Meteorological department has launched a new App called Indian Weather app for Android phones.
Currently the app gives only basic information like four day weather forecast with temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, and rainfall data. The app automatically detects your location and claims to give information accordingly.
Currently the forecast is available only in four metros. While current weather information is available for across the country.
Curiously, though the app is official, it has been uploaded by some ‘Shantanu Chandra’ in the Google Play store. Also if you search ‘Indian Weather’ in the Android store, you will see several apps and widgets with the same name but they are not official.
The Indian Weather app is poorly design, even though it has been designed by IBM India and Dotsys Software.
Shailesh Nayak, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said “IMD has taken a new initiative in the development of an application called “Indian-Weather” for smartphones and tablets based on Android. IMD wants to tap the reach of smartphones to provide the latest weather information and other value added services as and when required and wherever required. With this service, IMD’s forecast of major cities of the country around four metros for next 4 days along with updated current weather observations would be available to the millions of mobile users across the country in the initial phase”.
He added “During next 8-10 months, we intend not only to expand the domain of the products by including weather bulletins and alerts for significant events, Agromet advisories etc to the public on the smart phones but also for other phones across platform . This will prove a major milestone in Public weather services provided by IMD”.