Five of the best free weather apps to help in planning your next trip, to ensure the sun shines and the air is clear

It doesn’t matter if it’s a day trip or a weeks-long Himalayan trek, the weather is something we’d all prefer to have on our side when travelling. Luckily, there are several superb mobile weather forecasting apps to help us plot our adventures. Time constraints and budgets often play a big part in scheduling trips, and you can unwittingly find yourself choked by seasonal haze, on a picture perfect tropical beach during monsoon season, or wheezing from pollen allergies. It pays to dig a little by using mobile apps and other online weather resources, although be aware that many GPS dependent apps can have questionable privacy issues, and it can be hard to avoid them gathering your data (this is less the case with paid-for apps). Here are five of the best mobile weather apps to help you dodge typhoons and keep the sun shining while travelling. 1. Weather Underground (iOS and Android; free, with a US$19.99 annual subscription for premium options) This is one of the best weather apps out there, and the free version is very functional (unlike most others). Upgrading to the premium version gives you an advertising-free experience and more detailed forecasts for 15 days ahead. Great escapes: Hong Kong’s best outlying-island guest houses The IBM-owned Weather Underground’s interface is clear and simple. It uses dial-based temperature updates and incorporates a map and satellite overview option that shows the movement of weather fronts over a period of time, making short-term planning simple. This app also has a clear privacy policy, allowing the user to select privacy options from the outset. 2. AccuWeather (iOS and Android; free, US$4 one-time fee to hide adverts) AccuWeather is a free app that has a good deal of functionality, and the option to go ad-free for a one-time US$4 fee is much better than subscription-based services. Recently, the app had a major rebuild and AccuWeather now offers locally accurate 15-day forecasts, a 12-hour predicted satellite weather image, and shows basic air quality and humidity details, as well as comparisons to the usual conditions in that region. This is a fairly simple app and is good for everyday weather monitoring and up-to-date predictions. The app does gather your data for distribution, so be sure check the settings and tick the right boxes if privacy is important. 3. MyObservatory (iOS and Android; free) When it comes to accurate and real-time local weather forecasts, it is hard to beat the apps provided by regional weather departments. The Hong Kong Observatory’s MyObservatory app is free, offers highly detailed weather reports and information for the city, along with satellite imagery for up to 24 hours ahead. It also has Chinese and English language options. National and regional meteorological organisations that have their own weather apps are most common in Europe and the United States, where some national parks and mountain regions also have dedicated weather apps (often free). These are great for mountain and other outdoor activities, although in some areas the privacy settings are in local languages only and with no opt-out option for location tracking services. 4. Carrot Weather (free for Android; US$4.99 for iOS, plus various in app purchases) Carrot Weather has fast become one of the most popular general weather apps. This is partly due to its detailed and easy-to-understand interface and partly because it comes with a sense of humour. This manifests in the form of weather-related anecdotes and sarcastic advice, which can brighten up those grim weather days. The app also allows you to set weather warning alerts and gives very short-term rainfall predictions. There is also the option to check historical forecasts, which could help with planning trips. Location data is gathered from within the app (as with most apps), which, we’re told, is for targeted advertising purposes. 5. AirVisual Air Quality Forecast (iOS and Android; free) Although not primarily focused on the weather, the AirVisual app is useful to anyone travelling in Southeast and South Asia (and wherever smog is in an issue, for that matter). There is a basic weather element to this free app, but its prime aim is to show up-to-date and detailed air quality readings and forecasts. This information is essential if you are undertaking outdoor activities or have any respiratory issues. Air pollution is an ever-increasing seasonal issue in many regions, and is rarely mentioned by general weather apps or even guidebooks (some do now have a very basic AQ figure listed). Planning ahead Seasonal climate patterns are changing, and it is advisable to look well ahead for an overview of annual weather trends before booking travel. One of the best resources for this is the Rough Guides website, which has general but useful overviews of the best times to visit locations based on their historical weather conditions.

Five of the best free weather apps to help in planning your next trip, to ensure the sun shines and the air is clear

An accurate weather forecast can make the difference between a great trip and a total nightmare These five free apps will help you plan your next journey or outing with confidence

An accurate weather forecast can make the difference between a great trip and a total nightmare

These five free apps will help you plan your next journey or outing with confidence