Weather apps

[Graham W]

With Storm Ciarán almost upon us, thoughts turn to weather apps.

What’s your favourite app for general weather and why?  And what’s your favourite boating weather app?  Are any of your apps so good that you’re prepared to actually pay for them?

I’ve just done a tally of what I have on my tablet and mobile phone - four general weather and three specialist boating/surfing apps, none paid for, so far.

[Keith P]

I use Predict Wind, and Windguru the later is not an App web based but has so many models it provides an incredible range of data. I have tried many others but these just suit me. Having used them for quite a while I have become trusting of them. But as always its worth remembering all of the providers basically use the same base data from which they develop their own offering.

[AndyB]

I am generally a tight person so I spend as little as I can on apps, monthly subscriptions etc. So I don't always have the best apps but they suit my purpose and they give a general idea. I did have a rain predictor for work which costs loads of money but testing outside on the plains required it and it was very accurate so paying money does give better results.

I use :

BBC  and Met Office for general predictions. It is good to compare both as BBC has a French contract  and the other English also BBC does general wind and Met office separates out into gusts and steady.

PredictWind ( agree with Keith) this seems the best predictor of wind. I use the free  PWE 8KM model ( this is a European based combination of several Grib files by Predict Wind)

I also use Wunderground which is actually quite accurate

While sailing I use Solentmet - just before I leave to see if I need to reef or not, where it thinks the wind is coming from, am I going to get wet from waves etc.

I did use the synoptic charts and in the old days calculated the wind speed from the space between the bars bearing in mind it is taken at 600m  and we are on the sea not land so an adjustment is required. It was accurate so maybe I should take it up again and get the calculator out.

I also have on the boat a historic view of wind speed and direction to see if there is a trend showing change in wind speed to predict reefing etc. I built this myself but most chart plotters have this functionality. I would like a barometer as well but that is a winter project.

Have I convinced you I am a weather bore?

[Graham W]

Have I convinced you I am a weather bore?

No such thing!  I'm called Meteoman in my family.

[Sea Simon]

Like KeithP, another Predict Wind and Wind Guru user here.

For critical outings/passages I view all forecasts on Wind Guru, then try to take an "average". At least discard any outliers.
Use PW to visualise wind forecasts relative to coastline.

Both PW and WG also do "swell forecasts", which I also find useful when considering anchorages. However, hereabouts, I find these less accurate than the Wind forecasts. Why?

[AndyB]

Graham, Metoman is of course a brilliant instrument from NASA marine. You will need to purchase one

Here is a video describing how you get wind speed from a synoptic chart. It takes me back to my youth .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUsbcDgwLeU

from 'The boat Cheat' called 'Get more out of synoptic charts'

[garethrow]

Fasinating stuff Andy, thank you for this.

Regards

Gareth Rowlands
BR20 grp Halen Y Mor

[Graham W]

Graham, Meteoman is of course a brilliant instrument from NASA marine. You will need to purchase one

Ha!  I have an even more brilliant and tiny gadget called a SensorPush, which comes in three different versions and broadcasts over Bluetooth to a free app on your mobile device. Relatively cheap in the USA but quite expensive in the UK https://www.sensorpush.com/.

Attached screen grabs of the three different variables that I monitor on the topmost model, currently located in my garden but which goes with me when I go away or on the boat.  Storm Ciarán’s air pressure drop (bottom chart) is the most dramatic that I’ve seen so far.  The topmost model also has a couple of extra variables that I think are useful to those involved in growing things - something to do with transpiration and dewpoint.