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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
David Hambling

RARE PHOTOS: How coded wartime forecasts kept intelligence out of enemy hands | Rare Historical Photos

Field of harvested bales and a red farm gate
Wartime censors stopped daily public forecasts and switched to coded agricultural bulletins called Pabulum. Photograph: ZAKmac/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Data security is not just a modern issue. The BBC stopped its daily weather forecasts as soon as the second world war started. They had been a feature of the radio schedule since 1923 but continuing them would have given vital weather intelligence to the Germans.

In particular, the forecast provided information about when skies would be clear, what winds were blowing and when storms were expected, all of which would be helpful for the Luftwaffe when planning bombing raids.

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