Grandinometer, the new app to help you stay safe in bad weather
A 21-year-old student from Padua has developed an app that allows users to report the risk of hail, rain and strong winds in real time
2' min read
2' min read
“The radar doesn’t know if it’s hail. Grandinometro does”: this is the slogan of the weather app that is currently one of the most downloaded on the App Store in Italia. Created by a 21-year-old, Davide Agostini, the app has a simple aim: to alert its users in the event of hail. And it does so through real-time reports from its community.
How the Grandinometer works
When you download the app, a map appears showing your location. The first message that appears at the top of the screen indicates the risk of hail within 10 km, which may be low, medium or high. On the right-hand side, there is a series of icons that allow you to view covered car parks and petrol stations nearby, as well as monitor rainfall in real time.
To check which areas are currently experiencing hail or where hail is forecast, there are two sections: ‘recent reports’, submitted by other users, and ‘areas at risk of hail’, identified by the Civil Protection Agency’s radar.
Creating a new report, on the other hand, involves four steps: selecting the weather event currently taking place from among hail, heavy rain and strong wind; specifying the size of the hailstones; providing photographic evidence; and indicating whether any damage has occurred.
To avoid false alarms, there is also a verification system that allows the community to confirm or refute reports, whilst unverified reports are removed. Furthermore, every user is encouraged to report the weather conditions they have observed in their area.
