There are roughly a billion weather apps on the App Store, and several them are very good indeed. But my current favorite is Hello Weather, which was just updated to get some great international features, as well as some awesome radar maps. It’s so great-looking, and so easy to use, that it’s been my go-to weather app since I discovered it.
Hello Weather
Screenshot: Cult of Mac
When you first launch Hello Weather, you might think you’ve fired up a jokey, overly simple weather app. But the friendly design belies the true depth of Hello Weather. For instance, if you tap the big temperature readout at the top of the page, you get quick access to details like wind speed, humidity, pressure, UV levels and sunrise/sunset times.
This is typical of Hello Weather. It’s super-simple, bold and friendly, making it easy to see what you want to see with just a glance. And if you want more detail, it’s there. This is what makes it my favorite right now. I can get a fast overview of the current conditions, along with the rest of the day, and the rest of the week, all with a quick look.
The other standout feature of Hello Weather is that you can switch weather data sources right there on the main screen. Pick from Dark Sky, AccuWeather, AerisWeather, The Weather Channel and the Weather Underground. Dark Sky is the default, and is used to provide rain radar maps in the U.S and U.K. But Dark Sky isn’t so great outside of these regions, so you may want to switch to one you know is more accurate where you live. Or you might just like to compare the forecasts from different providers.
Weather maps in Hello Weather
Photo: Hello Weather
Which brings us to the new features in the new version. Hello Weather is now much more international. You can see all kinds of animated radar maps, including precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed and more. Of these, cloud cover is global, and precipitation is available in the U.S, U.K., Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. Other maps are mostly U.S.- and Canada-only, with the odd map also available elsewhere (tropical storm in Japan, for example).
So far I haven’t found these maps so useful. In my location, the cloud cover map shows clear skies, but in reality it’s so overcast here I can’t see a spot of blue. The weather section, though, is excellent.
Hello Weather is free, with a $5-per-year subscription to unlock the pro features.
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Download: Hello Weather from the App Store (iOS)
