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Gone are those days when weather forecasts were only available on TV, Radio, or a weather station.
People had to rely on those alone, which often proved wrong. But, with climate change causing unpredictable and sometimes dangerous weather patterns, the technology needed to evolve. Nowadays, you can get a forecast right where you are on your phone or computer.
A weather app can check how your day is going to be weather-wise and inform you how it will be at your destination if you are traveling.
It can go as far as helping pilots dodge a storm or heavy truck drivers decide on better routes. The best weather apps deliver everything from the latest forecast to severe weather warnings.
These days, nearly every device already has its built-in weather app. But you may still need a better-performing application, apart from that.
While some apps provide you with incredibly detailed forecasts, others come packed with radar images, severe weather warnings, and even information about air quality. A list of such apps is mentioned below.
1. Forecast Bar
It is a feature-rich weather forecast app through which you can get weather alerts on your Mac. It is packed with valuable capabilities, like live weather details, extended forecasts, etc.
2. The Weather Channel
It is a free, ad-supported weather app available on Android and iOS. The app provides you with the latest Doppler radar temperature, wind, and visibility data on an hourly or daily basis, with an extended 10-day forecast available.
3. WeatherBug
It helps you track a developing weather situation. It not only offers Doppler radar but can provide hurricane forecasts, spark lightning alerts, air quality info, and pollen count data on top of the usual array of weather information.
4. AccuWeather
The app’s daily forecasts offer everything from rain probability to air quality, wind, cloud coverage, and UV index. Its live radar feature lets you track storms, snow, ice, and temperature changes.
With AccuWeather’s MinuteCast and Winter cast, you can get minute-by-minute precipitation updates and a heads up on snowfall probabilities.
5. Emergency: Alerts
When disaster strikes, you’ll be glad you have Emergency: Alerts from the American Red Cross. It keeps tabs on everything from hurricanes and floods to extreme heat and winter storms. The app also features customizable alerts and provides a map with shelter information in an emergency.
According to HuffingtonPost, weather apps are intended to help plan numerous things like trips, boating, farming, camping, arranging sports games, etc. If you use an app, it needs to be accurate enough to rely on it. These are some essential features a weather application should have
- The most important feature of a weather app is its accuracy. It should show the percentage of rain being predicted, indicating how cloudy the weather will be with perfect wind predictions.
- It should work online. Weather constantly changes, and a weather app gets its updates from the internet. Only an app that uses an internet connection can give you accurate weather updates.
- It should continually update its radar. Using a radar updated app is like getting weather updates straight from a meteorologist or weather station.
- Your weather app should be able to work as your travel app. It should give you an update about the weather of your local area and beyond its borders so that you have a bigger picture of the regional weather.
- The weather forecast app should provide users with push-app notifications. This feature will remind you to protect yourself against extreme weather conditions beforehand.
- Stunning visuals make weather apps more enjoyable and luring. Besides providing valuable information on past and present weather, a weather app should be personalized with the most engaging user interface.
- It should come with a timelapse feature that lets the users check future weather forecasts of places globally and set them in various time zones. You can check out information from the past or even look at predictions for the future.
- For users planning for a long drive or a long journey, it is vital to keep track of the climate and humidity level before starting the journey. Your weather app should offer you information like air temperature, level of carbon dioxide, sea level, and humidity.
- Another must-have feature in your weather should be the Sunrise, Sunset, and Moonrise timings. It shows the length of day and night.
- The UV Weather Map is considered one of the unique features of a weather forecast app mainly used during summer. It exhibits the ultraviolet radiation of the sun all over the globe with the help of the Solar UV Index.
- If you want your weather forecast app to cater to the agriculture industry, you should also implement the drought monitoring feature and a forecast tab. Farmers using smartphones can take preventive measures to protect their crops.
Remember all the crucial features listed above to choose a feature-rich weather app that stands out in the crowd, helping you in all probable situations through climate change.
