Make Your Weather Forecasts Even More Useful! How to Make the Most of the Latest Tools, from Rain Cloud Radar to Space Weather

Remember yesterday evening (March 18th), when the sky suddenly darkened and it absolutely tipped it down? If you were caught in it during the evening rush in the streets of Hiroshima, chances are you got soaked through. I ended up sheltering in a convenience store, kicking myself for not checking the rain cloud movement earlier.

But honestly, it's also pretty impressive how much you can now find out from just your phone. From a local who's lived here for years, I've put together a handy guide to the weather tools everyone's talking about right now, and I'm even diving into the slightly nerdy world of "space weather."

Get a global view of rain clouds with "Zoom Earth"

Do you think "one weather app is as good as another"? Actually, "Zoom Earth" is generating some serious buzz among power users these days. It's a service that gives you near-real-time, high-resolution satellite imagery and precipitation maps. You can, of course, see rain clouds around Japan, but the quality is so good you can even make out the eye of a typhoon with stunning clarity. It makes you feel like a proper forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency.

What I find particularly useful is the level of detail when you zoom in. It's brilliant for catching those sudden, localised downpours in mountainous areas, so if I'm ever unsure about heading out, I can quickly check. Now, checking these precipitation maps before I take the kids to the park has become a daily ritual for me.

The surprisingly clever local focus of the "Weather News" app

On the other hand, for info that's directly relevant to your daily life, you can't overlook the "Weather Forecast - Weather News・Rain Cloud・Lightning Radar App." The name's a bit of a mouthful, so I just call it "Weather News," but its real strength lies in the accuracy of its lightning radar. Take yesterday's thunderstorm, for instance. I definitely remember getting a spot-on notification around 3 pm saying, "Thunderstorms from late afternoon." It also includes comments from actual weather forecasters, which really drives it home – you think, "Right, I need to bring the washing in tonight."

In reality, even within Hiroshima prefecture, the intensity of rain can vary dramatically. It's not unusual for the start time of rain in Asaminami-ku to be 30 minutes different from Minami-ku, even though they're both in the same city. For this kind of granular detail, local weather information companies really come into their own.

Getting your head around "space weather forecasts"

Now, while we're on the subject of looking up, something I've become quite interested in lately is "space weather forecasts." You might be thinking, "Space weather? What's that all about?" Simply put, it's about forecasting the impact of solar activity on Earth. When you get a solar flare, it can cause communication disruptions or errors in GPS signals.

Japan actually has its own "Space Weather Prediction Center" that monitors the sun's activity daily. Last month, there was a medium-sized flare, and there was talk of whether the northern lights were visible in Hokkaido or not. It doesn't have a direct impact on our day-to-day lives, but for airline pilots or amateur radio operators, it's a matter of serious concern. I did have a look at the centre's website once, but it was so full of jargon I gave up halfway through (laughs). Still, it's fascinating how far the scope of weather forecasting has expanded.

• Zoom Earth: Offers high-definition satellite imagery and precipitation maps. Ideal for anyone wanting to grasp cloud patterns from a global perspective.
• Weather News App: Highly accurate lightning and rain cloud radar, with handy locally-focused notifications.
• Space Weather Prediction Center: For the more technically minded who want to know about solar flares and other space-based influences.

When you say "weather forecast," its remit is constantly widening, from rain clouds down on earth to solar activity up in space. Whether it's for your commute tomorrow, weekend plans, or perhaps even a future trip to Mars? Okay, maybe that's pushing it, but let's start by making good use of familiar rain cloud radar to prepare for those sudden evening downpours. By the way, today's forecast for Hiroshima is cloudy in the morning, but the sun should return in the afternoon. So, it looks like it's safe to hang the washing outside.

(Author: Ichiro Sato, weather enthusiast and Hiroshima resident of 20 years)