DORSET has given a cool reception to a new Met Office global four-month forecast which predicts a wetter than usual summer.

The new service was launched this week but the county Tourism leaders - still working to repair the impact of last year's foot and mouth outbreak - took it with a pinch of salt and predicted that Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset would comfortably weather the rainy forecast.

Weymouth Hotels and Catering Association president Keith Salmon said: "What has annoyed me in the past have been forecasts predicting rain when Weymouth ends up getting sunshine.

"This puts people off coming here when in reality we are all out on the beach.

"The Met Office's new long-range forecast should be treated cautiously. They often get short term forecasts wrong and I feel people should not consider cancelling holidays here just because of a general forecast four months ahead which is highly unlikely to relate directly to Weymouth."

West Dorset leisure and tourism manager Nick Thornley said: "Wet weather has never been a big problem for us before and I feel that if it does happen then it will be good news for our indoor attractions such as Dorset County Museum, the Dinosaur Museum and Athelhampton House.

"Anyway, our bookings for this summer have done very well and are unlikely to be affected by this forecast."

Weymouth weatherman Bob Poots said that the resort had already had nearly 20 per cent more rain this May than average.

But he urged residents and holidaymakers alike not to get too gloomy about long-range predictions for a wet summer because forecasts were so often wrong.

He added: "Up to now Met Office forecasts have usually been 96 hours, occasionally ten days or a month, so to start giving weight to what are admittedly general forecasts for the country as a whole for the next 120 days is pretty optimistic.

"Things can change and it is early days yet to start predicting a wet summer, particularly as so far this year we have had 100 hours more sunshine in Weymouth than the average for this time of year."

Weymouth tourism spokesman Coun Brian Ellis refused to have his summer season enthusiasm dampened by the predictions.

He said today: "We have to take what the weather throws at us, but we seem to have our own micro climate which gives us better weather than the rest of the country.

"Weather forecasts have been proved to be wrong over just a few days, so we must hope that they are wrong over this much longer period of 120 days.

"Tourism is the lifeblood of Weymouth and any spell of poor weather during the summer season is bound to affect us.

"We will just have to wait and see how accurate the new long-range forecast is and whether Weymouth escapes what is being predicted."

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "The seasonal forecast, available on the Met Office website, says it is likely to be wetter than average in western parts of the UK but the extent of the wet weather has since been exaggerated.

"We would add that we expect these forecasts to be useful for businesses and organisations making long-term plans based on the weather, but they are not suitable for anyone planning a holiday or an event on a specific day."