Using Mobile as an Early Warning Platform

The explosive growth in smartphone and tablet adoption worldwide has enabled a vital platform for communications during severe weather events. Today's mobile technologies provide for weather information that goes beyond simple temperature and forecast data,; delivering more robust data to help people know before their lives are at risk. The WeatherBug mobile app steps beyond basic temperature and forecast information to provide alerting features that deliver the most advanced lead times available. Proprietary Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTAs) help alert users 50% faster (than other weather apps) to inclement weather conditions such as heavy rain, high winds, microbursts, hail and tornadoes. The WeatherBug app also disseminates all watches and warnings from the National Weather Service, ensuring users have the most complete mobile severe weather alerting platform. Real-time total lightning information from the Earth Network's Total Lightning Network, is delivered through the app's Spark™ feature. Using in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strike data, Spark turns a user's phone or tablet into a personal lightning detector, giving minute-by-minute, mile-by-mile lightning strike information. This presentation will provide an overview of how Earth Networks utilizes data from its global weather and lightning networks to deliver the WeatherBug app and its proprietary alerts, as well as its unique feature Spark,; helping people to Know Before™ severe weather and lightning strikes.