Should I bring a brolly? Five of the best weather apps

From long-range forecasts to real feel' temperatures, a good app can prepare you for the best and worst of weather

• I find them quite magical': the UK's obsession with weather apps

A weather app was a leading feature of the first iPhone in 2007 and enthusiasm for them has not dampened since. While the sophistication of forecasting and range of choice may have grown exponentially, different apps often give wildly different predictions.

Meteorological institutions record observations using a network of instruments and tend to share them freely, so most weather services start with roughly the same data. But differences arise in how each office analyses and models the data to produce a forecast, and the chaotic nature and complexity of the climate system means small changes can produce huge variation.