Skip to main content

This stunning interactive map shows the world’s weather conditions in real time

ventusky weather map inmeteo japan header
InMeteo
We’ve marveled at this mesmerizing map of cargo ships plying the oceans of the worlds, been amazed by another depicting the birth of major cities over thousands of years, and charmed by this one showcasing London’s rich and varied past.

So be prepared to be wowed by yet another stunning online map creation, this one showing real-time weather conditions around the world.

As informative as it is beautiful, the “Ventusky” web app is the work of Czech-based meteorological firm InMeteo.

The interactive map, spotted recently by Quartz, lets you pull up all kinds of weather stats, including temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and wind speed. The temperature and wind speed maps, with their swirling lines and patches of pretty color-coded data, are a joy to simply gaze at regardless of the information they offer.

You can zoom in close to a particular location, or see the world’s weather patterns that are enveloping the planet right now by pulling out and viewing the entire map at once.

“The Earth’s weather functions as an interdependent system,” InMeteo explains on its website. “For example, a hurricane in the Atlantic has the ability to influence the distribution of pressure formations in Europe. Occasionally, it may even make its way to Europe itself as a post-tropical storm. The Ventusky application allows for the illustration of the interdependence of the entire system, displaying the development of pressure, wind, cloud cover, precipitation, and temperature on the map.”

But it’s not all about the here-and-now. The site is primarily a weather forecast tool, accessible by simply clicking on a date on the calendar at the bottom of the display and moving the time slider back and forth.

And there’s more. Hit Settings top right and you can play about with the animation controls, enabling the artist in you to create a look even more pleasing to the eye.

Fancy a go? You can check out the fabulous Ventusky map right now by clicking here.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Google Maps now shows EV owners which charging stations are occupied
2019 Jaguar I-Pace First Drive

The work of a Google Maps developer is never done. The app began showing users the location of electric car charging stations in 2018, and an update released in April 2019 tells motorists in real time how many spots are free at a given location. It's all part of the tech giant's mission to make owning an electric car as convenient as driving one powered by gasoline or diesel.

The app provides useful information such as the number and types of ports available at each location, their charging speeds, and notes about the business where a station is located. You'll know whether it's near a Starbucks, or five miles away from the exact middle of nowhere. You'll also find reviews from drivers who've already used the station, giving you the opportunity to choose the best one in the area — so long as you have enough juice left in your battery pack, that is.

Read more
Facebook is using A.I. to create the world’s most detailed population maps
facebook population density maps screen shot 2019 04 09 at 13 20 19

It’s probably fair to say that Facebook hasn’t had a banner year when it comes to good publicity. What just a few years ago seemed like a benevolent and cool tech giant is often now cast in a negative light, largely due to the lingering effects of controversies like the Cambridge Analytica scandal. But Facebook is working hard to show that that its expertise in A.I. has a valuable role to play as a force for good in the world.

With that in mind, A.I. experts and data scientists at Facebook have today shown off the world’s most accurate population density maps yet created. Building on work that dates back to 2016, the company has unveiled maps covering the majority of the African continent. Eventually, it says that this will expand to map nearly the whole world’s population. This will allow humanitarian agencies to determine how populations are distributed even in remote areas; opening up new opportunities for healthcare and relief workers to be able to distribute aid where necessary.

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2023 Awards
Best of CES 2023 Awards Our Top Tech from the Show Feature

Let there be no doubt: CES isn’t just alive in 2023; it’s thriving. Take one glance at the taxi gridlock outside the Las Vegas Convention Center and it’s evident that two quiet COVID years didn’t kill the world’s desire for an overcrowded in-person tech extravaganza -- they just built up a ravenous demand.

From VR to AI, eVTOLs and QD-OLED, the acronyms were flying and fresh technologies populated every corner of the show floor, and even the parking lot. So naturally, we poked, prodded, and tried on everything we could. They weren’t all revolutionary. But they didn’t have to be. We’ve watched enough waves of “game-changing” technologies that never quite arrive to know that sometimes it’s the little tweaks that really count.

Read more