Apple Watch could help lend data to hyper-local weather prediction apps

A lot of attention has gone into the upcoming Apple Watch’s biometric and health-centric sensors, but the device could also be great for weather forecasting.

Last fall, after the announcement of the iPhone 6 and its barometer, meteorologist Cliff Mass wrote a giddy blog post about the promise of smartphone barometers. He said experimental results from his research team show that dense networks of mobile barometers alone can create highly accurate three-dimensional weather maps. That “almost sounds like magic” to Mass.

The implications of highly localized weather forecasts are profound. The Weather Company, which owns the Weather Channel, has used local weather forecasts to drive increased revenue through context-specific advertising for years. Dense networks of barometer-enabled smartphones in India and Africa could boost local economies by aiding agriculture and other weather-dependent sectors.

The potential for smartwatches to bring about a new generation of hyper-local forecasts is interesting and could piece together incredibly local data into larger weather prediction structures.

To that end, there’s a really interesting article on Slate linked below that explains what app developers are doing, what they’re excited about and what could come of this new data.

The story is there, take a gander and let us know how you might feel about turning into part of the upcoming weather report thanks to the Apple Watch you intend to purchase next month.

Via Slate