The App Store has more weather apps that are worth writing about than I have ways to introduce weather app reviews. Having a weather app available seems like something every designer wants to do right now and while there are some that look similar to others, I love it when developers and designers work towards presenting iOS users with a new way of looking at weather. While most recent apps have been going for the minimalistic approach, Raureif, The Berlin based consultancy takes a more infographic based approach to weather with Partly Cloudy.
Partly Cloudy offers a very unique way of looking at the weather forecast. It has a an analog clock style interface that lets you move the hand in a clockwise and counterclockwise motion. As you move the hand, the inner circle of the dial shows you the time selected and as you move it, the data above the clock face changes. The clock face also visually represents data like wind speed and precipitation. The blue in the middle represents the precipitation and when you see more of the blue, there is a higher chance of rain. Wind is represented by single lines coming out of the centre. There is a button on the bottom left that brings your position back to the current time and a dial on the right that is really well designed that lets you pick between a 12 hour, 24 hour and weekly forecast. The app isn’t the simplest of apps to understand and use but the guide provided in the beginning helps a lot. The app also has a really nice icon that will look nice on your homescreen if you choose to make this your go to weather app.
The app will not appeal to the casual weather checker but infographic geeks and weather enthusiasts will love Partly Cloudy. I don’t like the lack of gesture support for switching locations and the settings page feels out of place. Other than that the app has a unique take on weather and is worth checking out. It is available on the App Store for $1.99.