Windfinder App

[Sandro]

While watching the Louis Vuitton Cup regattas I happened to notice that The wind indicated by Windfinder on my smartphone was completely different from the actual wind in Barcelona, sometimes from a direction almost opposite.
Is Windfinder not to be trusted?
Any similar experience?

Sandro

 

[Sandy]

All apps are a forecast over a large area.

You were looking at a very small bit of the ocean.

 

[Sandro]

Windfinder has a very detailed map giving direction and stregth of wind as well as other data (rain etc.)
Please just open it and zoom on the Barcelona area. On occasion of next regattas it will be possible to know for sure the actual wind and compare it with Windfinder.

 

[Sandy]

Then why do big events like that have professional meteorologists advising the teams?

They look at the local meteorology and give a far more accurate forecast than any computer model at a micro level.

 

[vyv_cox]

We are currently experiencing unsettled weather in the Ionian. Poseidon and Windy are rarely in agreement at specific times although in general there is some agreement. We were in a big thunderstorm yesterday with near gale force winds for a time, not forecast by either but it was by Meteo France.

 

[Metalicmike]

I use Windy and Windfinder these use data from meteorological weather centres all over the world and are fairly accurate in their monitoring area's the forecast data varies because they use different forecast model's so you have to use the best model for the area of interest. My area in Tenerife is effected by the updraft wind of the volcanic islands which causes strong winds from mid day till evening so it is hard to find reliable data.