OUTDOOR summer hot-spots around Merseyside are bracing themselves for fewer visitors if August is a wash-out.

And, after two dismal summers, Knowsley Safari Park was taking no chances with some of its new emu and ostrich arrivals.

“The last two summers have been diabolical,” says David Ross, general manager of the safari park.

“The scrapings (nests) our South American emus’ and ostriches’ eggs are incubated in flooded, so the eggs didn’t hatch. When weather forecasters predicted this would be the hottest summer around, we thought, ‘do we believe them?’ So we sent the eggs away to be incubated and they came back dry and alive, thanks to not believing the Met Office.”

Ian Smith, chief executive of Pontin’s owner Ocean Parks, says damp weather is affecting bookings. People hold off booking their holiday because they’re looking at the weather and waiting to see if it’s going to improve. If it’s sunny, we get a massive surge of bookings for that particular weekend.”

Organisers of Woodvale Rally, a huge outdoor event in Ainsdale featuring model aircraft, stunt bikes, classic cars and stalls, are hoping for good weather.

“Obviously, because it’s a very outdoors event, if the weather’s awful people won’t come,” says Peter Wood, rally manager.

EMMA PINCH