Windy looks like a weather app – and then reveals how much more it can do. Instead of treating weather as a static forecast, the app approaches it for what it really is: a constantly moving global system. It combines weather radar, satellite imagery and weather models such as ECMWF, GFS and ICON into one ultra-detailed, interactive map.

What we love: Following weather systems as they move across the world in real time. You can overlay animated visualisations of all sorts of conditions onto your map, including wind speeds, rainfall, cloud movement and wave heights. So whether you’re searching for fresh snow in the mountains, checking the swell before a surf session or keeping an eye on an incoming thunderstorm, Windy can tell you what the weather’s doing right now, and where it’s heading next.

Quick tip: You can compare weather models to get a broader overview of how conditions may evolve. To do this, choose an overlay, then scroll down to Forecast Model to switch between them.

Meet the creator: Windy was created by Czech entrepreneur Ivo Lukačovič. What started as a personal hobby project is now used by millions of people around the world to better understand changing weather conditions and prepare for what’s ahead.