Non-profit search engine Ecosia has partnered with AccuWeather to offer “hyperlocal forecasts” to its users. The goal is to provide life-saving alerts about weather events as they occur.
It looks like the update has already rolled out, as if you head over to Ecosia and type your location along with the word “weather” into the search bar, you’ll be greeted by the revamped tool. The window displays a “current conditions view” complete with humidity levels, AccuWeather’s RealFeel temperature index, and warnings at the bottom. These will tell you if it’s an exceptionally hot day or if the air quality is poor, among other things.
As for air quality, Ecosia's alerts link people to AccuWeather's Air Quality Scale, which tells people about “the impact pollution will have on their health.” The scale is color-coded: green means air quality is fantastic, while fuchsia pink means it's dangerous to be outdoors. Certain groups could experience “immediate negative health effects” after exposure if the situation worsens.
Availability
Below the alert are the usual daily and weekly forecasts. The system offers “up-to-the-minute alerts” around the world, so you’ll know exactly when the weather changes in an instant, even on the streets of urban areas in the United States and Europe.
This update is now available on Ecosia desktop and mobile app. However, due to reduced space, the mobile version has less information and does not include sunrise and sunset times. Fortunately, everything else is there.
Something we found interesting in the platform’s announcement is that the team behind Ecosia will use data to look for urban areas that suffer from extremely high temperatures and find out which ones have little or no tree cover. Trees can be very useful in cooling the environment by “providing shade and returning moisture to the air.” The nonprofit can focus its urban tree planting projects on these areas to beat the heat.
Ecosia's update could drive away those looking for up-to-date weather forecasts from Google Search. The tech giant's platform offers daily weather information, although it's not as detailed. For example, Google's version doesn't show the RealFeel index.
The warmer weather means more people are getting outside and exercising. To help you track your progress, check out TechRadar's list of the best fitness trackers for 2024.
