SFB – the point you so spectacularly miss is that if you combine the general weather forecast with a knowledge of your own area and an ability to read a weather chart you can actually do quite well. I can’t remember the last time I was caught in unexpected weather of any sort – up in the mountains or down in the lowlands.
Weather forecast says warm front coming in from the shouth west – look out of the window to the south and see if you can see it. Once you see it you have a couple of hours until it rains. Often they are delayed reaching edinburgh because of the shape of the land.
Easterlies = haar around here on a rising tide on a warm day – and so on.