These are the best weather apps for iPhone and iPad

Weather apps not to be missed

Sometimes you want to know whether it will rain or whether it will stay dry, but also what the temperature will be today, tomorrow or next week. Whether you go hiking, skating, cycling or going to the beach, many activities depend on the weather. With these weather apps for the iPhone and iPad you always know what the situation is. We discuss both the must-haves and the more unique weather apps for the iPhone that offer that little bit extra.

• Rain radar
• CARROT Weather
• Shower alert
• Weather forecast Netherlands
• Yahoo Weather!
• Weatheronline
• Tinyclouds

• WeatherPro (expired)

• Other
• Reader tips

To know what the weather is like, you don’t necessarily need the apps from this list. By default, you will find Apple’s Weather app on the iPhone, but the apps in this overview all offer just that little bit extra.

iCulture recommends: Buienradar

It is probably the best known weather app out there and with good reason. The Buienradar app is well put together and immediately shows whether a rain cloud is approaching or not. With different types of radars, for example for wind, snow, pollen or sun, you can see at a glance how the weather is doing. Buienradar can also provide notifications if a shower is approaching at your location, so that you know whether you should grab an umbrella or leave your bike at home. The app also has a 14-day forecast, where you can also see the weather per hour for the most recent days. This is not the best view, but you mainly use a weather app to view the weather for the next few hours. Buienradar used to work on the Apple Watch, but it has recently disappeared. The makers have promised that the Apple Watch version will return, although we do not know when yet. The app does have a clear widget for your home screen. For Belgium there is also a special Buienradar Belgium app with largely the same functions.

Pros: Clear and reliable information, moving weather maps directly on screen.
Cons: Ads can be annoying (but can be removed with in-app purchase), 14-day expectation a bit unclear.

CARROT Weather

Another highly rated and widely used weather app is CARROT Weather. The app is unique because it has a completely different approach than the other standard weather apps. CARROT Weather opts for a drawn style with graphs. The app always greets you with a sarcastic text spoken by the app’s voice. Characteristic of the app are the many possibilities to expand and adapt it, via an in-app subscription from € 2.49 per month, but if you are prepared to do so, the possibilities are endless. The app’s data comes from, among others, Dark Sky, a popular weather app that cannot be found in the Dutch App Store. The information is not always 100% accurate for the Netherlands, but CARROT Weather is without a doubt the best weather app. The app also shines on the Apple Watch, which can also be customized to your own taste.

Pros: Funniest weather app with a unique style and comic undertone, largely customizable.
Cons: Only in English, information is sometimes a bit difficult to read.

Shower alert

See when it rains in the next two hours. The Buienradar website started with this handy function, but Buienalarm performs it best on the iPhone and iPad. Based on your favorite locations, Buienalarm shows a graph showing the amount of rain in the next two hours. With a swipe down you can see the precipitation displayed on a map, including an indication for the next two hours. But you don’t even have to open the app to see the precipitation. Then you can also use the handy Buienalarm widget in the message center. This way you can see the precipitation graph of your current location without opening the app. The app does not win the beauty prize, but it does what it should do.

Pros: Immediate reliable notifications when it starts to rain, notifications you can set yourself.
Downsides: Not the best weather app, you mainly have it for the notifications.

Weather forecast Netherlands

Weather Forecast Netherlands is a well-arranged weather app with information from the KNMI. The app is clear without too much fuss. The app is free with ads, but if that bothers you, you can buy them off.

You view the current weather on a map, but you can also view the forecasts for the next six days. The app also provides push notifications for weather alerts and you can choose which province you want or for the entire country. Unique about this Dutch app is that it works on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV. The app offers almost the same options on all devices. A disadvantage is that the app has a relatively large amount of text and fewer graphs and maps.

Yahoo Weather!

Yahoo’s weather app has a funny story. Jony Ive, Apple’s design boss, envied Yahoo Weather’s look for years. With beautiful opening photos that adapt to the weather, you immediately see what the weather is like without having to look at the numbers. It’s no wonder then that the default Weather app looks a bit like Yahoo Weather. But apart from the beautiful photos of all kinds of places in the world, you can of course also see the hard figures. With graphs and icons you can always see what the weather is like. There is also a weather map, but we find it less clear. Yahoo Weather is great to have as a free app, especially if you’re looking for great weather photos.

Pros: Beautiful photos that change with the weather and your location, clear information.
Negatives: Options a bit sparse.

Weatheronline

Weeronline is somewhat similar to Buienradar, although the layout is different. At the top of the home page you don’t immediately see a map, but a simple announcement with how the weather will change in the next few hours. Below that follows a 48-hour forecast and only below that is the map of your current location. You can tap on each item to see more information, but in the free version, for example, it is not possible to determine the layout of the home screen yourself. The app also supports home screen widgets. Unfortunately, you can no longer receive rain notifications from the app at this time. If you do not want advertisements, you pay €3.49 per year.

Pros: Beautiful iPad version, design is not too busy.
Cons: No layout options in the free version, standard display limited.

Tinyclouds

One of the nicest weather apps is Tinyclouds: a beautiful weather app that is reminiscent of Minecraft. Both the design and the animations resemble Minecraft, with the weather affecting what you see. The 3D city shows the current weather conditions. If you swipe down, you will see the weather forecast per hour and week. Tinyclouds’ information comes from the Dark Sky weather service and is continuously updated. You can also save locations and interesting places in Tinyclouds. The downside is that the city in the image never changes: you always see the skyscrapers, even when you are in nature. A Mac version is also in the works.

Pros: Playful app, very accurate.
Cons: Image gets boring over time.

WeatherPro (expired)

WeatherPro is no longer being developed, which means that one of the most popular weather apps on the iPhone will eventually disappear. WeatherPro is a well-known name among weather apps on iPhone. The app is made by the German branch of MeteoGroup, a company originally founded by Dutch weatherman Harry Otten. It contains a wealth of weather information. On the main page you immediately see a rain map, the current weather and below that the weather type per day and the weather for the upcoming days. If there is a weather warning, it will be announced immediately and you will see for which part of the day it applies. Also useful is the graph button, with which you can view the weather line for today and the coming days if you hold the iPhone horizontally. Furthermore, you can save several favorite locations in WeatherPro and read the weather image about it and see various weather and satellite maps. If desired, you can expand the app with paid functions such as winter sports information and heat maps. WeatherPro’s Apple Watch app stopped working for a long time, but came back in September 2020.

It is a pity that the app is going to disappear, because a completely new version 5.0 of the app was still being worked on, which became available in beta in February 2020. However, the chance that this version will still be released is small. MeteoGroup has been taken over by the American group DTN, which is now working on a completely new weather app for worldwide use. When it will become available and whether there will be any leniency for existing WeatherPro users has not yet been announced.

Pros: Professional weather app from a major European weather company, clear icons.
Negatives: App not the most clear, there will be no more updates.

Other weather apps

There are many more weather apps with which you can retrieve all kinds of interesting weather information, including these:

• Weerplaza – complete weather app (Free, iPhone, iOS 12.0+) – A Dutch app with rain radar, shower graph, 14-day forecast and worldwide thunderstorm alert.

• Weather Underground: Local Map (Free, iPhone/iPad + IAP, iOS 14.0+) – Foreign weather service that also provides air quality information. You can also compare the weather today with that of years ago.

• The Weather in the Netherlands – Weather (Free, iPhone/Watch + IAPiOS 12.0+) – Weather app specifically aimed at the Netherlands, with information from the KNMI systems.

• Zeeweer – Maritime app (€3.49, iPhone, iOS 12.0+) – From the same maker there is also Zeeweer, which focuses on maritime weather forecasts.

• See Again (Free, iPhone + IAP, iOS 12.0+) – Beautiful and original weather app: easily view the weather forecast from the past with lots of useful information from the KNMI. Is well put together and tackles it slightly differently than most weather apps. Weerzien is mostly free to use and a must for real weather enthusiasts.

Warmly recommended by our readers

Through the feedback option below this article, we got even more suggestions of great weather apps from our readers:

• Windy.com – Weather & Radar (Free, iPhone/iPad/Watch + IAPiOS 14.0+) – This app tells you where the wind is blowing.

• AccuWeather Weather Forecast (Free, iPhone/iPad/Watch/TV + IAPiOS 14.0+) – AccuWeather has a wide weather forecast.

• KNMI Weer (Free, iPhone/iPad, iOS 13.0+) – Official weather app of KNMI.

• KMI – Weather in Belgium (Free, iPhone/iPad, iOS 14.0+) – Belgian weather app from the KMI, the Royal Meteorological Institute.

• Weather Netherlands XL PRO (Free, iPhone/iPad/Watch + IAP, iOS 12.0+) – Free weather app with nice animations. Looks a bit busy.

• Weather & Radar – rain radar (Free, iPhone/iPad/Watch + IAP, iOS 15.0+) – Originally a German weather app. Extensive forecasts and for an amount per month or year also ad-free.

• The Weather Channel: weather report (Free, iPhone/iPad/Watch/TV + IAP, iOS 15.0+) – The Weather Channel provides all the weather information for Apple’s own weather app. Their own app works on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

• meteoblue weather & maps (Free, iPhone/iPad + IAP, iOS 12.0+) – Extensive app with weather maps, forecasts and more. Supports over six million locations, provides 7 and 14 day forecasts, has a widget and satellite imagery.

• Rain Notification (Free, iPhone/iPad + IAPiOS 10.0+) – This app shows by far the smoothest animations when it comes to radar images, but we don’t really like the app itself.

• Rainy Days Rain Radar (Free, iPhone/iPad + IAP, iOS 9.0+) – This popular Android app is now available for the iPhone. Shows with radar images where the clouds hang and move.

Opening photo: Peet Sneekes/Flickr CC