Dark Sky
On cloud nine or storms ahead?
£3.99 FROM Jackadam, darksky.net NEEDS iOS 10.3 or later
Dark Sky’s latest version is resolutely
conventional. The outlook sits on the same single-page scrolling view within a Forecast tab. You can get to an animated precipitation/ temperatures globe by tapping Map, and you can now save up to six locations.
The visual design is a mixed bag. The icons are dull but easy to differentiate. Arrows on the rainfall radar are a great addition, enabling you to tell in which direction nearby storms are moving. But temperature badges on the 24-hour forecast, positioned horizontally to denote change over the day, are tricky to parse.
On iPad, screen space is used effectively. And on Apple Watch, it provides useful at-a-glance info.
The app offers warnings for precipitation, a daily summary, severe weather alerts and reminders for high rainfall and UV. These can be added to with custom notifications. We found rainfall warnings were broadly accurate, if sometimes a little late.
The radar – now a little sidelined – remains the star of the show; and although the new design can feel boring, it’s far more effective.