One of the UK's most popular seaside resorts is issuing its own weather forecasts in an attempt to stop people relying on inaccurate predictions.
Blackpool has launched a weather webcast after people stayed away in their thousands from rival destination Bournemouth on the bank holiday Monday at the end of May – which subsequently turned out to be the hottest day of the year at the time – because the Met Office predicted thundery showers.
The move follows a survey showing that 48% of adults trust local sources to give an accurate forecast, compared to 33% who trust national sources.
The inspiration for the webcast is said to be cult film director David Lynch's daily web weather forecast for Los Angeles. VisitBlackpool is promising that its forecast will be delivered by a host of unusual characters from the resort, including contortionists, lifeguards, divers from the local sea life centre, who will give their forecast while under water, zookeepers and clowns, which sounds like the cast of a Lynch film.
However, this morning's effort by Antony Johns, the creative director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is definitely more Fred Talbot than David Lynch.
