荷蘭議員：誤報天氣者應該罰款

荷蘭一些地方議員最近提議對錯誤預報天氣狀況的預報員進行罰款，稱這些“糟糕”的預報嚴重影響了當地的海灘旅遊經濟。荷蘭旅遊景點協會負責人指出，過去一週，全國大部分地區天氣都很好，可天氣預報卻總說會有降雨和雷暴，導致遊客都取消出遊計劃，很多旅遊景點都蒙受了損失。他對總部位於希佛薩姆的KNMI氣象局提出指責，稱“希佛薩姆上空有降雨並不代表國內其他地區也會有降雨”。對此，KNMI氣象局發言人迴應稱，當地電視、廣播及報紙媒體從他們那裏得到的是天氣預報的原始數據，至於如何將其呈現給受衆則是各媒體自己的事情。

Local councillors in the Netherlands are calling for weather forecasters who get their predictions wrong to be fined.

The demand comes from Labour councillors in Hoek van Holland who say that "bad" forecasts are spoiling the local seaside trade.

It follow claims that wrong forecasts in both the Netherlands and Belgium are damaging outdoor attractions as day trippers cancel plans to go out because of poor weather prospects.

Joep Thonissen, head of Recron, the Dutch tourist attraction association, said "incorrect" forecasts were causing "considerable damage" to visitor attractions.

He said, "Last week it was really good weather over Most of the country but the weather forecasts were full of heavy rain and thunderstorms, so people stayed home."

KNMI, the commercial weather bureau, based at Hilversum, near Amsterdam, whose forecasts are widely used by Dutch TV and newspapers, has been blamed with Mr Thonissen saying: "Heavy rain above Hilversum does not mean that is the case in the rest of the country."

Pieter van Cutsem, who runs a small hotel in Hoek van Holland, agrees that forecasters should be "punished" for incorrect predictions, saying: "Despite having more forecasting tools than ever before they often get it wrong.

"Recent weather reporting has been completely inaccurate and it is hitting local businesses dearly because people are cancelling bookings. I agree they should be fined on the grounds of disseminating incorrerct information."

Cees Molenaars, a spokesman for KNMI told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: "TV, radio and newspapers use the raw data we deliver but it is up to them to how their forecasts turn out."

Last week, tourist attraction bosses in Belgium called for "less pessimistic forecasts" and urged meteorologists to pay as much attention to sun as they do to rain.