Outdoor visitor attractions in Rotherham have joined with others across the UK to push for a change in how weather forecasts are displayed on popular apps.
Gulliver's, which operates the Rotherham family theme park, Gulliver's Valley; and the Tropical Butterfly House Wildlife Conservation Park, also based in Rotherham, are among operators missing out due to misleading rain icons.
A joint letter to the Met Office reads: "Tourism contributes around £147 billion a year to the UK, with domestic day visits accounting for over £50 billion of that total. Much of this is driven by spontaneous decisions, and for many families, those decisions hinge on one thing: a glance at a weather app.
"Research shows that around 70% of people check the forecast before making plans, meaning expectations about weather influence behaviour almost as much as the cost of a day out. Yet visitors are often deterred not by actual conditions, but by how forecasts are presented.
"Many apps summarise an entire 24-hour period with a single icon, so brief overnight rain can dominate the forecast and create the impression of a wet day. While more detailed data does exist, most users glance at the top-line symbol and plan their day accordingly.
"This means that a single raincloud icon can cost thousands of pounds in lost revenue – some predictions as high as £137,000 a day. Seasonal and outdoor venues are hit hardest, with some reporting attendance dropping as much as 30% after a negative forecast, even when opening hours remain dry.
"We greatly value the Met Office’s expertise and appreciate that your forecasts serve a wide range of audiences. We are not questioning the long-established science behind your work; rather we would welcome the opportunity to better understand the methodology behind how data is presented – and explore whether things could be done differently, particularly via third-party apps.
"To this end, we propose a roundtable discussion bringing together the Met Office, leading UK visitor attractions, the relevant Minister, and key app developers to explore an effective answer to this problem - and discuss how your influence could help shape improvements across third-party platforms. Possible solutions could include splitting icons into day and night conditions; adding concise summaries like “showers early, brighter later;” or introducing simple indicators, such as a percentage bar showing expected dry hours.
"Our shared goal is to ensure families have clear, useful information that supports informed decisions, without unintended consequences for the visitor economy."
Images: Gemini AI
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