nothing like that in the UK - the weather is broadcast on regular TV (I.e. the news programs) and on regular radio shows. We also have our website, YouTube and our app.

We really don't get enough extreme weather to warrant a whole service for the weather... if there's a big weather event happening, it'll be all over the national news anyway (I.e. St. Jude's storm in 2013, Boscastle floods in 2004, the 'hurricane' in 1987). There was a tornado in Birmingham in 2005 that made the national news because:
a) it was the strongest one recorded in 30 years (F2)
b) it carved a 1km long path through the city
c) it damaged a church and a school, uprooted 1,000 trees and caused £40 million of damage
and
d) it caused 3 serious injuries (no fatalities)

Honestly, I'd probably just leave the radio in the US - I can't see you'll have any use for it in the UK.


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an August 2012 tornado in Glasgow

I do not remember this.. at all! 

the 'hurricane' in 1987

"The storm caused substantial damage over much of England, felling an estimated 15 million trees"

Good lord! That's the one where the forecaster down-played it too much wasn't it?

Yeah, that was the one in Oct 1987 where someone called the BBC to ask if the rumours of a hurricane coming were true. Michael Fish (the TV forecaster) said on air that it was a false alarm and not to worry. Unfortunately the original forecast, which had been discounted, turned out to be correct and the system developed further (underwent explosive cyclogenesis and formed a sting jet) and hit southern England. It wasn't actually a hurricane though, it was an extratropical storm (the remnants of a hurricane which weakened as it crossed the Atlantic).

Though retired now, Michael Fish will always be remembered for 'getting it wrong' (he was actually the commencement speaker at my uni graduation ceremony)


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One my earliest memories is huddling on the floor of my Aunt's double wide trailer, waiting for a tornado to pass. 

I've also seen the damage in person after a tornado has gone through.  The houses look like they've exploded. 

One my earliest memories is huddling on the floor of my Aunt's double wide trailer, waiting for a tornado to pass. 

I've also seen the damage in person after a tornado has gone through.  The houses look like they've exploded.

I have a memory of hiding in my Grandparents basement during a tornado as well. We hid under a table. Luckily the Tornado wasn't too close to us but they never know what path they'll take.

I have a memory of hiding in my Grandparents basement during a tornado as well. We hid under a table. Luckily the Tornado wasn't too close to us but they never know what path they'll take.

I've got a lot of "war stories" too, but all I'll say is that I will not miss the sound of that emergency alert going off and having to run for cover!

I've seen two tornadoes in real life.  Talk about making you feel small and vulnerable!

One was technically a waterspout as it stayed over the water.  But considering I was one block from the water...  yeah, I basically needed to change my pants!

A few years before I moved I went through a tornado. Where we lived was known for tornados in late summer. But up till then we had always had the sirens and not ever taken it seriously as one never hit us. The one that did, we were all standing on front porches looking at the sky... don't think anybody in my old neighborhood takes them lightly anymore. Luckily it didn't do any harm to people, just houses. Was quite scary to be honest.

A few years before I moved I went through a tornado. Where we lived was known for tornados in late summer. But up till then we had always had the sirens and not ever taken it seriously as one never hit us. The one that did, we were all standing on front porches looking at the sky... don't think anybody in my old neighborhood takes them lightly anymore. Luckily it didn't do any harm to people, just houses. Was quite scary to be honest.

Close call, that!  Glad all were ok. I remember the ghastly green color the clouds would go, and the swirling and darkening as the wall cloud would drop down, and the monstrous hail followed by the funnels.  No, DEFINITELY not going to miss that.

Nan, I think you should bring the radio.  It'll likely sit on a shelf and collect dust.  But it'll be a talking point and a creature comfort.  When you see it, it'll remind you of your past life and some crazy memories!  Toss it in a box!

Nan, I think you should bring the radio.  It'll likely sit on a shelf and collect dust.  But it'll be a talking point and a creature comfort.  When you see it, it'll remind you of your past life and some crazy memories!  Toss it in a box!

Yeah, I already did. It's in with my socks. Sort of like an anti-jinx. (If I toss it, something will fall through and we'll have to move back and I'll need it.)  Worst case, having it there will remind me of how fortunate we are to not need it.