The weather experience inside the Google app got a major makeover with the arrival of thePixel Tablet. We were recentlyleft impressed after checking outhow the new UI would look on a phone screen. While this seems to be merely a visual overhaul at a glance, Google has made some big changes under the hood that will make your local weather forecasts far more reliable and precise.
With a light and dark theme, the refreshed Weather page in the Google app looks modern and a lot nicer. It uses the tablet’s full display better to present a lot of information neatly without looking cluttered. And the best part is that Google retained its petite, big-eyed frog to be your personal weather reporter. But9to5Googlegot confirmation from Google that there is more to the new experience than what meets the eye.
Besides its existing sources, Google is now employing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’sMRMSandHRRRsensor systems to fine-tune its 12-hour predictions. The data from these sources is updated multiple times an hour, allowing for better accuracy and more reliable weather information, so that you’re able to go about your day without worrying about rain spoiling your plans. But that’s not all.
Google will use all this data for another application called Nowcast. The Nowcast section will appear on the same Weather page but only in case of extreme weather conditions like rain, hail, or snow. The Nowcast card will provide far more precise weather information specific to the minute, as shown above. In the example screenshot, the graph gives a visual representation of how heavy the rainfall is going to be during the period.
Currently, the Nowcast feature is available only for thePixel Foldand Tablet, and you must be in the US with English set as your primary device language to see it. Meanwhile, Google confirmed that the new Weather experience is already available in 26 languages, and the company plans to bring it to more devices after testing it on its tablet and foldable. How long it will take to officially reach thePixel 7series andyour favorite Android phoneis still up in the air.
