WeatherBug review

Richard Goodwin

We review WeatherBug, a weather forecasting application for Symbian S60

Published on Sep 18, 2009

For most, the state of the weather is usually apparent upon waking in the morning.

You open your curtains, survey the skies, and then make a decision about whether you need a jacket, jumper, or umbrella. However, for those who simply cannot go without weather reports, satellite imaging, disaster warnings, and forecasts for the entire week, there is WeatherBug.

This is a seriously detailed app, and will probably only be really useful to the most serious of meteorologists, or people that just like to know when the next cyclone is on its way! It features everything you could need, from live weather feeds, to wind speed and direction, to local radar, as well as a seven day forecast.

The install is relatively straight forward, and the app itself, at first glance isn’t that much too look at - a simple display showing current temp, wind speed and direction. However, do not be fooled by its straight forward exterior - as we said, there is a wealth of information within this app.

The WeatherBug app has a database of over 50,000 locations around the world, which is a really handy feature for checking the weather before you go on holiday.

During testing we tried about ten locations, some quite bizarre - anyone heard of Alsager? - and some more well known, such as Manchester. Nevertheless, we were pleasantly surprised by the results, and found that WeatherBug provided superior information when compared to some of its competitors - although, coverage in more rural and obscure areas was at times a little disappointing.

The software itself is powered by Nokia’s Web Runtime Technology (WRT), and providing you have a good data allowance, you will be able to view satellite images of areas that you specify - we tried London, and to our surprise, there it was! You can also get detailed weather reports for the next seven days, directly to your phone

This app really is a joy to use, and we found it extremely easy to pick up, implement, and enjoy - even though it is a bit “full on” with the information at times!

One of the more “fun” aspects of the app is that you can view collections of photos taken by other WeatherBug users from around world - we found some really beautiful ones.

Navigating around the app is simple, and switching between modes, views, and settings, is a breeze - everything is laid out in the menu very effectively, giving you access to whatever meteorological information takes your fancy.

All in all, this is a brilliant free app that is easy to use and thoroughly engaging. A definite must for anyone who wants to know what the weather is going to be like - just, in a lot more detail, and from all over the world!