Android weather apps

avrc · 11 Jan 2016 at 07:33

Can anyone tell me where android weather apps get their data from? I've tried googling but I'm not finding anything.

I've got a weather app on my phone and it gives the location as exactly where we live but the same app on my Mrs's phone is giving a location just up the road. I can't imagine that there are that many weather stations around and was interested to know where our local data was coming from.

ShakenNstirred · 11 Jan 2016 at 08:36

I use the BBC weather app

Myshra · 11 Jan 2016 at 08:40

Couple of variables - when the trigger for the last update was (and if your wife was in the same location as yourself) and the accuracy of the device. If the device is not using high accuracy mode it could just be as simple as it picked the next point along as it thought it was closer. I guess the density of weather sites would be important to the latter too.

Orcvader · 11 Jan 2016 at 08:46

For location weather apps will ask your phone, which will depend if you have GPS enabled on the phone, and how well the GPS works as well. Phones using MediaTek prcoessors I found to be the least accurate, while Qualcomm has been spot on for me. There's also location via wifi but that seems consistent across all phones.

Scottland · 11 Jan 2016 at 10:57

Different apps will use different providers.

Typically, they seem to use Yahoo Weather, Openweathermap and accuweather as they all have an API to pull weather info in.

neil_g · 11 Jan 2016 at 11:07

dont the met office have an API for weather data?

Scottland · 11 Jan 2016 at 11:42

neil_g said:
dont the met office have an API for weather data?

Probably, but I've not seen many apps use it - and it's also probably UK centric data.