Wicksteed Park among 80 tourist attractions backing calls for weather app changes

Chester Zoo is leading a nationwide push to change how weather forecasts are displayed on popular apps, which can lead to attendance drops of up to 30 per cent for visitor attractions.

They have coordinated a joint approach to the Met Office on behalf of more than 80 outdoor attractions, including Wicksteed Park as well as the Eden Project, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blenheim Palace, arguing that a single raincloud icon summarising a 24-hour period can create the impression of a washout even when much of the day is dry.

Visitors can make decisions based on a quick glance at a phone screen and if they see a raincloud, plans are cancelled.

Tourism contributes £147bn annually to the UK economy, with domestic day trips worth more than £50bn.

Spontaneous visits are highly weather-dependent and research suggests around 70 per cent of people check forecasts before heading out.

The group says it is not challenging forecast accuracy, but how the information is visually presented.

Kelly Richardson, director of Wicksteed Park, said the single rain cloud symbol is used when there is only a slight chance of rain and, even if the majority of the day is fine, it is dissuading families from having days out.

Kelly told the Northants Telegraph: “It seems so easy. You take a look at the weather app on your phone and it tells you that it is going to rain.

"But when you drill down, it might only be a 20 per cent chance of rain at 4pm."

The group is calling for a roundtable with the Met Office, government and major weather app developers to explore practical improvements.

These include separate daytime and overnight weather icons, clearer written summaries such as ‘showers early, brighter later’ and indicators showing the proportion of expected dry hours.

The groups says clearer presentation would give families confidence to plan and help protect thousands of jobs across the UK visitor economy.

Tabitha Aldrich-Smith is the Met Office’s associate director for communications and engagement.

She said: “Our weather forecasts - including on our app, YouTube channel, and website - offer a variety of ways for people across the UK to stay informed about the weather.

"We are committed to providing accessible forecasts tailored to make the most of the UK weather.

"Recognising that days out are an integral part of our culture, we aim to support the outdoor industry, from attractions to festivals, as they prepare for the season ahead. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with the tourism sector.”