People are just learning what the rain percent stage on the Apple Weather app actually means.
For many, checking the weather app before leaving home is part of the daily routine, unless you are blessed to live in a country full of sunshine.
When checking the weather app, you may notice a rain percentage symbol, for example, ‘40% chance of rain.’
Many people assume this means there’s a 40% chance it will rain that day. But in reality, that’s incorrect.
Taking to social media to share their thoughts on the matter, one user writes: “Now I’m 100x more confused.
Someone else jokes: “My knees just tell me when it’s going to rain.”
“I have no idea what this means, I’m lost,” a third person comments.
“Can someone explain this for dummies? This is beyond me,” a fourth types.
Often, different weather apps and websites tell you a different rain percentage than others.
This can be confusing. Will you need a jacket? An umbrella?
Rain percentage doesn’t tell you how much it will rain or for how long.
In the U.K., the weather percentage for the BBC is a MeteoGroup- its website states it uses: “The probability of precipitation (% chance), and this ranges from 0% (no chance at all) to 100% (it will be wet).
“So what does a 20% chance of rain actually mean? It means that out of 100 situations with similar weather, it should rain on 20 of those, and not rain on 80. In a nutshell, it means that, whilst you may get some rain, it’s much more likely (but not certain) to stay dry.”
The rain percentage on a weather forecast is called the Probability of Precipitation or PoP.
According to meteorologists, PoP is a mathematical expression of how likely it is that precipitation, including rain, snow, sleet, or hail, is.
The PoP does not mean that it will rain 40% of the time, or that there’s a 40% chance it will rain where you are standing.
Instead, it reflects the likelihood of measurable precipitation falling somewhere in the forecasted area.
In the U.S., the percentage figure is achieved by calculating the chance of rain and the coverage of the rain in the forecasted area.
Meteorologists use their knowledge and expertise to assess the likelihood of rain or snow occurring in a given area.
They assign a confidence level (e.g., 40% confident) to their forecast.
According to Apple: “Apple’s Weather app uses data from various sources to provide hyperlocal forecasts, including national weather services, The Weather Channel, and its own internal data.”
