both of the "solutions" put forth does not solve the underlying problem, they only mitigate somewhat the issue. i.e. the issue will always come back at some point.
The problem being that GK Weather module is unable to handle any availability errors in the weather feed in an effective way.
Suggested changes for a better module
,
1. Dont assume feed is always available. Silently use backup data regardless of the cache setting.
2. Change the helper file to separate feed code into individual files. This will allow more feeds to be used. i.e. I could then add an Australian specific feed thats available from the govt weather website.
3. Ensure the generated html is the same regardless of the feed used. This way you dont need to make styles for each feed.
4. Have the ability to select a secondary feed as a fallback, in the event the primary feed is unavailable.