The company behind a mess that left the BBC Weather app predicting 13,000mph winds for parts of the UK doesn't know when it will be fixed.
BBC Breakfast weather presenter Carol Kirkwood was this morning forced to insist a hurricane was not hitting Britain after the channel's app showed winds of 21,508mph in London.
The app and website also showed that Nottingham was experiencing an extreme heatwave with temperatures reaching 404C.
The BBC apologized to viewers and said the problem is with its third-party forecast provider, DTN.
DTN is aware of the issue but currently has no idea when it will be fixed.
Presenter Carol Kirkwood (pictured) had to address concerns that hurricane-force winds were hitting the UK after the BBC Weather app suffered a crash
The channel's app showed winds of 3,500 mph in London and temperatures of 404°C in Nottingham
The app showed hurricane-force winds across the country. The BBC said there was a 'technical fault' with its app
There were weather warnings from London to Edinburgh and Belfast to Cardiff
Ms. addressed the program's concerns this morning after anchor Dragão Munchetty questioned the figure.
Kirkwood said an error in the app caused the shocking figures and the BBC was trying to resolve the issue.
She said: 'We are having a technical glitch at the moment.
'It's showing very fast wind speeds – hurricane force in fact – and of course that's not the case, so please don't be alarmed by that.
'We are well aware of this and we are on it. We're trying to fix this now, so hopefully this will resolve itself.
A statement from BBC Weather on social media said: “You may have noticed some data issues on our app and website. We are working hard to fix this quickly.
'Sorry – please bear with us.'
He added that accurate weather headlines for Thursday included cooler, clearer air moving in, rain and drizzle in the south and blustery showers near the east coast.
A BBC spokesperson added that the issue was with a third-party supplier who they were working with to resolve the issue “as quickly as possible”.
DTN, which provides the forecast for the BBC app, confirmed it was aware of the issue but said it “did not have an exact time” when the issue would be resolved.
A spokesperson for the US-based company said: “There was a problem, but at this point we don’t have an exact time of when it will be back up and running.”
The company provides subscription services for analyzing and delivering real-time weather, agricultural, energy and commodity market information.
It became the weather data provider for the BBC app in 2018 when it acquired previous provider MeteoGroup.
Fellow Beeb presenter Matt Taylor said in a post on X: 'Don't be alarmed, folks – Hurricane Milton didn't reach us here in the UK!
'There was a data failure between our suppliers and the app/online. People are working to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, presenter Simon King said: 'Oops, don't be alarmed by some of the data on the BBC Weather app this morning.
'Rest assured there will be no 14,408mph winds, hurricane force winds or 404°C overnight temperatures.'
Viewers were quick to draw comparisons to Michael Fish's infamous broadcast, dispelling concerns of a hurricane on October 15, 1987.
Fish told viewers it was unlikely there would be a hurricane – before the Great Storm of 1987 hit Britain, leaving 22 people dead and damage worth £2 billion.
Former MP Dame Tracey Crouch shared a photo of BBC weather presenter Fish with the caption: 'I see the BBC weather app is having a moment this morning. Don't worry….'
The BBC said accurate weather headlines for Thursday included cooler, clearer air moving in, rain and drizzle in the south and blustery showers near the east coast.
A BBC spokesperson added: “We are aware of an issue with our third-party provider which means our Weather app and website are incorrectly predicting hurricane wind speeds everywhere. This is incorrect and we apologize. We are working with our supplier to correct this as quickly as possible.”
It came as Hurricane Milton struck Florida on Wednesday night with record flooding and devastating 120 mph winds that destroyed the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' baseball stadium.
Kirkwood said an error in the app caused the shocking figure and that the BBC was trying to rectify the problem.
She said: 'We are having a technical glitch at the moment. It's showing very fast wind speeds – hurricane force in fact – and of course that's not the case, so please don't be alarmed by that.'
Viewers such as former MP Dame Tracey Crouch were quick to draw comparisons to Michael Fish's infamous broadcast, dismissing concerns of a hurricane on October 15, 1987.
The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be severely damaged by Hurricane Milton on Thursday, October 10, 2024
Street lights are pictured on a ghostly, deserted street in Orlando, Florida
These satellite images, courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (RAMMB), taken on October 9, 2024, show the formation of Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico
A map of the wind hitting land tonight as Florida residents are told to 'hunker down'
Tropicana Stadium was a designated shelter for first responders and cleanup workers awaiting the aftermath of the historic storm and the destruction that followed. Images from inside the facility showed a field full of rubble with empty beds meant for sleeping.
The hurricane spawned deadly tornadoes that destroyed more than 100 homes in St Lucie County and killed “several people.”
Elsewhere, a gigantic crane came off the top of a building and crashed into the offices of the Tampa Bay Times. No injuries were reported.
A flash flood emergency was declared in the Tampa area and nearly three million people were without power across the Sunshine State.
The monster storm dissipated as it moved toward cities like Orlando, where emergency services have been shut down since Thursday.
Emergency teams have now prepared to venture into the wake of Milton's destruction in a bid to examine the wreckage and possibly save lives.
