GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Earth NetworksSM, the owner of the popular WeatherBug® brand and the operator of the largest weather monitoring, lightning detection and climate observation networks, introduces My Storm Tracker for its WeatherBug Elite mobile app on iPhone. Specifically designed to inform and alert mobile phone users to approaching lightning and potentially dangerous weather, WeatherBug’s new My Storm Tracker with Lightning Alerts provides the fastest, most targeted alerts for safety with pinpoint, up-to-the-minute forecasts and warnings – enabling users to Know Before™ when severe weather threatens.
WeatherBug apps are exclusively powered by the Earth Networks Severe Storm Network. This advanced early warning network combines weather data from the largest global weather network and the most comprehensive worldwide network for monitoring and detecting total lightning. Every year, hundreds are seriously injured or killed by cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. Yet far more lightning occurs in and among the clouds and never touch the ground. This in-cloud lightning often provides an early indication of severe weather such as storms that produce dangerous high winds, hail and even tornadoes.
My Storm Tracker is the latest customized severe weather alerting feature from WeatherBug. With My Storm Tracker, WeatherBug Elite users can know the distance of the nearest lightning strike to their current location based on the GPS sensor on their phones. Plus, My Storm Tracker provides minute-by-minute and mile-by-mile updates as thunderstorms approach. When lightning is detected, the app’s Threat Meter provides tips on how to help stay safe based on how far away the lightning is to your location.
In addition to providing detailed extended and hourly forecast information for saved locations, the latest version of WeatherBug Elite for iPhone – and coming soon to Android – includes an array of features providing real-time, customized views into the weather:
- Weather Warnings: Receive alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS), plus exclusive Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTAs) from Earth Networks. DTAs on average provide significantly faster warning times than other alerts and will keep you updated on the latest severe weather, from heavy rain and lightning to tornadoes, near you.
- Lightning Alerts: Lightning can jump and strike 10 miles from a storm. How close is lightning to you? Know Before™ with WeatherBug Elite for iPhone, the only app with a dynamic lightning meter that reports the distance, in miles or kilometers, of the nearest strike to you based on your GPS location. Refer to the in-app threat index and learn what to do next to help stay safe.
- Local Weather Information: WeatherBug delivers live weather information that is updated every few seconds from an extensive, professional-grade network of weather sensors located where people live, work and play.
- Visual Forecasts: Easy-to-read, at-a-glance displays of essential weather information provide conditions quickly. Both in the community and around the world, WeatherBug delivers faster weather alerting and superior forecasts.
- Social Sharing: During outages when severe weather strikes and traditional channels for news and information are not available, mobile alerting is critical for communications. WeatherBug provides the latest weather alerting where and when you need it – and lets you share weather warnings using Facebook to keep friends and family in the know on changing and potentially extreme weather conditions.
- Live Cameras: What does it look like outside? Whether you are keeping an eye on conditions far away or at your home, WeatherBug lets you scroll through and view live shots from cameras in your community or favorite locations throughout the exclusive WeatherBug Network.
“The reality is that lightning can strike far away from a storm and many of us will unknowingly remain in harm’s way to watch the kids finish a soccer game, complete a round of golf, or enjoy a few more minutes outdoors – and that is why lightning tragically kills dozens of people and seriously injures hundreds more every year in the U.S. alone,” says Cindy Cruzado, Vice President of Product Management for Earth Networks’ WeatherBug brand. “Our new My Storm Tracker with Lightning Alerts helps mobile phone users take the guesswork out of weather safety with technology-based warnings and enables safety managers to do their jobs more effectively by knowing when to clear the bleachers during a game, get off the course, and bring friends and family to safety indoors.”
How to Get WeatherBug Elite for iPhone:
- WeatherBug Elite for iPhone is available for $1.99 on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weatherbug-elite/id310647896.
For more information on WeatherBug apps, go to http://weather.weatherbug.com/mobile.html. To view screen shots, visit http://earthnetworks.com/MediaCenter/ImageGalleries. To watch a video overview of the new features of WeatherBug for iPhone, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwtl02nzE44.
About Earth NetworksSM
As a provider of comprehensive atmospheric data for nearly 20 years, Earth Networks is Taking the Pulse of the Planet with the world’s largest weather observation, lightning detection, and greenhouse gas monitoring networks and is establishing a network for collecting data within the planetary boundary layer. The company’s popular WeatherBug website, desktop application and mobile apps for major smartphone platforms provide real-time neighborhood-level weather and advanced severe weather alerts to millions of consumers. Enterprise solutions from Earth Networks enable organizations and markets, including energy and utilities, agriculture, schools, sports and recreation, emergency operations and government entities, to safeguard lives, prepare for weather and climate events and improve business operations. Founded in 1993, Earth Networks (www.earthnetworks.com) is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with additional locations in Mountain View, Calif.; New York, NY; Milan, Italy and a local presence in 50 countries worldwide.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50387249&lang=en