Beginning May 1, Chinese amateur forecasters are prohibited by the Chinese Meteorological Administration from publishing their weather reports. Violators of the ban could face a fine of up to CNY50,000 or US$8,000.

The new regulation includes weather predictions that involve clouds, wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, humidity levels and visibility, reports the Wall Street Journal. It said the only official forecast should come from the agency.

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Because of hobbyist forecasters who exaggerate forecasts to gain fame, the prediction terrify people and affects their plans. Global Times, a state-run tabloid, cited a hobbyist's forecast that a super typhoon would hit Fujian province in the early part of 2015.

As a result, some Chinese cancelled their travel plans since the forecast predicted extremely bad weather just before a major holiday.

Ni Shun, a recreational meteorologist from Shanghai, finds the new rule reasonable and thought it would not affect regular weather hobbyists like himself who post their forecasts on social media sites. He points out that he bases his forecast from the bulletins of the meteorological observatory and adds some of his predictions.

Another amateur forecaster, Huatenglongxin, said on microblogging site Weibo that the new rules would not affect him, but he promised to be more sensitive in using words that discuss weather phenomena such as typhoons. Huatenlongxin gained fame in 2009 when he accurately predicted a cold front in Shanghai.

By banning amateur forecasts and consolidating weather information from official sources, it could "curb negative causes brought by too many sources," Ecns.com quotes Yu Xinwen, deputy head of the administration.

In the U.S., an amateur forecaster predicted that the spring shower would go around the stadium during the Miami Marlins game in early April. But the cloud moved overhead and poured rain on the stadium's open roof, causing sports fan to run for cover.

The amateur forecaster, David Samson, who is also the president of the Miami Marlins, relied on the weather app on his smartphone. He did not check with the National Weather Service, reports the Sun Sentinel. The service's forecast for that day was a 10 percent chance of rain in the afternoon.

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