KEY POINTS:
Far North Mayor Wayne Brown is demanding an apology for a weather forecast he claims drove Labour Weekend visitors away and cost the region dearly.
But the MetService is sticking to its guns, saying it predicted rain - and rain it did.
Mr Brown said visitors heading for the Far North's camping grounds and beaches would have had second thoughts after hearing the heavy-rain warning. But all three days of the long weekend turned out "okay", with Saturday sunny and Sunday perfect.
Now Mr Brown wants the MetService to say sorry for getting it wrong, saying forecasters had to consider the impact of their predictions on tourism.
"People were put off coming north for the long weekend because the forecasts were so bad," Mr Brown said. "Anyone thinking of coming up here with a boat or a tent or envisaging a weekend at the beach would have cancelled the trip ... Thus we had hotels, motels, pubs, restaurants and tourism ventures missing out on long weekend trade they desperately needed.
"These are lean times and people cannot afford to lose business because someone in a city somewhere gets a weather forecast wrong."
MetService forecaster Bob McDavitt said a heavy rain warning issued on Thursday for Friday mentioned 50-60mm of rain on the hills between the Bay of Islands and Whangarei.
Kerikeri got 25mm, but more would have fallen in the hills.
"It wasn't too bad a front, but we were concerned it might raise river levels quickly."
Mr McDavitt said he had "had a chat" with Mr Brown yesterday, but no apology was needed. The forecast was for showers, and showers did turn up - even if the tourists didn't. "Though it didn't rain much in Mangonui, where Mr Brown is located."
The MetService could only consider the weather when making a forecast, not the economy.
"We have a look at the front and decide whether it's worth a warning. This one was, just, so we toned it down in the warning."
Mr Brown said the MetService needed to be sure of its facts before making forecasts that could hurt the district's economy.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
