Google’s products have such potential that they beat most other competitive services in the same industry. Among them, Google Weather has made many things possible that were previously impossible, such as determining the most accurate weather forecast. However, if you recall, in 2020, Apple took back Dark Sky and started serving it only on iOS devices.
Knowing this, Android users are eagerly waiting for any weather app that can provide precise predictions for rain, hail, and snow likely to happen in the next couple of hours. Fortunately, according to 9to5Google, Google plans to bring the Weather app’s Nowcast feature to other devices. Look at the article below if you need to learn what Nowcast is.
Google Updates Weather App with Nowcast Debuting on Pixel Tablet and Fold
Do you remember when we discussed the Dark Sky feature that Apple implemented into their Weather app? Do you know what it is? I’ll explain it to you. Dark Sky is a special feature that shows hyperlocal forecasts for your current location, upcoming hourly precipitation, and forecasts for the next 10 days. Android users want the same kind of feature, but since it was acquired by Apple in March 2020, Android users have lost hope of getting it.
Following this, Google looked ahead and used machine learning to develop a precise weather forecasting model called Google Nowcast. With this feature, Google claims it can precisely predict rain, hail, and snow in the next 12 hours. Dark Sky has 12 hours of ML prediction. How is it better than Dark Sky? It works on a Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor System (MRMS) and a high-resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR).
Specifically, these two systems’ data are taken from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other sources. Because of this, Google Nowcast refreshes multiple times per hour and shows the most accurate weather predictions. As a result of user feedback, this weather forecast model has been added to Google Pixel Tablet and Fold with support for 26 languages. The same feature will be available on other devices in the coming months, but the specific timing has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Android users disappointed after learning that Apple acquired Dark Sky will soon be happy. After all, Google Nowcast’s ML method derives the best weather prediction model, even in comparison to Apple’s. This is because it has the advantage of fresh data and provides the most accurate weather predictions, especially for short periods. It has yet to be officially announced that such an update will be available for the Weather app. Thanks to 9to5Google, who found this feature on two Pixel devices. Let’s see when it officially launches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the difference between forecasting and nowcasting?
Ans. The simple difference is that nowcasting determines weather predictions for a very short period, while forecasting is specifically for long durations.
Q2. What is nowcasting in machine learning?
Ans. It means using machine learning models and authentic weather data to generate accurate weather predictions quickly.
Q3. Which is the most accurate weather app in India?
Ans. There is no specific app, but AccuWeather is the perfect one.
Q4. How do I update Google Weather?
Ans. Just tap on the Weather widget and refresh the page on the next screen.
