100 years of BBC shipping forecast

The BBC yesterday celebrated 100 years of a weather forecast for sailors in British waters that has inspired musicians and poets and become a fixture on UK radio.

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The Shipping Forecast, providing predictions by the Met Office on expected wind speeds, sea state, weather and visibility, began as a vital service to sailors and sea captains who may be in peril at sea.

Modern seafarers can now rely on sophisticated forecasting technology, but the calm, rhythmic delivery of the forecast by one of BBC Radio 4's silky-voiced continuity announcers has turned the forecast into something of a beloved British institution.