Queen Camilla is apparently fixated with the forecast on her phone, behind which lies not just granular details but surprisingly lucrative businesses
Several times a day, Francesca Simon, the author of the Horrid Henry children’s books, gets out her phone to check the weather – not just for where she is, but where friends and family live, where she has been on holiday, where she was brought up.
“I love weather apps. I find them quite magical,” she said. With about 10 locations logged, her friends make fun of her “weather porn” habit. “If I don’t like what I’m seeing on one app, I’ll check another.”
This week, Simon discovered she shared a weather app fixation with Queen Camilla when the pair discussed a miserable summer’s day at a charity event. “[Camilla] said everybody teases her … so we were laughing at our mutual obsession,” Simon said.
It is an obsession shared by millions. If you are going on holiday, planning a summer barbecue, worrying about your garden or suffering from hay fever, you are likely to check an app at least daily for the latest forecast.
The apps give much more localised and detailed information than traditional weather forecasts, including wind speeds and the percentage chance of rain, in graphic form.
It is a lucrative business. Most basic weather apps are free to use, but make money from advertising, paid upgrades and data monetisation. In 2022, Statista said global revenue in the weather market was projected to reach $1.58bn, with most income from advertising revenue.
According to a YouGov poll last year, apps were the primary source of weather information for Americans, used by 53% of people. One in five people said they checked apps multiple times a day. And the older they were, the more often they checked.
For people needing specific weather information, there may be a bespoke app available.
