Satalite and radar combined
-
Is it possible to combine the satilite and radar view? I like windy more than the other Apps but sometimes I find it is easier to track a storm on the other apps because I can see the clouds and the moisture in them together. If it isn’t possible now it would be nice feature in the near future.
-
@chase12 It is currently not possible to combine layers, however it could be an option in the future.
-
Hey,
Well, a good alternative is to use "Satellite layer", with "Infra +" sublayer (and by the way that's what some other apps call "radar" but it's far from being true):
Satellite is not updated as often as radar layer though, and it also doesn't work the same way, as you might know already:
-Radars are on ground and get echoes from intense precipitations (liquid water). They reveal instantly the storms cells and that's why they're used on planes too. The main disadvantage is that only small areas are covered because radar echoes are limited in range and blocked by obstacles (mountains...)
-The enhanced satellite layer, using infrared bands, show the coolest and intense cloud tops, from 250 K (≈ -23°C) to 200 K (≈ -73°C), see the color scale on windy. Those cool clouds are the result of intense convection that pushes air upwards, which triggers thunderstorms. So it's also a good tool to track storms.
Let's have a look over Malaysia, It seems that there are huge cumulonimbus clouds developing in the area. Big wooly clouds, some of them even have a shadow over the ocean:
Let's have a look at the enhanced infrared picture now... Yes, something is definitely happening. The color scale reveals high intense cold cloud tops (thunderstorms) :
Using the radar layer, I could see the most active cells and storm cores. But I should be aware that clouds too far from radars will not be depicted (depending on power, height of the radar, etc...). Also some mountains might block the signal to the south:
-
it would be nice also to overlay "radar" or "satellite" with forecast maps, for a rapid comparison!