Frankie MacDonald has caused something of an Internet storm over his YouTube weather postings.

The 28-year-old autistic man’s reports, posted online daily from his home in Sydney, N.S., and advertised on his Twitter feed, have generated many negative comments with some making fun of him and taking rude, personal shots.

At the same time, others are rushing to his defence and urging him to continue.

This kind of online exchange has pushed a few of his YouTube postings well over the 100,000 mark.

But at the centre of it, although he tries to ignore the negativity, MacDonald told the Toronto Star he is hurt by the negative comments.

The positive comments made him feel “great,” he said in an email.

However, he added he tries to “ignore” the negative feedback.

He finds these comments “rude and disrespectful,” he said.

“Some of the people make fun of me on the Internet and it is not a nice thing to do. I have a good heart.”

You’ve probably never heard weather reports like this — or seen a weatherman like this.

MacDonald will never challenge Al Roker as a forecaster, but the amateur weatherman is having the time of his life.

“People of Toronto, be prepared,” he announces on his latest report, adding the city is going to get more than 30 cm. of snow Wednesday.

“Supposed to be whiteout conditions, reduced visibility,” he bellows. “Have your winter boots ready and your winter jackets ready . . . roads will be covered. People of Toronto, be prepared. Order your pizzas and order your Chinese food and five cases of pop because it’s going to be a terrible snowstorm to hit Toronto, Ontario . . . have your iPads and your iPhones charged just in case the power goes out . . . do your grocery shopping right now. Don’t wait for the last minute. Do it RIGHT NOW.”

By reviewing weather reports on his computer and on television for research, MacDonald puts together his own forecasts, uploads them to YouTube and tweets them.

Messages of thanks for his latest missive have poured in.

“Thanks dude, appreciate the warning,” one person commented.

Said another: “Thanks for the heads up Frankie ... Glad you are at the helm keeping﻿ us informed . . . Have a great day!”

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Despite his disability, MacDonald is far from handicapped at the keyboard.

Not only does he create his own video reports, he has embraced Twitter — where he has more than 4,700 followers — and Facebook, where he has more than 1,600 likes on his page.

People are taking notice and, as word spreads, more people are discovering this lovable, passionate forecaster.

Both Canadian and American television stations have featured him on their newscasts.

On Facebook and elsewhere, people are rallying behind MacDonald and urging him to ignore the criticism and stay strong.

“Don’t let anybody deter you from doing what you love Frank,” one person said. “Anybody that makes rude or ignorant comments towards you are just jealous.”

MacDonald’s aunt, Darlene MacDonald, told the CBC she doesn’t like what some people are saying.

“They (critics) don’t know what autism is and they don’t realize (those with autism) have feelings too,” she said.

Frankie shows no signs of quitting.

“To him, that’s his life,” his aunt told the CBC. “He lives for it.”

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