SUPERMARKET giant Morrisons has introduced weather forecasts into its stores to help customers plan for the weekend and help avoid food waste from ruined barbecues and picnics.

From Friday, July 28, weekend weather forecasts will be placed at the front of each of the Bradford-based firm's 491 stores across the country for the rest of the summer holidays. There will also be weather announcements over the store tannoys.

Research for the company found that 58 per cent of people have not seen the weather forecast when doing their shopping. As a result, more than a fifth (21 per cent) say they buy the wrong food for the weather. Additionally, almost a third (31 per cent) of customers find themselves commonly doing an additional shopping trip because weather is unexpectedly good or bad.

The localised alerts played over the in-store PA system and shown on the weatherboard at the front of the store will be updated at 5pm every Thursday throughout the summer.

A Morrisons spokesman said: “We can’t change the weather but we hope that by giving our customers up-to-date local barbecue forecasts we will help them plan their shopping and make the most of our fresh British food this summer.”

As part of the research, Morrisons has also revealed the top ten barbecue spoilers:

1. The unreliable weather (40 per cent)

2. A sudden downpour (36 per cent)

3. A lack of people showing up (12 per cent)

4. Technical difficulties with the barbecue (ten per cent)

5. A lack of preparation (eight per cent)

6. Undercooked food (five per cent)

7. Lack of planning when buying food (five per cent)

8. BBQ food going off before there is an opportunity to use (five per cent)

9. Not being able to get to the shops in time (four per cent)

10. Shops being closed on the day of the BBQ (four per cent)

The forecasts will run until September 1.