Air sounding, sounding forecast or skew diagram is here! Yes, there are plenty of names for it. :)

What does it even mean?

Sounding describes a plot of the vertical profile of temperature, dew point and (mostly also) winds above a fixed location. Soundings are used extensively in severe weather forecasting, e.g., to determine instability, locate temperature inversions, measure the strength of the cap (capping inversion), obtain the convective temperature, CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy), etc.

Horizontal lines represent height in pressure coordinates (millibars or hPa); diagonal lines represent temperature. Heavy solid lines show the vertical profile of observed temperature (red) and dew point (blue). The grey line shows the temperature of a parcel of surface air and how its temperature would change if it was lifted. Source of information: Weather Online.

Where do you find it on Windy and how does it work?

• Desktop version: Just click with right mouse button anywhere on the map, and use the link in the context menu.
• Mobile devices: A long tap on display will do!

Above is a quick video tutorial.

This feature was quickly but carefully developed by our zealous pilot & programmer @TZ who hopes you enjoy it!

So far we only support the ecmwf model but other models should follow.

Don't hesitate to give us your feedback!

To all the sailors, boaters and cruisers, mountaineers and just all of you who like Windy and repeatedly ask for the possibility to use it offline via downloading data files:

It is not possible to download the forecast data for offline use.

We do not own the data, we ‘only’ visualise it, so if we were giving it away as GRIB files, we would break the licensing agreements with our data providers.

Although we know that making screenshots (in advance) is not a perfect solution, it is the best of what's available.

Thank you for understanding and stay tuned to Windy whenever possible! :)

Please also check these links: https://community.windy.com/tags/grib file

Hi everyone,

Windy now supports more than 40 languages and it's been very difficult to maintain the high standard of translations. Therefore, we have decided to change the translation platfom, now we are using Crowdin. Crowdin is a user-friendly translation tool that everyone can join and improve or translate texts used at Windy.

To join this project, please use the following link:

crowdin.com/project/windycom/invite?d=m625h465m6g5f54373m463c3l4

Current translation status:

Here is some basic help for translators.

Thank you for helping us keep Windy the best weather service! :)

Hi @yopo , thanks for your message, we're really happy that you like Windy!

As to your suggestions - we do have "Humidity" and "Dew point" as individual layers but not a combination of these two + air temperature as a "Heat index" layer, the same with "Windchill" (wind speed + air temperature). It's not our priority at this moment, but we will certainly think about it! All the best ~ Marie

Just to make sure that I am getting it right:

Heat index = a quantity expressing the discomfort felt as a result of the combined effects of the temperature and humidity of the air.

Windchill = a quantity expressing the effective lowering of the air temperature caused by the wind, especially as affecting the rate of heat loss from an object or human body or as perceived by an exposed person.

As we all know, one of the most popular features on Windy.com is the 'Radar, lightning' overlay.

• Weather radar, also called Doppler weather radar or Weather surveillance radar (WSR), is a reflectivity measurement device used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.) or amount of predictable water in clouds. Returned echoes from targets ("reflectivity") are analyzed for their intensities to establish the precipitation rate in the scanned volume.

Its development on Windy.com has always been a work to continue:

1. Initially, our radar layer was covering the USA (including Hawaii and coastal parts of Alaska), South Korea and a couple of islands in the North Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.

2. In June 2018, we added a number of European countries from Spain to Finland.

3. In August 2018, more and more weather radars in various countries were added: in southern part of Canada, in Caribbean, Colombia, Nicaragua, Argentina, Estonia, Italy and Greece.

4. In September 2018, this feature reached a completely new level by adding new flashing icons representing real-time lightning strikes, and even thunder sound effect. Therefore, this popular feature got a brand new name: "Radar, lightning".

   • Please note: Although the weather radar and the lightning radiolocation are both integrated into one overlay, they work independently of each other; they have different data sources and a slightly different map coverage. However, on this feature, they share the timeline occurrence; you can display them together as an animation in the time course of 12 hours to 5 mins back in the past.

   • Check the awesome video presentation above.

5. In February 2019, a number of new countries across Europe and the world were added into the weather radar composite, our main data source being RainViewer.com.

   • Kudos to @dzuremar, our backend guru, who did a splendid job on it:

Windy provides the option to choose from several different weather models. You can display their data just directly on the map.

Desktop

See the legend in the lower right corner of the screen. Then choose the forecast model that you prefer.

You can also get some more info about the data (provider, update interval etc.) via the "clock" button.

Mobile devices

It's very easy, just follow this tutorial:

Here you can find more info about the sources of weather data on Windy.com.

Many people were waiting for this feature for a very long time, and here it is: The so called CAP Alerts displayed on Windy as a new layer "Weather warnings".

A quick introduction to CAP alerts

The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is a standard message format designed for media, civic authorities and large public.

It generates warnings on all possible dangers: weather, fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, etc. etc.

Official alerting authorities include: national meteorological or hydrological services, emergency management agencies, or any other organisation authorised to perform the function of alerting.

Benefits of CAP: If alerts are timely and appropriate, people can reduce damage and loss of life.

Note: All types of warnings should be understood as risks, not as observations. For example, "Fire" should be considered as "conditions that could lead to potential fires", mainly due to drought and lightning near forests. These are not fires that have already started, although they could as well.

CAP alerts on Windy

A lot of backend work was done by @kekert, a long time Windy friend and now our team member.

So far it only covers some parts of Europe, the USA, Russia etc. It is still work in progress and rather an experimental feature, so please be patient! :)

Windy is focused on displaying these warning types:

• Rain, Thunderstorms, Flood, Fire, High temperature, Low temperature, Wind, Fog, Waves & sea, Snow, Air quality, Avalanches.

There are 2 colour scheme options for the layer:

• Colorize by the intensity of the phenomena: Moderate, Severe, Extreme
• Colorize by the type of danger: according to the list above

You can select the time range to show the related data on the map, the options being: All, Today, Tomorrow, and Later (with the "All" option including all three of the following options together).

Once you pick a location on the map, a detail will open with info about the weather warning(s): intensity and type of the warning, duration, region, source + update time, some instructions, language of the warning publication, meteogram + timezone for the location.

Data providers: In case of Europe, we source the alerts from Meteoalarm.eu. Please note, the data by Meteoalarm.eu are not provided on a district level, so at this moment it is not possible to have the data for a separated district. We are not sure at the moment if future developments are being done in this area. If so, we would consider this improvement.

All your suggestions will be considered in this thread, or you can use the discussion here.

We can not repeat it enough: Stay safe!

Colorize by the intensity of the phenomena

Colorize by the type of danger

Weather warnings detail for a specific location

Are you a passionate surfer but missed all your favorite surfing spots on Windy? This is the news you've been waiting for!

Windy has added "Surfing spots" into the list of POI layers!

Thanks to this feature, we display 4,500+ surfing spots all around the world. For each spot, the following info is provided:

• Swell size range – the minimum swell size needed for surfing, plus the maximum swell size when surfing is still safe
• Swell direction – where the waves are coming from
• Breaksover – the bottom type
• Tide
• Optimum wind – the ideal wind direction
• Wave type

Please note, the “Popularity” indicator with star icons does not reflect users' reviews. It is generated automatically based on the number of individual spot searches.

Check the video tutorial above.

Our data provider is the Stormrider Surf Guide, a company devoted to collecting surf & travel information and sharing it with you.

And hey, their brand new product called "The World Stormrider Surf Guide" is the largest collection of surf spot information ever compiled! This book must have taken a huge effort to put together, so you’d better check it out!

As the book annotation says:

The World Stormrider Surf Guide is the biggest, most comprehensive, reference guide to the waves on “Planet Surf”. This mammoth book explores every dynamic surf zone known to man, from world-famous beaches to obscure reefs on the fringes of the known surf world. Each zone includes detailed analysis of the surf spots and swell forecasting, plus the lowdown on when to go, weather, accommodation, food, culture, hazards, the local scene and much more. A unique set of symbols and statistics make vital surf information instantly accessible. Combined with over 260 detailed maps and 600 superb photos, The World Stormrider Surf Guide is an essential tool and the ultimate surf travel resource for all globe-trotting waveriders.

So, enjoy this new feature and get the best waves!

Hi everyone,

here you can let us know what kind of issues you’re experiencing with our Android (plus newly also iPhone & iPad) widget: What is annoying, what could be done better and, most importantly, what does not work at all ("keeps crashing & never refreshing").

1. Make sure that you have the latest version of our app.

2. Please, provide us with info about your device and Android/iOS version.

3. Describe the problem with your widget, including all the key circumstances (your settings, location change, network/data connection, etc.).

Here are a few tips you can try if you spot a widget issue - What to do

Many thanks for your feedback, we will do our best to reflect it.

https://community.windy.com/tags/widget

Snowkiting season is coming, and a great idea was born in the head of our head, Ivo: To develop a special "Wind" display! :)

This tool helps you compare all available models at once, directly on the map! Look just how easy it is:

1. Pick a spot on the map (you can have any weather layer or POI layer on it).
2. Open the forecast detail for the picked location.
3. Choose the "Wind" option.

Check the video tutorial above.

Working on desktop, the iOS app and newly also the Android app.

Enjoy and give us a shout!

ABOUT THE DATA WE VISUALISE:

Forecasted Wind:

Average wind speed 10 meters above the surface (or at a selected pressure level). The actual wind at the ground is influenced by many factors like mountains, cities and terrain in general, convective clouds and thermal effects. That's why it's always better to compare all models and make your own decision!

More weather layers are described in our community FAQ section.

Forecast models:

Global:

• ECMWF 9km: Very accurate model provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Clear winner compared to other forecast models. Since the model is commercial, only a few companies in the world offer it.
• GFS 22km: Basic free model provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with not so good resolution. Compared to other models, GFS can fail in mountain areas, and in(when) forecasting clouds and precipitation. Since the model is free, a majority of weather applications use it.

USA + Alaska + Hawaii:

• NAM 5km: Regional mesoscale model run by NCEP. Provides better resolution than global models.

Europe:

• ICON-EU 7km: High resolution model developed and operated by German DWD. One of the most modern forecast models delivering very good results in Europe.
• NEMS 4-12km: Very accurate model developed by NOAA, but improved and computed by Swiss Meteoblue. Excels in all parameters, especially in Alpine areas.

More info about forecast models can be found in our community FAQ section.

Hi @Mconniff , you're welcome. In fact, as it turned out, the cause of this problem was a mix of both (on the ground and with Windy itself). Our team is continuously monitoring this issue and some fixes have already been made. If any further problem occurs, please let us know here in this public forum. Thank you!

Hi @d-dickerson , what is your device and OS? Can you send a screenshot? Thank you.

Hi @Frankenstien , unfortunately these e-mail notifications (that should inform you about a reply here on Windy Community) are not working. You just need to log-in here and watch the notifications ("bell" icon) in the upper right corner. We're sorry about that.

Perhaps @mates-dolda could check whether it's possible or not? (We were talking about this issue some time ago when we still used the old NodeBB version).

Hi @Bebe1980 , thanks for your message. Do you mean the "Show 7 day weather at startup" settings in Menu? If this is the case, you're right, it is not working. It's either 4 day or 3 day forecast in the upper (left) corner, depending on the device.

Or if you mean anything else, could you please send a screenshot? Thank you.

Hi @markdj , thanks for your message and please check this link.

UPDATE:

ECMWF: from the end of the 6th day
GFS: from the end of the 6th day
ICON: the end of the 5th day
NAM: the end of the 3rd day

NEMS and AROME: OK

Hi @seaeagle2323 , thanks for your message. We've been just checking it and it seems that all times are OK in Australia. Could you please check it again and let us know? Thank you.

Similar: https://community.windy.com/topic/5638/model-nam-does-not-show-rain-accumulation-new-snow

Note: In the production version (currently 18.8.0), the last two issues are relevant.

@ivo UPDATE: Still an issue, see:

ICON: https://www.windy.com/49.153/9.756?iconEu,50.083,14.467,5,p:off

COMPARE: https://www.windy.com/multimodel/49.153/9.756?iconEu,50.083,14.467,5,p:off