Weather is much like paying tax. You may not like it, but it’s an unavoidable fact of life. As a cynical Briton used to torrential downpours and cold weather, maybe I’m just a little bitter, but nevertheless, like most people I like to keep track of what the elements have in store from one day to the next, even if it’s an almost predictable, gloomy foregone conclusion.
As I’ve said time and time again, I love minimalistic apps because, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, they often prove an app can serve a purpose without being overloaded with unnecessary and fanciful features.
WTHR, a weather-based app by David Elgena, is described as a "simpler, more beautiful weather app," and delivers on both of those claims with aplomb. The set-up is the simplest I’ve ever encountered; all I had to do was accept a request for use of my geographical location, and after a barely-there wait, I was met with a stunning, yet almost insignificant looking interface.
Set on a beige background, you may automatically envisage boring, plainness, but I’m afraid you couldn’t be more wrong. There’s a "spinning wheel" type implement within the top half of the app, which highlights, with help of icons, what the weather is like in the local area. In the middle, there’s a one-word description of the weather (since two words equates to clutter, right?), as well as the current temperature, which can be changed from Fahrenheit to Celsius using the switch at the bottom of the app.
Before one reaches the aforementioned toggle, however, there’s a neat seven-day forecast, which is a perfect quick-reference if you’ve any barbeques or picnics planned for the week ahead.
My only criticism of the app is that it shows seven days of consecutive rain here in London – and it’s supposed to be summer. Looks as though my pessimism was warranted after all!
On a serious note, if you like to check the weather quickly, concisely, and prefer a slick and smooth UI to bright, vibrant colors, then look no further than WTHR for iPhone; it’s an absolute joy to behold.
Download WTHR for iPhone [iTunes link]
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