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Dark Sky update brings iOS 7 design, beautiful 3D radar maps and more detailed forecasts

The Forecast team today released their iOS 7 update for Dark Sky ($3.99), the ‘down-to-the-minute’ weather app. The update strips back the bevels and gloss to fit the iOS 7 aesthetic. The new design puts the most important information — the current weather conditions — front and center. A graph plot of upcoming precipitation is also available at a glance on the main page of the app.

Blurring has also been used to great effect, with the forecast information superimposed on a blurred view of the global radar maps. These maps are beautifully rendered; the radar patterns smoothly transition over time. In addition to the radically new design, version 4 also brings much forecasts that span longer into the future. The next 24 hours is prioritised, but 7-day outlooks are available with a swipe. The day-by-day breakdowns offer a lot of information, more so than most weather reports will provide.

From the developers’ blog:

Completely rewritten from scratch, it sets aside the limitations of the web to become the weather app we’ve always wanted — and always wanted to build. It’s the culmination of over two years of work in figuring out how to display and organize weather data the right way. And it’s a full featured weather app — something we swore we’d never do — but it still remains true to its original focus on what’s happening right now, where you’re standing.

The developers say the app is a complete rewrite, which makes the fact they are not charging for the update impressive. For new customers, Dark Sky is available for $3.99 on the App Store. Note that Dark Sky coverage currently encompasses the United States, the UK and Ireland. The developers have said that they are actively working on adding data for more regions.

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Comments

  1. cosmoknot (@cosmoknot) - 10 years ago

    It’s pretty and all, but I really really miss the darker interface. :(

  2. This POC is so inaccurate I deleted it long ago. Apparently SNOW will fall of beautiful sunny skies in 20 min. *rolling my eyes*

  3. Drew (@gettysburg11s) - 10 years ago

    This looks cool, and may well be accurate, but really all I need to know is the current and future temp. That’s why I use Solar: Weather. It provides the temp and conditions, and by-the-minute temp up to 24 hours in the future, plus the 3 day forecast. This is just weather overload. If I need a weather radar map, I have The Weather Channel Max app.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.