Radio 4 suffers technical fault meaning World Service broadcast instead of weather forecast that first went on air in 1924

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

It was early-morning chaos and warnings of impending armageddon when BBC Radio 4 failed to broadcast the Shipping Forecast for the first time in more than 90 years.

The BBC radio service is something of an institution, metronomically broadcasting four forecasts a day since 1924, a routine which failed for the first time at 5.20am on Friday.

A technical glitch meant the BBC's World Service was played in its place, a gaffe that prompted listeners to take to Twitter to voice their bewilderment.

Kirsty Connell said: "Eep. The shipping forecast didn't get broadcast on @BBCRadio4 this morning. Isn't that the sign of impending nuclear armageddon?"

Jordan Rowland added: "No shipping forecast? If UK submarines don't get shipping forecast, don't they launch nuclear attack?"

The BBC was only able to resolve the issue at 5.40am when it cut back to the Radio 4 programme. Friday morning's Shipping Forecast eventually aired 6.40am.

BBC Radio 4 presenter Kathy Clugson apologised for the mistake, saying: "You're listening to BBC Radio 4. Our apologies. It's 5.40am and we've been happily broadcasting News Briefing. But unfortunately due to a technical error, you've not been hearing us, so you have been hearing the BBC World Service.

"We're sorry about that. We're looking into it and we'll try and broadcast the Shipping Forecast for long-wave listeners during the course of the Today programme."

But for some the damage to their established morning routine had already been done.

"Confused by Radio 4 failing to start broadcasting at 5.25 this morning," tweeted Graham Patterson. "No shipping forecast, no shipping forecast, no bbcnewsbriefing. Bad start to a Friday."

The incident also allowed for a predictable link to headline-grabbing UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Mark Johnston tweeted: "Nation in peril? BBC radio fails to broadcast shipping forecast this morning. Expect Farage to blame Brussels within the hour."

Produced by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the shipping forecast is aired at 12.48am, 5.20am, 12.01pm and 5.54pm.

Friday's mishap is not the first time the Shipping Forecast has run aground.

In 2010, Radio 4 presenter Susan Powell read out a forecast which had already been given out 24 hours earlier.

"'Unfortunately our usual switch from BBC World Service, which is broadcast on Radio 4 overnight, didn't go as planned and was delayed by around 20 minutes," said a spokeswoman for BBC Radio 4. "We apologise for the inconvenience."

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