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Check out our Gadget Cover guide to the most accurate weather apps. Know what to expect and when by downloading these handy apps to your mobile phone today.

It’s no surprise us Brits are obsessed with the weather. It’s not unusual to experience cold, a heatwave, rain, and storms in the same week. With a handy and accurate weather app on your phone, you can see what’s coming and plan your wardrobe without too many surprises – hopefully!

How do you know which apps to pick with such a wide variety available? We’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up the most accurate at telling you what Mother Nature has planned in the days and weeks ahead. Whether you own an iPhone or prefer to use an Android device, you’ll find the ideal weather app here.

As your mobile boasts such a wide range of functions to help you daily. This way, if it breaks, gets damaged, or stolen, you may be able to get it replaced.

The most accurate all-round weather apps

For the everyday weather-checker, these apps come with easy-to-use interfaces and all the information you need to understand what to expect over the coming days. Whether you want to know how much it will rain or when there’s a high pollen count, these apps do the trick.

Accuweather (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/£0.99 a month or £8.99 a month ad-free

For wonderfully streamlined weather data and tons of different stats, Accuweather has you covered. As one of the top forecast-telling apps in the UK, expect highly accurate readings for the next hour, day, and 2 weeks ahead. 

If you’re a weather fanatic, you’ll find plenty to entertain you in the way of articles and videos from the experts. Holidaymakers can make use of the app's ability to forecast the weather in over 3 million places across the globe!

What does the percent mean on the weather app? This handy reading indicates the likelihood of rain for every hour and day displayed on Accuweather. You can also get data on UV levels, air quality, and visibility.

Why do we love it? Get accurate minute-by-minute updates in the MinuteCase feature. This invaluable tool is perfect when planning a family BBQ or a day out.

BBC Weather (iOS and Android)

Price: Free

The BBC Weather app launched in 2013 and includes all the features necessary in a simple format. Search any location in the country and get an hourly forecast or check what the next 14 days look like.

This app is especially useful for hay fever sufferers. You can find an accurate 10-day forecast of the pollen count in your area. Those with sensitive skin will love the UV checker, showing you what levels are expected, so you know when to cover up or lather on the sun cream.

Just like Accuweather, there’s a percentage for the chance of rain, hail, or snow. If you love deep discussions about the weather – and who doesn’t in the UK? – you can easily share the forecast on your social media pages or via email.

Why do we love it? Sometimes the temperature outside doesn’t seem to reflect what you see on the forecast. The BBC Weather app gives you the real reading and tells you what it ‘feels like’, based on wind and humidity at the time.

Carrot Weather (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/£4.99 a month or £19.49 a year for premium features

Want to add a bit of humour to your weather report? When you get a new device, you could then invest in phone insurance downloading Carrot Weather? This app is not only highly accurate but also wildly funny. Decide how you want to hear the forecast by picking from the apps five personalities!

• Professional
• Friendly
• Snarky
• Homicidal
• Overkill

Choose a different character and voice each day or stick with your favourite. Enjoy challenges from the app to keep you on your toes or use augmented reality to bring it to life in your home. Aside from all the fun is some very accurate weather data in a sleek and minimalist design to keep you informed.

Why do we love it? The Time Travel feature is a lot of fun, allowing you to see the weather where you live up to 70 years ago or even 10 years into the future.

Yahoo Weather (iOS and Android)

Price: Free

One of the best free weather apps that does exactly what it needs to is Yahoo Weather. User interface is sleek and easy to understand, and you can set up alerts for certain conditions.

For a more accurate forecast, check the interactive radar for satellite, wind, and heat maps for your location. Find a detailed five-day forecast to plan and check pollen levels if you have seasonal allergies.

Why do we love it? It costs nothing and boasts a simple but stylish interface easy enough for anyone to use and find accurate forecasts.

The Weather Channel (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/Premium £0.99 a month or £9.49 a year/Premium Pro for £4.99 a month or £29.49 a year

The Premium and Premium Pro prices for this app are more than most but expect extremely accurate weather reports and up-to-the-minute updates for your location. Get hourly and daily forecasts and plan up to 15 days in advance.

Check for severe weather on its way and wind speed in your region. Additional features include cold and flu reports for your area and medical tips to help you recover if you catch them.

Runners can take advantage of the Running Index to find the perfect conditions to head out on a route nearby. Post your photos and videos of weather in your region via the top social media sharing channels.

Why do we love it? If you go on holiday to somewhere that’s more vulnerable to extreme weather, the app sends you safety advice from the experts. Whether severe tropical storms are on their way or wildfires are spreading, The Weather Channel application could come in very handy indeed.

The most accurate weather apps for outdoor adventure enthusiasts

Do you have a hobby that takes you outdoors come wind, rain, or shine? These weather apps are ideal for planning your activities in optimal conditions with special features to help every adventurer – whether you love water sports, hiking, or paragliding.

Don’t forget, your mobile can easily get damaged in extreme conditions. Speak to Gadget Cover to find the right phone insurance policy for you and read on for our tips to protect your device in harsh weather.

Windfinder: Wind & Weather Map (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/In-app purchases of £0.59-8.99 per item

You can’t get much more accurate and detailed than Windfinder for the latest accurate updates on wind, tides, and waves across the globe. The app includes forecasts for over 160,000 worldwide locations to monitor upcoming conditions for your adventure or holiday spot.

Windfinder comes packed with features that inform you of current wind and wave conditions in thousands of locations, including:

• Animated wind maps
• High and low tide forecasts
• Wave height, period, and direction
• Wind speed measurements in Beaufort, knots, mph, km/h, and m/s
• Topographic maps and satellite images

The app also lets you save your favourite spots and add a widget to your home screen for a quick update at a glance. The display is easy to navigate and use, even if your hands are cold and wet!

Why do we love it? For the extremely detailed information on everything wind-related and the worldwide webcams to see the conditions yourself before heading out into the wild.

Met Office Weather Forecast (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/£2.99 ad-free

The Met Office is home to the UK’s National Weather Service and was founded in 1854. That’s a lot of time to perfect those weather-forecasting skills! That’s why this app made it into our list, and it boasts plenty of useful features for the everyday weather enthusiast or outdoor lover.

Discover an accurate reading for the next hour, day, and week and get severe weather warning alerts straight to your phone. With a buzz or a beep, your device can tell you if rain, snow, fog, strong wind, or ice is on its way.

Cyclists, fishermen, and sailors everywhere can make use of the alerts along with forecasts for UV levels, humidity, pressure, and visibility. Prepare your outdoor adventure right with the Met Office.

Like with the general weather apps, you also get accurate data for the probability of rain, a surface pressure map, and plenty of statistics on wind speed and direction. Set your device up to give you pollen push notifications in case you suffer from allergies.

Why do we love it? Along with the plethora of information about current and upcoming weather conditions, you can also access air pollution forecasts to go out when the air is clearest.

The most accurate weather apps for storm chasers

Whether you’re a lover of storms or prefer to keep warm indoors, these apps are ideal to warn you when lightning and thunder are on the way.

If you plan to head outdoors in heavy showers or storms, don’t forget to protect your device from the weather and invest in phone insurance to cover it in case of damage. Talk through your needs with Gadget Cover to find the right policy for you.

Weather by WeatherBug (iOS and Android)

Price: Free/£0.99 a month or £9.99 a year ad-free

This well-rounded weather app provides highly accurate readings thanks to the 10,000 weather stations it uses to read data. The forecasts aren’t limited to the UK either. Find up-to-date information for over 90 countries and plan your holiday overseas at the right time.

This app is perfect for lovers of the outdoors who can take advantage of the mapping data and specialised forecasts. Get snowstorm alerts and 10-day snow depth predictions.

If you love a summer storm, use the Storm Tracker map layer. Get Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts and keep updated with the animated lightning feature to see where it’s hitting. Set your device up to tell you when lightning strikes within a 10-mile radius.

Add the WeatherBug widget to your home screen for a quick glance at the current stats whether you own an iOS or Android device.

Why do we love it? In addition to all the map layers and features mentioned above, you can add a satellite view and traffic conditions. This way, if you have a long journey coming up, you can leave at the right time to avoid bad weather and sitting in a jam.

My Lightning Tracker & Alerts (iOS and Android)

Price: Free

Whether you plan on chasing storms or have a nervous pet and like to be prepared for thunder and lightning, this app is a must. My Lightning Tracker & Alerts shows you accurate close to real-time monitoring of where lightning strikes across the globe.

Set your phone up to alert you when strikes are detected where you live and then monitor the storm live. Share the data with family and friends as it happens and let them know if it’s going to reach them.

Why do we love it? This app is exciting as it is, but we love the feature that allows you to see a history of hotspots. Check where lightning strikes most often and if you live in a particularly vulnerable region.

Protect your phone from the weather

The UK weather has its fair share of extremes on both hot and cold fronts. Severe temperatures on either end of the scale and heavy rain can take its toll on your mobile, so knowing some ways to keep it in optimum condition through the seasons is a must.

In addition to phone insurance to protect your device if it breaks, use these top tips and invest in some weatherproof accessories to maintain a healthy mobile come rain or shine.

Protecting your phone in hot temperatures

With recent temperatures in the UK reaching record levels, it’s not only us feeling the heat. Can your iPhone overheat? It certainly can. Overheating phones can shut down temporarily or experience battery damage. So, what can you do to keep your mobile cool?

• Don’t leave it in direct sunlight
• Turn it off in extreme heat
• Take the case off
• Don’t use power-hungry apps
• Don’t leave it in your pocket
• Turn down the screen brightness
• Keep it somewhere cool

If you want to go a little further and add an extra layer of protection on top of phone insurance, you can buy a special case for around £25-30. Some of the top models come with NASA spacesuit technology and can reflect up to 95% of the sun’s heat away from your mobile.

Another excellent accessory to keep your mobile protected from the heat is a phone cooler. These little fans attach to the back of your device and are primarily made for gaming to stop your phone from overheating but can make a huge difference on those scorching hot days.

Protecting your phone in cold temperatures

As the cold months strike, temperatures sometimes drop below 0°C, which can be detrimental to your phone’s battery life. The screen may also fail to work properly, and the device could turn off altogether. Protect your mobile with phone insurance and use these tips to keep it working in the cold.

• Keep it in your pocket
• Buy a case or cover to keep it warm
• Don’t charge it while it’s cold
• Turn it off in extreme cold conditions

When searching for a phone case to keep your device safe from extremely low temperatures, ensure it has excellent insulation. You can find decent thermal covers for around £10 or splash out on something extra warm for up to £35.

For life in the UK, one on the lower end of the price scale should do the trick. But if you need to use your phone outdoors a lot when temperatures go below 0°C, something that provides extra insulation is ideal.

Protecting your phone from the rain

We’re very familiar with rain in the UK, and plenty of us have experienced a soaked phone as a result. Instead of chucking it in a bowl of rice and praying it dries out, keep it protected to avoid it getting wet and get phone insurance to cover it in case of damage.

When you’re looking to invest in a new device, check out its water rating. This is the final digit in a phone’s IP rating from 0-8. 0 means there’s no protection against moisture and 8 means it can withstand full immersion to a certain point.

Whether you love a run in the rain or sometimes get caught in a shower on your way home from work, these tips can help your phone stay dry, even if you don’t.

• Wear a waterproof jacket and keep your phone inside
• Use a waterproof case
• Invest in a waterproof pouch
• Keep it in a zip-lock bag
• Use Bluetooth headphones

You can find quality waterproof pouches recommended by water sports enthusiasts for under £10 that still allow you to use the touch screen as normal.

Expect to pay between £20-30 for a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones for answering calls in the rain without exposing your phone to water damage.

Get the right phone insurance with Gadget Cover

Your phone is a quick and efficient way to access an accurate weather forecast and see what’s in store for the coming days and weeks. Try a selection of our favourite apps mentioned to find the right one for you.

Don’t forget to implement our tips to keep your device safe from the elements and pair it with phone insurance to keep it protected in case of damage or loss.

Not sure how to choose the right insurance policy? At Gadget Cover, we can help you find the ideal policy for your budget, needs, and device. Protect your phone against accidental and liquid damage and find out about additional cover for loss and all your other gadgets and accessories.

To protect your weather-predicting device with the right phone insurance, get in touch with Gadget Cover for a quick quote today.