- Written by Suzanne Behan
- technology reporter
Traveling the world on a bike for two years might be too physically demanding for most people, but Zoe Ashbridge has found a way to make the pedals a little easier.
She and her partner and fellow traveler Stewart use an app called Windy to track wind direction.
“We use it every day,” says Zoe, 33, from Shropshire, who is on a career break. “It saves you wasted time and energy.
“Our bikes weigh about 30-40 kg and riding against the wind can cause knee pain. This will prevent all that. The next day it takes 30 minutes, so why 2? Do you even spend your time cycling?”
With the development of technology and artificial intelligence, weather apps continue to become increasingly detailed and bespoke. This means more real-time updates and personalized recommendations.
“Predictive models are getting more accurate…and that’s definitely due to advances in technology,” said Stephen Smith, CEO of U.S.-based AccuWeather. His business he has been doing weather forecasting since 1962. Its first customer was a natural gas company that wanted to be able to better plan for winter demand.
“The ultimate end goal is to save lives and protect property, empowering people to make the best decisions that affect the weather, such as ‘Do I need an umbrella or do I need to leave early?’ This goes all the way down to supporting them.”
At the Met Office, one of the biggest technology developments of the past year has been improvements to digital weather maps and the data that is poured into them.
“You can see in real time where the weather is moving and where it’s heading,” said Sophie Yeomans-Smith, product manager for the Met Office app. She said: “If it rains heavily, you can look at the real-time rain forecast and see where the rain is headed.
“We’ve improved the technology behind it all and changed our host provider to help improve it. We used to see it one day early, now it’s five days early.”
To further customize the product, the Japan Meteorological Agency has introduced dedicated coastal and mountain weather forecasts. “The beach forecast tells you how strong the wind will be, what the waves will be like…and we partner with the RNLI [the Royal National Lifeboat Institution] ‘ says Ms Yeomans-Smith.
“Mountain data includes things like what the weather will be like at the top of the mountain and on the ground.”
Meanwhile, the Met Office announced in August that it had partnered with Scottish airline Rogaair to further improve the accuracy of its forecasts. Sensors installed on Loganair aircraft monitor environmental conditions around the aircraft during flight.
This data is said to help the Japan Meteorological Agency more accurately predict extreme weather events and pinpoint localized thunderstorms and fog.
Eric Floehr is the founder of ForecastWatch, a US company that analyzes and collates weather provider performance, including accuracy measurements. He said weather patterns are becoming more variable due to climate change, so forecasters remain vigilant in communicating information as quickly as possible.
“Improvements in technology have improved weather forecasts, making them more accurate and reliable.Nowadays, real-time applications of weather forecasts are increasing as people use forecasts multiple times a day. , we are also looking at creating alerts within minutes to hours.”
”[Yet], Extreme weather events occur more rarely and therefore are more difficult for forecasters to identify, but there is more interest and attention in “How can we better predict extreme weather events?” We are gathering. However, I think there is a lack of startup capital in this field. ”
He suggests that the lack of financial backing for these new weather app companies is ironically because of the weather. More specifically, Northern California’s Silicon Valley region, where many high-tech investors live, typically doesn’t suffer from extreme weather.
“Silicon Valley has [changeable] So venture capitalists aren’t thinking about investing,” he says.
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Back at AccuWeather, Smith said he began building artificial intelligence (AI) databases to help predict weather patterns in the late 1980s. He also now uses AI to automatically translate reports into different languages.
“We have users from all over the world in over 100 languages and dialects, so all of these different products need to be translated into different languages that our users can consume,” he says. “The latest use of AI is around language generation and phrase assembly, which can be very detailed. There is a possibility that it will.”
Smith added that Accuweather is investing more in ensuring users are informed about severe weather and air quality.
“A lot of what we’re doing is continuing to focus on health and safety,” Smith said. “More and more people are becoming sensitive to air quality, the effects of going outside for a run, for example. can do. [ground level] Ozone and other irritants may be present. ”
The company also says that in the event of a wildfire, it can predict the direction, size, and temperature of smoke. “It’s about increasing warning and visualization.”
Returning to Zoe Ashbridge and her global cycling journey, she says she now uses the Windy app in 27 countries. She said: “If I see her fellow cyclists struggling into the wind, I’ll tell them about it.”