severe-weather
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AlertsPro will keep you on top of bad weather
Here in the US we're gearing up for hurricane season, and that means severe thunderstorms and other violent weather. Of course, sever weather isn't restricted to those in hurricane zones. Hail, thunderstorms, severe wind and more happen across the world. With a that in mind, AlertsPro for iPhone (US$1.99) offers some piece of mind and early warnings before severe weather hits. The app pushes alerts based on a severe weather event's distance from a custom location (you can add unlimited locations). For example, if you have a summer home or are keeping track of family and friends around the world, AlertsPro will let you know of severe weather at those locations up to 48 hours in advance (non-severe weather doesn't get as advanced a warning). The app uses weather maps with color-coded alert locations, and layers that depict satellite data. Alerts can be shared via social media. I gave the app a try and it worked well. Functions were obvious, and as soon as I allowed it access to my location and allowed it to send me alerts I was ready to go. Although my area of the country (Arizona) was pretty calm today, I could see alerts around the country and in Europe that were of interest, so I set up some favorite locations. The color codes for severity are useful, and you can customize them to suit your needs. Some apps display warnings as a feature, but that's AlertsPro's main function. Other apps that I like for alerts include WeatherBug, and the free Weather - Local Forecasts and alerts. AlertsPro also has a subscription service which is a $5.99 in-app purchase for a 12-month subscription. It offers customized alerts by type of storm or risk level, and it includes more detail on the weather maps. I don't find it a compelling offering. AlertsPro is not universal, and it requires iOS 7 or later. It's optimized for the iPhone 5.
mPing lets you get involved in the weather, rather than just complain about it
mPing for iOS (free) is a unique weather app from the University of Oklahoma. The 'Ping' stands for Precipitation Identification Near the Ground. mPing is designed so that volunteers like you can make observations to crowdsource data to improve the next generation of weather radar. Radar doesn't work very close to the ground, and most weather sensors near the ground are at airports. That leaves a lot of geography without radar coverage. The idea is that reports from observers streaming in will improve the algorithms used in weather predictions and reports. The researchers are especially interested in things like hail, and the size of the hailstones -- but don't get hit by one!. To submit a report, select the type of precipitation, and your observations are transmitted and compared to radar plots. mPing lets you see what others are reporting, and you can view a US map that shows live reported weather events. Those events can be zoomed in on for more details. You'll benefit, because you get a clear idea where hazardous weather is happening. If you make reports, forecast models will get better and better. I didn't see any nasty weather around me, but could see live reports from Texas and the East Coast. If you'd like to see what the data looks like without using the app, visit this link. mPing is simple enough to operate, and the GUI is clean and inviting. It is a universal app that requires iOS 7, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5. If you're really into weather and want to help with meteorological research, mPing is just the app for you.
