Schafernaker aimed his gesture at news anchor Simon McCoy who had sarcastically said his weather forecast would be "100 percent accurate". Almost immediately panic-stricken Schafernaker realised he had been caught on camera and tried to digsuise the one-finger salute by rubbing his face.
A BBC spokesman said: "The News Channel presenter in the studio acknowledged a mistake had been made, and we apologise for any offence caused."
Schafernaker is no stranger to controversy having previously stumbled over his words and forecasted a "muddy shite" for Glastonbury and outraged Scottish viewers by labelling the Outer Hebrides "nowheresville".
