Weather aps

[dj43]

We have just completed a trip from Cowes to Weymouth,this morning, weather has been all over the place, used a new weather apt called Windy this week to find a window, very impressed with it and we are only using the free section ,so far it's been spot on .just to add new to us.

 

[markc]

Agreed. It's very good - it's our go-to weather app. Been mentioned here a few times IIRC

 

[Mr Googler]

Me too.....very good app. Better than predict wind

 

[Kawasaki]

XC Weather as a 'go to' then =Windguru; then 'Windy'
Then oick the best!

'Why use three'? you may ask
Well, in my thick Welsh head if the three are consistant in any way, there is a fair chance that whats predicted may be correct!

 

[BruceK]

XC Weather as a 'go to' then =Windguru; then 'Windy'
Then oick the best!

'Why use three'? you may ask
Well, in my thick Welsh head if the three are consistant in any way, there is a fair chance that whats predicted may be correct!

I have all of them plus many more. Whichever gives the most favourable report is the one I believe in. Just like fishing lures, to be honest. Mostly I just lick my finger and jab it into the air. Whichever side gets coldest I go to the other side of the island. Jobs a goodun.

 

[IDAMAY]

None of them seem to do much for the weather though do they?

 

[Hurricane]

I've switched to Windy this year from Windguru.
I also use Passageweather though.
But Windy has several different forecast models to compare and loads of other features.
For instance. for fun you can switch on Webcams and see hundreds (probably thousands) of webcams.
There is also a radar screen that runs historic radar images so you can see rain etc - which I find almost as important as the gradient wind forecast.
Rain causes a change in the local pressure so you get some very local wind changes etc.
All in all, I have confidence that Windy will give me a better forecast that I've had before.

 

[Scubadoo]

Windy and Windfinder are my favorites , windfinder I find wave height/period very useful.

 

[Lulla-Belle]

XC Weather as a 'go to' then =Windguru; then 'Windy'
Then oick the best!

'Why use three'? you may ask
Well, in my thick Welsh head if the three are consistant in any way, there is a fair chance that whats predicted may be correct!

Very similar but dont trust windguru it for adrenaline junkies? Use met office instead !

 

[Hot Property]

For live wind rather than a forecast I use Ian Millard's "Windycator" site.

If it's blowing 20 knots off Portland bill I'd like to know about it...

http://weather.ianmillard.com/windycator/#!/10/50.7000/-1.7000

 

[Scubadoo]

For live wind rather than a forecast I use Ian Millard's "Windycator" site.

If it's blowing 20 knots off Portland bill I'd like to know about it...

http://weather.ianmillard.com/windycator/#!/10/50.7000/-1.7000

If you like that site you may like this one too https://weatherfile.com/

 

[Newbroom]

Not an app but a website I use frequently WWW.Netweather.tv many useful forecasts Mouth of the Thames, Harwich Channel etc . Consistently accurate and backed up by windy.

 

[franksingleton]

There are many apps and other services such as XyGrib that provide forecasts from “official” sources”. Those that you can use with some confidence are Windy (ECMWF, GFS, ICON-EU, AROME), Ventusky (GFS, ICON, ICON-EU, HRRR-USA) both on laptop or tablet. XyGrib (GFS, ICON, ARPEGE, ICON-EU, NAMS for US, Caribbean, Hawaii). On a tablet there are several apps giving GFS and other models; see http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-Files-Apps.

I would not bother with any detailed forecasts that are not from national weather services. The models are fine but they have no detailed weather input. Windguru, Windfinder, MeteoConsult, Predicteind among others. One problem that applies to all detailed forecasts including official ones is that small weather details have limited lifetimes. By the time you see the forecast, weather detail of size10 to 30 km will have disappeared.

One warning is that the available output may not be the most recent forecast. Generally you can tell from the T=0 times. Windy, Ventusky and XyGrib all let you see the date/time of origin. That is the most important information in any forecast whether written for the GMDSS or straight off a computer,

So, to paraphrase the above, use whichever officially based service you find easiest but do not think that any forecast is better than another.

PS. Regarding issue times, I forgot to say that ECMWF only produces forecasts twice daily and at least two hours later than other services. So you might be looking at ECMWF based on yesterday 1200 data, GFS based on today at 0000UTC, and ICON-EU based on today at 0300. On Ventusky and Windy (?) you can get 3 hourly updates of ICON-EU.

 

[Hurricane]

There are many apps and other services such as XyGrib that provide forecasts from “official” sources”. Those that you can use with some confidence are Windy (ECMWF, GFS, ICON-EU, AROME), Ventusky (GFS, ICON, ICON-EU, HRRR-USA) both on laptop or tablet. XyGrib (GFS, ICON, ARPEGE, ICON-EU, NAMS for US, Caribbean, Hawaii). On a tablet there are several apps giving GFS and other models; see http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-Files-Apps.

I would not bother with any detailed forecasts that are not from national weather services. The models are fine but they have no detailed weather input. Windguru, Windfinder, MeteoConsult, Predicteind among others. One problem that applies to all detailed forecasts including official ones is that small weather details have limited lifetimes. By the time you see the forecast, weather detail of size10 to 30 km will have disappeared.

One warning is that the available output may not be the most recent forecast. Generally you can tell from the T=0 times. Windy, Ventusky and XyGrib all let you see the date/time of origin. That is the most important information in any forecast whether written for the GMDSS or straight off a computer,

So, to paraphrase the above, use whichever officially based service you find easiest but do not think that any forecast is better than another.

PS. Regarding issue times, I forgot to say that ECMWF only produces forecasts twice daily and at least two hours later than other services. So you might be looking at ECMWF based on yesterday 1200 data, GFS based on today at 0000UTC, and ICON-EU based on today at 0300. On Ventusky and Windy (?) you can get 3 hourly updates of ICON-EU.

Thanks for posting, Frank
I nearly wrote a post to recommend that people visit your website but you have beaten me to it.

Over the years, I have relied heavily on the points from your website and I suggest that others take the time to read your very useful points.

So, I take the liberty of posting this link
http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Home

Thanks again.

 

[franksingleton]

Thanks for posting, Frank
I nearly wrote a post to recommend that people visit your website but you have beaten me to it.

Over the years, I have relied heavily on the points from your website and I suggest that others take the time to read your very useful points.

So, I take the liberty of posting this link
http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Home

Thanks again.

Thank you. I am never sure whether fotumites realise that they are really comparing presentations of forecasts rather than the forecasts per se. Probably they are but it is rarely clear. Forecasts have improved vastly over my time. It is all too easy to expect too much. One of my more pithy phrases is that weather is not precise. So, neither can be forecasts, which is why I deplore claims of accuracy by providers and users. It is easy to lose touch with reality as some providers do and make claims that are untenable. If, say, a F4-5 is forecast, then it is quite likely that you will see winds between F3 and F6. A couple of years ago we had forecasts from 3 centres and GRIBs all saying F4-5, possibly 6. One GMDSS forecast hinted at a F7. We had several hours of F9. South of Guernsey, from west of Roche’s Douvres to St Martins LH.