The best weather apps are essential in a world where conditions are increasingly unpredictable and extreme. If there’s a hurricane coming, extreme temperatures in the forecast, or lots of UV sunlight when you step outside, a built-in weather app can prepare you for what’s to come.
Every weather app offers temperatures and forecasts, even the default apps on your iPhone or Android device. (However, did you know that the iPhone includes a hidden interactive weather map since iOS 15?) But the best weather apps offer more: incredibly detailed hyperlocal forecasts, radar images, severe weather warnings, and even weather data. . You can even track the phases of the moon or see forecasts for future travel destinations in some apps.
Therefore, you may be interested in exploring some of the available options. Climate change is causing unpredictable and sometimes dangerous weather patterns, so one of the best weather apps can save you more than just finding yourself without an umbrella. Here are our favorites.
1. Root Weather (Android, iOS: Free)
Carrot Weather has long been an iOS exclusive and hasn’t been available on Android, but since then Carrot Weather has bridged the platform gap and now the evil AI lord Carrot can offer Android users a weather forecast all together. sarcasm. iOS users continue to enjoy features such as the ability to add the Carrot Weather widget to their home screens; Regular updates also add customization features and bonuses for premium subscribers, such as tide data. We especially like the update that shows up to five forecasts from different locations on the Carrot Weather location screen.
The app extracts data from the Dark Sky to provide up-to-the-minute, hourly and 7-day forecasts leavened with sarcastic humor that softens even the darkest outlook. Infographics quickly put useful information at your fingertips, and more detailed weather information is available with a single tap. You can even set Carrot’s sense of humor to be friendly, mean, or murderous, and you can customize the way AI jokes can turn political.
Carrot Weather offers different membership levels if you’re not comfortable with the basics of the free app. The Premium tier costs $4.99 per month and adds more weather sources, notifications, customization options, and widgets; If you own an Apple Watch, you can also access the wearable’s face glitches. The $9.99 per month Ultra Premium tier unlocks more features, while the $14.95 per month Family tier allows up to five people to access a Carrot Weather account.
2. Weather Channel (Android; iOS: Free)
A free and ad-supported version of the Weather Channel app is available for Android and iOS. The TWC app provides you with a wide range of weather information such as temperature, wind and visibility hourly or daily, with a full 10-day forecast available. Interactive maps can display the latest Doppler radar data to display weather and precipitation events and severe weather warnings.
The Premium Pro level removes ads and unlocks features like 15-minute forecast and 72-hour radar data.
3. Emergency: alerts (Android; iOS)
It’s an app you’ll hopefully never need to use, but when disaster strikes, you’ll be happy to receive Emergency Alerts from the American Red Cross on your iPhone or Android device.
Keeping an eye on everything from hurricanes and floods to extreme heat and winter storms, Emergency: Alerts is useful to always have installed on your phone, not just during hurricane season. Not only does the emergency keep an eye on where you live, but you also get access to cities and people important to you. The application offers customizable alerts and a map of emergency shelters.
With Emergency Alerts, you can make sure you’re ready for a potential storm by scanning your emergency preparedness information.
