A FRUSTRATED campsite boss told how wrong or misleading weather forecasts are costing him a fortune. Andrew Donaldson revealed guests tend to cancel at the last minute when the Beeb predicts rain. 3 Campsite boss Andrew Donaldson sees guests cancelling when rain is forecast Credit: SUPPLIED 3 Andrew believes campers are put off by rain but feels the prediction can be misleading Credit: SUPPLIED 3 Andrew has run Comrie Croft in Perthshire for the past 21 years But he’s fed up because that could be a brief shower at 6pm.
And he feels that is not reflected in the weather summary or headline for the day. Andrew said: “It really does affect us. “If the weather forecast for the weekend is negative then the cancellations will start coming in.
Sometimes as late as the day before. “Over the course of the whole season we are talking tens of thousands of pounds in lost business. It is significant.
” Read more on weather WARMING UP Scots set to enjoy more sunshine this weekend - but only after midweek downpours WARM UP Scotland heats up in 21C sunshine this week as experts reveal summer update Andrew has run Comrie Croft in Crieff, Perthshire , for the last 21 years. It operates as a hostel and campsite as well as welcoming in day guests who sample the farm shop cafe and hire bikes. But he believes they are turned off as soon as they look up the BBC weather forecast online and see the symbol warning them to expect rain.
And he thinks that most of the time the real weather is being misrepresented in an attempt to give an overview. Most read in Travel 'A MESS' NC500 local brands area the 'Wild West' after 'feral' campers destroy beauty spot RIDE ON New European theme park to open with 50 attractions and mermaid themed lands HIGH LIFE I saw dream job ad on way to work, now I live in luxury and fly around world STRIKE OUT Strikes across Europe to cause summer travel chaos - find out if you're affected Andrew explained: “People tend to only read the headline. They don’t go and look at the hour by hour detail.
“Usually that seems to edge towards being negative and giving the idea the weather isn’t going to be good so they don’t go anywhere. “But often there is a conflict between the two and they don’t seem to add up. It is bonkers that they do this.
“Sometimes it will be raining at tea time, which wouldn’t have much of an impact anyway. But that means there is a rain symbol for the whole day.” Andrew can work out how much he loses in cancelled bookings but it’s harder to figure out how much potential day visitors don’t turn up.
He said: “The cancelled bookings are the tip of the iceberg. "I think the bigger problem is people staying at home and choosing to do something else because they think it’s going to rain. “It must have a knock on effect on our health and our economy.
” Andrew revealed he’s attempted to contact the BBC several times to talk about the issue. He said: “It would be great if they would engage with me. It’s something I’ve had a problem with for a long time.
“They must be one of the must trusted sources in the UK for weather forecasts. “I’d love to be able to try and get across some of these issues to them and hopefully they would take them onboard.” The Beeb’s weather forecasts are compiled along with data firm MeteoGroup.
A BBC spokesman said: “BBC Weather updates every hour to give audiences the most accurate reflection of the conditions at any time across national and local broadcasts and digital weather. Read more on the Scottish Sun NIGHT LIGHT Northern Lights to be visible over Scotland tonight - where & when to see them GRIN & BER IT Our stunning Scots seaside town is 'best in UK' - but tourists are ruining it “The day symbol reflects the weather conditions likely to have the greatest impact on people’s lives. “This may give emphasis to a short, specific spell of weather on any day, and is designed to be read in context with the broader picture and hour-by-hour detail which changes according to the latest data.
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