The Met Office has said it will “take on board” concerns shared in an open letter from more than 100 visitor attractions regarding the use of the raincloud symbol, highlighting the fact that the image can lead to £137,000-per-day in lost revenue when used to indicate overnight rain or short showers.
The Met Office has agreed to review its use of the raincloud symbol on its website and apps after more than 100 visitor attractions signed an open letter explaining how the appearance of the icon can impact trade by more than £137,000 per day.
The letter highlighted that the symbol is often used when rain occurs overnight or in short showers, but has a hugely detrimental impact on footfall, with research showing approximately 70 percent of people check the forecast before making plans.
“We want our app to be as enabling as possible, and we’d urge users to check the hourly symbols and make the most of the features within the app,” said Grahame Madge, the Met Office’s climate science communicator.
“The weather is complicated, and trying to distil it into simple symbols is a challenge that all weather apps face, which is why we also provide layered information to allow people to find out more.”
The letter proposed 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 the problem, as well as a discussion on how the Met Office’s influence could help shape improvements across third-party platforms.
Suggested improvements included splitting icons into day and night conditions, adding concise summaries, or introducing simple indicators, such as a percentage bar showing expected dry hours.
“We have had dialogue and a meeting and we will take their points on board,” said Madge.
“Balancing those points against the needs of other sectors is now a matter for internal debate.”
Met Office weather the storm
Grahame Madge said… “We have had dialogue and a meeting and we will take their points on board. Balancing those points against the needs of other sectors is now a matter for internal debate…
