This eco-friendly search engine wants to tempt you with its new Google weather skills
Nonprofit search engine Ecosia has partnered with AccuWeather to deliver “hyperlocal forecasts” to its users, with the goal of providing potentially life-saving warnings of weather events as they happen.
It seems like the update has already been implemented, because if you go to Ecosia and type your location and the word “weather” into the search bar, and you’ll find the revamped tool. The window displays a “Current Conditions” view, complete with humidity levels, AccuWeather’s RealFeel temperature index, and alerts at the bottom. These tell you if it’s an unusually hot day or if the air quality is poor, among other things.
When it comes to air quality, Ecosia’s alerts connect people to the AccuWeather Air Quality Scalewhich teaches people about “the impact… of pollution on their health.” The scale is color-coded, with green meaning the air quality is excellent, while Fuchsia pink means it is dangerous to be outside. Certain groups may experience negative “immediate health effects” after exposure if it ever gets that bad.
Availability
Below the alert are the familiar daily and weekly forecasts. The system provides “up-to-the-minute alerts” worldwide, so you know exactly when the weather changes on a dime, all the way down to street level in U.S. and European metropolitan areas.
This update is now available on Ecosia for desktop and mobile app. However, due to the smaller space, the mobile version has less information and lacks the sunrise/sunset time readouts. Fortunately, everything is still there.
One thing we found interesting in the platform’s announcement is that the team behind Ecosia will use data to find urban areas that are experiencing extremely high temperatures and discover which areas have little to no tree cover. Trees can be very useful in cooling their surroundings “by providing shade and putting moisture back into the air.” The nonprofit can focus their urban tree planting projects in these areas to combat the heat.
Ecosia’s update could drive people looking for up-to-date forecasts away from Google Search. The tech giant’s platform does offer daily weather information, but it’s not as detailed. Google’s version, for example, doesn’t show the RealFeel index.
Warmer weather means more people are getting outside to exercise. To track your progress, check out TechRadar’s list of the best fitness trackers for 2024.
