BBC Weather Watchers Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that have reached us since Weather Watchers launched in November 2015.

WHO CAN JOIN

Can children join Weather Watchers?

Weather Watchers is only open to people who are 16 or older. Parents or teachers are welcome to involve children in their care in the club, but someone who's 16 or older will need to set up and oversee the account.

Can my weather group join Weather Watchers?

Yes, provided it's a non-commercial weather group.

Can I sign up on behalf of my business?

No. Weather Watchers is for private individuals and amateur weather groups; commercial enterprises, businesses, charities or organisations are not allowed to join.

GETTING STARTED

Is there an app?

We don't have plans to create an app. Weather Watchers is a responsive website so should work on phones and tablets. Simply save the URL to your homescreen (as a bookmark) for easy access. Refer to your device's instructions for help.

How do I join Weather Watchers?

Go to www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers.

If you have a BBC account (if you use BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds, you'll already have a BBC account), simply sign in using your existing credentials to get started as a Weather Watcher; if you don't, then you'll be asked to create a BBC account.

When you create a BBC account, we'll send you an email to verify your email address. You will need to verify your email address before you get started. We suggest you do this there and then as some users have experienced problems if they've left it for a while.

Once you've signed in to your BBC account via www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers, you'll be asked to set your Weather Watchers nickname and choose a 'home location'. This is how you will be described on the Weather Watchers site and across the BBC if we use your photos or observations. For example, 'this Weather Watcher photo is from Sarah in Windlesham'.

When choosing your nickname, please keep it clean - we won't accept any profanities or abusive terms.

I can't sign in to Weather Watchers via my BBC account. What should I do?

If you're having trouble signing in to your BBC account, see help signing in.

If you still can't sign in, you can contact the BBC account team directly by visiting the Need help? page, clicking the Still need more help? link and filling out the contact form.

If you've signed in to your BBC account successfully but are struggling to get started with Weather Watchers, please ensure that you have verified your email address. For more information, see I'm having problems verifying my email address.

What is my 'home location' and does it need to refer to my actual home?

Your home location is the place where you will generally report the weather from. It doesn't need to be your actual home; it's simply the place from which you'll report most often.

Can I post a report from an alternative location, e.g. if I've been elsewhere during the day?

Yes. When you create a weather report, you can choose to post it from your default home location or, if you've been elsewhere during the day, you should select the nearest available town or city to this alternative location.

To specify an alternative location, click into the location search bar from the 'Create a report' screen.

From here, you can: a) search for a town or city, or b) use the geolocate (find me) function.

If you choose the geolocate option (the icon looks like a little wheel), your device will use your GPS function to find the nearest place in our database. You will therefore need to ensure you have 'Location Services' enabled within your device's settings.

Can I post from outside the UK?

No. Weather Watchers covers the UK only.

CREATING A REPORT

How do I create a report / post a photo?

Once you've set up your Weather Watchers profile, click on the 'Create a report' button from the Weather Watchers homepage to begin recording your weather observations.

From the 'create report' screen, confirm your location, and date and time of your weather observation. You should then choose a weather symbol that best describes the weather conditions.

You can then upload a photo which illustrates the weather conditions you're reporting.

For more advanced users with data gathering equipment, you can also record the temperature, rainfall amount, pressure, wind speed and humidity. There's also a 'notes' box, which is for your reference only; other Weather Watchers won't see what's written here.

Post your report and, if you wish, share it via social media.

How many reports can I post a day?

Please limit the number of posts to a maximum of ten a day and only submit one or two of your best pictures at a time. Our 'Photos Near You' section is an automated feed and one person uploading many pictures at once limits the range of contributors we can feature.

I've made a mistake. Can I edit or delete my report?

You cannot currently edit a report, but you can delete it and start again. You can do this by opening the report (by clicking on it from the Weather Watchers homepage or your Weather Watchers Reports page) and clicking on the 'Delete this report' link that appears underneath.

I took a photo earlier today/yesterday. Can I 'backdate' my report?

Yes. When you create a report, you should always specify the time and date that you observed those weather conditions. You can adjust the time and date at the top of the 'create report' screen.

We cannot use reports/photos which contain incorrect data.

I've filled out my report but it won't post. The button that says 'Post this report' is grey and won't let me click on it. Why?

When creating your report, make sure that you have clicked on a weather symbol to select it; if no weather symbol is selected, the 'Post this report' button will appear grey. Once you've selected a weather symbol, the button will change colour and you can continue posting your report.

What makes a great Weather Watchers photo?

Any photos must be of places NOT of people. We're inviting you to upload your photos of the weather you're experiencing. Pictures should focus on scenery and illustrate the weather you're reporting: a beautiful sunrise, snow on a hedge, the bins blown over by the wind. We will not be able to accept any image that includes identifiable people and/or people in the foreground.

Generally, landscape photos work better on the site than portrait-style photos.

Ideally photos should be a minimum size of 1920 x 1080 pixels for us to be able to use them on the TV, but don't let that stop you uploading smaller pictures. Photos should be no larger than 10 MB (megabytes).

To use a photo, you must have taken it yourself, (or have permission from the person who took it). Breaking copyright law can result in being taken to court. By uploading a photo you confirm that you have taken it, and that the data of the report is correct e.g. the date, time, and location of the photo. For more information, see the BBC's guide to Copyright.

Will my photos and weather observations be used on the BBC?

Maybe! By signing up to BBC Weather Watchers, you give permission for us to use information in your weather reports (including photos) across the BBC. Any 'notes' you include in your report are for your records only, so we won't share or use them on air. We will only use your reports in the context of Weather Watchers or weather-related stories. You retain the copyright to photographs that you own and share with us. See below for more information on copyright.

How will I know if you use my photos on the BBC?

If your picture has been used, an 'Editor's Pick' badge should appear on it.

An 'Editor's Pick' badge has appeared on one of my reports. What does that mean?

An Editor's Pick is a Weather Watchers report that we may use on TV or online; your report may appear on one of our social media feeds (e.g. @BBCWeather on Twitter, external or @BBCWeather on Instagram, external) or in a picture gallery. In some way, it's helped us to tell the story of the weather where you are, and we want you to know we appreciate it.

If your photo has been chosen as an Editor's Pick, you'll see the virtual badge appear on your report when you next visit Weather Watchers. We're afraid we can't alert you to where it's specifically been used, so keep an eye on our website, social media feeds, and TV broadcasts.

Other Weather Watchers will be able to see if they search through the reports on the map or browse via the Photos near you page. It will also appear for a time on the 'Weather Watchers bulletin' towards the bottom of the Weather Watchers homepage.

Find out more about how we choose an Editor's Pick.

USING MY INFORMATION

To learn more about how Weather Watchers collect, use and protect personal information about you, in accordance with data protection law, please check our Privacy Notice.

Why do you need my email address?

When you register with us, we ask for your email so we can validate your access to the site and for other service administration purposes. From time to time we may also contact Weather Watchers to ask if they'd like to take part in related TV or radio programmes, or online features. The BBC complies with the 1998 Data Protection Act, and with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR).

For more information, see the BBC's guide to keeping your info safe & sound.

How do I protect my privacy online?

When taking weather photos, avoid identifying individual private buildings or homes. Please don't include anything that can directly identify your specific location; for example, no house names or numbers, no street names, no building names, and no descriptions of the location of your house.

Remember that your nickname is public, so you may prefer to avoid using your full name.

For more information, see the BBC's guide to keeping your info safe & sound.

To learn more about how Weather Watchers collect, use and protect personal information about you, in accordance with data protection law, please check our Privacy Notice.

INAPPROPRIATE PHOTOS

Photos should be of places not identifiable people. Anything obscene, offensive or that would be considered unacceptable to be shown to a family audience on the BBC should not appear on Weather Watchers.

Anyone who posts inappropriate images may have their accounts suspended.

How do I report an inappropriate photo?

Weather Watchers can report inappropriate photos for removal by using the "Report photo" link which appears below other Weather Watchers' photos. Our moderation team will take it from there.

The photo on my report has disappeared. What's happened?

You may have uploaded a photo that doesn't comply with our house rules.

You're welcome to delete the report and upload an alternative photo that complies with our house rules.

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT

Can I change my nickname and/or home location?

Yes. You can change your Weather Watchers nickname and/or home location by visiting your Weather Watchers Settings page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers/settings/.

How do I update my email address?

To update the email address associated with your BBC account, see How do I update my email address?

How do I change my password?

To update your BBC account password, see How do I change my password?

Can I leave Weather Watchers?

We'll be sad to see you go, but if you do want to leave and have your account removed, email your request to [email protected].

COMMON QUERIES

Why is there a delay in my nickname appearing? My nickname says 'Nickname pending approval'. Why?

Our moderation team will take a quick look at your nickname to ensure it complies with our House Rules. In the meantime, you'll see 'Nickname pending approval'. If it's fine, your nickname will appear shortly. If there's a problem, our moderation team will let you know and ask you to pick a different nickname.

If your nickname has been 'pending approval' for a very long time, email your details to [email protected].

I cannot find my report on the map. Why?

Sometimes your report's 'pin' may not be exactly where you expect it on the map; if there are a number of reports posted within any given area, pins will 'cluster' together. If they didn't, the map would quickly become very difficult to read.

If you can't see your report on the map, check out nearby pins; your report is likely clustered with other Weather Watchers' reports.

Why do some Weather Watchers seem to be posting the same photo?

If a Weather Watcher's report doesn't include a photo, you'll see a generic, illustrative image relevant to the weather symbol they've chosen instead. This is usually a blue sky or some clouds.

CONTACT US

How can I get in touch with the Weather Watchers team?

You can reach us at [email protected] if your question isn't addressed here.

Do not send photos directly to this address as they will not be considered for broadcast. If you would like to share weather pictures with the BBC, please create a Weather Watchers profile and post them via www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers.