class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sunlikely-icon.png?54167" alt="weather report" />Check the weather in your area, including the forecast, in a few clicks, then get back to what you’re doing. That’s the idea behind Sunlikely, a weather website so simple and so complete you’ll wonder why you ever used anything else.
The site’s own about page sums up everything: “Sunlikely is a weather application designed to give you instant access to the weather around you, without the clutter of other sites”. It’s that lack of clutter that makes Sunlikely stand out, at least to me.
We’ve profiled a variety of class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/weather/">weather services here at MakeUseOf. A year ago I myself called Wunderground class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/weather-underground-weather-site-web/">the best weather site on the web. Since discovering Sunlikely six months ago however, I haven’t used anything else.
Quick Access to Forecasts
To get started, visit class="vt-p" href="http://www.sunlikely.com/">Sunlikely. The main thing you’ll notice is simplicity. When you start, for example, you’ll only see this:
class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sunlikely-location.png?54167" alt="weather report" width="580" height="174" />
You can type in your city or ZIP code manually to get the forecast you’re looking for. Alternatively, you can click the auto-locate button. Either way you’ll quickly see your local weather conditions:
class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sunlikely-main.png?54167" alt="weather report application" width="580" height="238" />
Like I said: it’s simple. That’s the point. Your location will be remembered from now on, so you’ll only need to enter it once.
Below the current weather summary you’ll see the forecast for upcoming days. Click a given day and a drop-down will show you how the weather will evolve during that day:
class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sunlikely-forecast.png?54167" alt="weather report application" width="580" height="249" />
Some might be looking for more information than this, but I like the rough overview. It’s simple in a way that the Internet seldom is.
There’s one more feature – access to radar. This can be very useful if you want an idea of how conditions are evolving, or if you intend to travel.
class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sunlikely-radar.jpg?54167" alt="weather report" width="580" height="300" />
As you can see, the radar is a Google Map that pops up within the tab you have open. It loads quickly; you can also close it quickly to get back to the forecast.
Wondering where the information is coming from? It’s directly from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or class="vt-p" href="http://www.noaa.gov">NOAA.
The Web Needs More Simplicity
I’d tell you more features of this site but there really aren’t any. With Sunlikely you get the weather, and that’s it. Services like Wunderground are great, but they do tend to overwhelm their visitors with the sheer amount of information they offer. Most of the time a simple overview is all you need, and Sunlikely delivers.
That, I think, is why I’ve been faithfully using Sunlikely for months now. It tells me what I need to know in order to decide how I’ll get to work (bike or bus?) and nothing else.
Conclusion
It’s not a perfect service. It currently only works in the USA, which is of course a letdown for the vast majority of Internet users. But I think there’s something here that will resonate with people. Hopefully we see more focused sites like this pop up all over the world as people strive to simplify their online lives.
Do you have any other examples of sites like this? Share them in the comments below. Also feel free to share your thoughts on Sunlikely, because we love hearing from you.
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