WEATHERMAN Graham Fullarton could soon be using his forecasting skills to predict illness.

Bosses at the Royal Bolton Hospital have come up with the idea of harnessing his talents to find out if they will be swamped with patients whose ailments are linked to the weather.

Mr Fullarton, a data protection manager at the hospital, is studying how hot and cold spells could allow better planning for NHS bosses trying to reduce waiting lists and save money.

Scientists are currently attempting to come up with a system to forecast weather for the next three months -- at the moment they can only give one-month predictions.

A pilot project to give detailed forecasts to NHS Trusts is due to get under way next winter.

"The changes in the weather are linked to different illnesses, which could be linked to improving planning," said Mr Fullarton.

"The number of sufferers of hayfever and asthma, for example, rises as it gets hotter and lighter."

But illness is only one area where accurate weather predictions would come in handy.

"The scope for weather forecasting is massive. It could soon be used in retail to predict clothing and food buying trends," claims Mr Fullarton.

"In hot weather, the sales of cat food drops dramatically. If temperatures rise above 20 degrees centigrade, then the sales of women's tights falls."

According to the meteorologist, who has his own weather centre in the back garden of his Turton home, cold weather means a high incidence of people suffering cardiac attacks.

Mild, damp weather also signals a rise in respiratory illnesses, while frosty weather causes a large influx of patients who have suffered nasty breaks due to slips and falls.

Forecasting good weather -- when the workload is lower than normal -- could allow hospitals to book in extra waiting list patients.

It is hoped that the predictions could save the cash-strapped hospital hundreds of thousands of pounds and help cut waiting lists.

BOLTON'S eco-system is changing, with the town's weather gets hotter in summer and wetter in winter.

Mr Fullarton's findings, part of a nationwide study, indicate that in the past 10 years Bolton has become mild, wet and warm -- in line with the general rise in temperatures of the surrounding seas and oceans.

And his predictions for April and May? Very dry and sunny.