The Weather app on the iPhone has caused a lot of confusion among first-time users. What information does it provide? How is it laid out? Why doesn’t it just show me the weather right now like every other weather app I’ve ever seen?
This article will answer those questions and more. We’ll start by breaking down all the components of the Weather app. Next, we’ll discuss how Apple converts raw data into something readable by humans. We’ll also take a look at some fun facts about how far away Apple’s weather data is from your device brightwheel 55m 600mroofbloomberg. Finally, we’ll see how this information applies to you as a user and explain why the current version of the Weather app works the way it does.
iPhone Weather app Overview and Function
The Weather app’s main screen is the default page you’ll see when opening the app. It shows you current conditions and a forecast for today, tomorrow, and the next day at 6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, and 12 AM (the times in parentheses are based on your device’s time zone). Below the time, you’ll find the temperature for each of those times.
The first row is your current location’s conditions and forecast. If you’re not in a place that has weather data, then it will just say “Not found” or similar text. You can delete your current location by tapping the Edit button on the main screen and then tapping the red circle next to your location’s name.
The second row is a map showing you where it will be cloudy or rainy during one of the upcoming times. If it’s not currently cloudy or raining in that area corelight series 160mpagetechcrunch, then the map will remain blank. This information is based on long term forecasts and isn’t dynamic like you might expect.
After the map, you’ll see a snapshot of what’s to come in terms of weather for the rest of your day. This information is based on your device’s location and how it changes throughout the day (more on this later too).
The final row shows you an average high and low temperature reading for each upcoming time. Apple uses your device’s location to determine whether you’re currently in a higher or lower altitude than normal. It then provides the average temperature for that comparison.
Weather Data-Sources and Accuracy
Apple is able to provide weather data for 71 countries (they keep adding more). These include most of the larger countries like the US, Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, United Kingdom, India, etc. Data is collected through a variety of sources including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the US and Environment Canada in Canada.
Apple has agreements with these weather data providers that go beyond providing the information to their customers.
How Apple Converts Weather Data into a Readable Format
The raw data received from NOAA/Environment Canada has an excessive amount of information that isn’t easily consumed by humans. For example, the current conditions for Ottawa can be found here . If you read through the page, you’ll find the data is over 1,000 words long. This would be fine if you were an app developer or information professional writing code to interpret this data for other people zoom q4 882m yoy 812m 467k, but it’s not something that can be understood by everyone. Apple needs their Weather app to have a barebones design so anyone can use it without having a degree in meteorology.
You can see that Apple has to do quite a bit of work to transform this information into something people will understand.
Why is Cupertino Weather on the iPhone
The first version of this app was released on the iPod touch back in 2009 as a free alternative to GPS-based weather apps. Apple then brought Weather to the iPad before finally releasing it for iPhone owners in 2012 with iOS 8. As mentioned earlier, Apple has agreements with NOAA and Environment Canada that date back to at least 2010. This makes Cupertino a good fit for Apple’s needs.
Conclusion
All in all, Apple’s Weather app is pretty accurate…if you live in one of the 71 countries it supports. If not, then the map will provide inaccurate readings unless you know how to change your device’s location manually. You can thank me later if you’re ever on vacation and need to remember what the temperature is back home while getting caught in a surprise snow shower.
