Forecasters abused over climate claims

WEATHER forecasters received ‘unprecedented’ levels of online abuse while reporting on the UK’s record-breaking heatwave.

Internet trolls targeted, among other organisations, the Met Office and the BBC – many angered by references to climate change. Temperatures breached 40C for the first time in Britain on July 19, prompting health warnings. Tweets said the advice was for ‘snowflakes’, while others said forecasters were ‘scaremongering’ and spreading ‘hysteria’, the BBC reported. BBC meteorologist Matt Taylor said the ‘abusive’ backlash was the worst in nearly 25 years, adding: ‘I switched off a bit from it all as it became too depressing to read.’

The Met Office’s Alex Deakin urged people to listen to evidence on climate change rather than unverified claims made online.