Today we are going to review the best weather forecast apps you can use in 2021. There are weather apps for all tastes. Just take a look at Google Play and you will be able to check a lot of alternatives. Today we are going to show you what we consider the best.
What do we need in a weather app?
For any kind of app, we can easily say that it should be easy to use, it shouldn’t have invasive advertising and it should be secure and trustworthy. But we can ask for much more and there are some minimum requirements that we believe that any weather app must have to meet expectations.
- Temperature and wind chill: In addition to the maximum and minimum temperature it is important to take into account other factors such as wind or humidity to determine the real wind chill.
- Hourly forecast: Beyond knowing whether it will rain the next day or not, it is important to know at what time it will rain.
- Real-time alerts: Weather is often unpredictable, and in a matter of minutes, the forecast can change. Therefore, if we receive real-time alerts about these possible changes, we can be more prepared for unforeseen events.
- Real-time location: It is essential that the application can geolocate you and offer you the weather forecast at the geographical point where you are without the need to enter it manually.
- Sunrise and sunset: Knowing the time of sunrise and sunset allows you to plan your day easier.
- Sea state: The water temperature, waves, or the hours of high and low tide are very useful data if you want to go to the sea for a swim.
- Wind conditions: It is also important to provide details such as wind speed and direction.
Once we are clear about these premises, we can show you the best weather apps that you can download from Google Play and App Store.
Best weather forecast apps in 2021
Accuweather
With Accuweather, you can check the weather at ease. You will not only see the current situation in terms of sky conditions, temperature and wind chill, humidity, UV index, or wind speed. You will also find highlighted orange warnings (if available) or the temperature difference compared to the previous day. Thanks to the “MinutCast” function, you will be able to see the precipitation minute by minute to know when exactly it will stop or start raining.
If something has caught our attention in Accuweather is the possibility of configuring alerts to receive warnings reminding you to take a coat or an umbrella. As a negative point, the bottom advertising banner is too present, although it is not invasive.
Weather Forecast
In Weather Forecast you will find all the information in a single graph when you open the app, which can be a bit confusing at first. Maximum and minimum temperature of the day, current temperature, sky condition, wind speed, probability of rain, time of sunrise and sunset, and even the day and date. All in a single image that is, as we say, a bit heavy to the eye.
Here there are no tabs to organize the information. Thus, if you scroll down on the main screen you can see the hourly forecast for a week with specific information of all kinds of data such as humidity, wind speed, or pressure in each hour, reaching a higher level of detail than other applications analyzed.
Weather Underground
Weather Underground offers very accurate forecasts thanks to the fact that the users themselves provide real-time information from weather stations installed in their own homes. The application works worldwide but it does not find your location automatically. So you have to enter the name of the town manually.
The panel is fully customizable and you can add and remove the cards you want according to your interests. Yes, there are no tabs here, you will see all the cards located on the same screen, so scrolling will be essential.
In the first card, you will find a small map of your area with the maximum and minimum temperature of the day, as well as the actual wind chill, in addition to the state of the sky, the chances of rain or wind speed.
You will also find information about sunrise and sunset or the times of first and last light, something we have not seen in any other app. The moon also plays a role, with information on the moon phase or when the next full moon will occur, for example.
As additional information, it has a section called “Health” where you will find data on air quality, UV index, etc. The app has an “Intelligent forecasts” function to let you know when conditions are ideal for your favorite activity. You can create your own or choose from running, hiking, cycling, landscape photography, fishing or astronomy, among others. You’ll also find information about hurricanes in Weather Underground.
Weather Bug
Weather Bug is probably one of the oldest weather forecast apps. It organizes the information by tabs to be able to consult the current weather situation, as well as the forecast by hours or days. The blue color is the protagonist, although it varies depending on the weather: if it rains it appears darker with raindrops included, and if the day is sunny, the tone is full of light.
Beyond the hourly forecast tabs, the next ten days or the maps, the main tab “Now” is the one that gathers most of the information. You can find the maximum temperature, the wind chill or the state of the sky at a glance.
It also shows the speed and direction of the wind, the air quality, and two new features that we have not seen in other apps: where the fire and the nearest lightning strike have occurred. You will also find information on the time of sunrise and sunset or the phase of the moon.
The Weather Channel
Considered one of the most accurate weather apps, you will find basic information such as the current weather situation, as well as the forecast for days or hours, plus alerts for lightning, pollen, road conditions or breaking news and widgets.
If you are planning to spend the day outdoors, The Weather Channel will be very useful as it will let you know if the conditions on the street are favorable or not.
A button in the upper right corner offers more detailed information with the exact temperature and wind chill, airspeed and direction, humidity, or degree of condensation. The tabs are located at the bottom, where you will find much more precise information on the forecast or sunrise and sunset. It is accompanied by radar and a section of videos related to the environment.
The negative point is again the advertising that occupies the lower part.
Yahoo Weather
If there is something that makes Yahoo Weather stand out at first glance, it is its attractiveness, since it uses images of cities from Flickr. In addition, its design is designed for you to check several locations almost simultaneously. It is very pretty, yes, but perhaps it does not go beyond offering the most basic elements regarding the weather.
It shows photographs, maximum, minimum and current temperature, as well as sky status. Although it seems that there is nothing else, by swiping upwards you can see the information in more detail: hourly and daily forecast, aspects such as the current wind chill, humidity, visibility or UV index, a map, wind and atmospheric pressure or the possibility of rain. Finally, a graph with the times of sunrise and sunset and the phase of the moon.
