BFMTV weather service receives threats over 'too red' weather maps

The weather service of the French channel BFMTV has been inundated with dozens of insults and threats from viewers who object to the use of red on its weather maps. The complaints primarily come from climate skeptics who believe the channel is exaggerating the severity of climate change by using increasingly deep red hues to incite panic.

Weatherman Kévin Floury reported receiving these abusive messages via social media for over 24 hours. He noted that the complainants dispute the use of red on BFMTV's weather maps, asserting that the Earth is not warming and that media outlets are deliberately using red to create alarm. Marc Hay, head of the weather service, described the situation as a "wave of aggressiveness" and stated that climate change deniers "make a lot of noise but have few arguments." Hay expressed his support for Floury and emphasized the importance of providing accurate information.

BFMTV has condemned the threats and stated that it will not alter its color-coding system. The channel maintains that its use of colors is based on data and standard meteorological practices. Attacks on news services by climate deniers are not uncommon, with social media often featuring misleading comparisons of past and present weather maps to suggest alarmism. While VRT has also faced similar criticism, meteorologist Bram Verbruggen explained that temperature maps are shown exceptionally and that color scales can vary between broadcasters, stressing the importance of checking the map's legend.