Chester Zoo summit aims to tackle 'misleading' weather apps

Chester Zoo is hosting a summit aimed at addressing misleading weather apps that it says cost the attraction up to £137,000 per day through lost visitor income. The zoo launched a campaign in March after COO Dom Strange said a single rain icon—suggesting even a brief shower—was deterring some visitors. It is now holding the meeting with the Met Office, government officials and 16 major UK attractions, including Bletchley Park, Go Ape and the Zoological Society of London. The group wants a Norwegian-style, four-slot forecast that splits the day into six-hour windows and includes a “dry hours” indicator rather than relying on one icon. A survey reported by Chester Zoo and Navigate found over 60% of attractions saw visitor drops of more than 40% after poorly displayed forecasts, with some losing more than half their visitors.