Ventusky Improves Radar Nowcasting with More Accurate Rain Forecasts

We have launched an improved version of our radar precipitation forecast (so-called nowcasting). The radar layer tracks the current intensity of precipitation in the atmosphere, and at Ventusky we combine data from ground-based radars and satellites. However, predicting how precipitation will evolve over the next minutes is just as important — and this is what we have now improved. The new nowcasting version provides a better estimate of the movement and development of rain and thunderstorm systems over the coming tens of minutes and is updated every 5 minutes. In practice, this means more accurate forecasts of precipitation direction, speed, and intensity, which is especially useful for users monitoring rapidly changing weather conditions.

The improvement is based on a modernized system for detecting motion vectors of individual precipitation cells, which analyzes the movement of radar echoes between consecutive radar images. We now also combine these outputs with atmospheric wind information and additional parameters influencing precipitation development. This has made it possible to better capture the evolution of showers and thunderstorm systems while increasing the stability of the short-term forecast.

The improved radar nowcasting is already available globally to all users directly within the radar map. It is especially beneficial for tracking intense showers, thunderstorms, or localized precipitation events where every minute matters. Although no short-term forecast can ever be 100% accurate, the new version delivers significantly more stable and precise results than before, particularly within the first 30 to 60 minutes of the forecast.

The radar and precipitation layer remains a top priority for Ventusky, and we continue working on improving radar coverage and increasing the accuracy of precipitation maps, especially for the summer season when precipitation changes most rapidly.