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Lanon Wee

Exploring New Techniques for Increasing Weather App Precision

For most of us, the physical challenge of cycling around the world for two years might be too much, yet Zoe Ashbridge has worked out a way of making the journey simpler. She and her travel buddy, Stewart, make use of the Windy app to keep tabs on the wind's direction. Zoe, an individual from Shropshire taking a career hiatus at 33, declares that they take advantage of it every day to avoid expending time and effort. The weight of our bikes is usually between 30 and 40kg, which can make our legs tired if we are cycling in the wind. But with this product, we can avoid this weariness. Why cycle for two hours when with this product, the same route can easily be done in only half an hour? As technology and AI progress, weather apps are increasingly becoming more specialised and intricate. This results in greater real-time notifications and personalised advice. Steven Smith, CEO of the US-based Accuweather, argues that technology advancements have made forecasting models much more precise. Accuweather has been calling the shots with regards to the weather since 1962. Back then, its first customer was a natural gas business in need of a better system to predict winter needs. The final aim is to conserve lives and preserve valuables, in addition to lending a hand with helping people make wise weather-related decisions, such as 'Do I need an umbrella? Should I set off earlier?' At the UK's Met Office, one of the most substantial technology advancements over the past year has been enhancing its digital weather maps and the data fed into them. Sophie Yeomans-Smith, product manager at the Met Office's app, pointed out that with the app, users can track the weather in real time and see where it is headed. "If there is a heavy rainfall," she said, "you can view the live rain forecast and observe the direction it is coming from." We have been enhancing the technology that supports everything and switched hosting services to enable us to make enhancements. Previously the info was showing one day ahead, now it's updated up to five days in advance. In an effort to make its products more tailored, the Met Office has incorporated dedicated beach and mountain forecasts. "The beach forecast informs users of the wind speeds, wave conditions... we have collaborated with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on this," states Ms Yeomans-Smith. The data concerning the mountains reveals information regarding the conditions at the summit and at the base such as what the weather will be. The Met Office revealed in August that they had collaborated with Scottish airline, Loganair, to improve the accuracy of their forecasts. Sensors attached to Loganair’s planes receive data from the environment while in the air. It is claimed that this data will assist the Met Office in improving their capabilities for forecasting extreme weather conditions and accurately locating thunderstorms and fog. Eric Floehr, founder of ForecastWatch, a U.S.-based business specializing in analyzing and collecting data on weather forecasters and their accuracy, asserts that those in the weather forecasting industry are devoting increased effort to making timely announcements against the backdrop of climate change creating more unpredictable weather patters. The advances of technology have led to more accurate and dependable forecasts. People are taking advantage of this and using forecasts multiple times per day. Moreover, advances in technology have enabled more real-time application and the creation of alerts for the upcoming minutes and hours. Although extreme weather is rare, it is more difficult for meteorologists to predict. Subsequently, there has been a greater focus on how to make more accurate extreme weather forecasts; however, start-up investment in this area has been lacking. He proposes that the deficiency of monetary support for these fresh weather app companies is odd, due to weather. To be more exact - the Silicon Valley area of northern California, where numerous tech investors reside, is not usually affected by drastic weather conditions. He states that it's noteworthy that the weather in Silicon Valley is not subject to frequent change, thus causing venture capitalists to not consider investing there. This series, New Tech Economy, delves into how technological advances will form the future of the economy. Mr Smith from Accuweather states that the organisation began constructing their AI databases in the late eighties, to assist with forecasting weather conditions. As well as this, they are also utilising AI to automatically convert their accounts into different dialects. He states that with a worldwide viewership with over one hundred languages and dialects, there is a necessity to adapt all products into a variety of languages in order for them to be utilized by people. The most recent utilization of AI is language generation and putting phrases together, which may be very specific. An example of this could be related to flooding and potential challenges regarding commute. Mr Smith stated that Accuweather is putting forth greater effort in notifying users about dangerous weather conditions and air quality. Mr Smith states that they are continuing to prioritize health and safety, with an emphasis on air quality. He mentions that people are increasingly cognizant of the effects of activities like running outdoors, and they are able to supply information such as air pollution predictions, ground level ozone levels, and other irritants. He also states that the organization is capable of forecasting the intensity, thermal heat, and the path of smoke that will be produced when there is a wildfire. "The aim of this is to maximize the alerts and the illustrative graphics." On her worldwide bike trek, Zoe Ashbridge has utilized the Windy app in 27 countries. She says, "When I observe another cyclist battling against the wind, I'll inform them regarding it."

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