Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Understanding the app: How to read rain forecasts

08:00
9 May 2023

Understanding the app
How to read rain forecasts

Rainfall warning

A common question we get asked is what does the percentage of rain really mean in a weather app? Well, we’re here to debunk the misconceptions.

It is important to remember that the percentage shows the chance of rain at that time, in your forecast area.

A 30% chance means a 30% chance that it will rain in your forecast area, and a 70% chance that it will stay dry.

When there are showers in the forecast, rather than a solid band of rain, there is a great deal of uncertainty. This is because showers can be extremely localised, forming and dissipating over short time periods.

Often with showers, the chance of precipitation could be fairly low, but the risk could be throughout the entirety of the day.

So, if you’re unsure about whether you’re at risk of catching a shower, stay updated via our WeatherRadar, where you can see where the showers are developing real-time.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Split image showing a bright rainbow above a residential street on the left and a dramatic ocean sunrise with glowing clouds and reflections on the sea on the right.
Sunday, 24 May 2026

Your weather - Your shots

From unsettled to warm and toasty
A composite image showing the Temperature Radar and a drinking fountain. The Temperature Radar shows Thursday’s maximum temperatures of up to 37.8 degrees in France, whilst people use a fountain to cool off.
Friday, 29 May 2026

Up to 38 °C in France

Heatwave clocks more record temperatures
Split image showing a European weather map with low-pressyre system, temperature bands, and thunderstorm icon on the left, and a bright rainbow over green countryside and mountains on the right.
Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Early summer ends

A change in the weather is on the way
All weather news
This might also interest you
Illustration of white and yellow fireworks on a blue background.
Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Hello 2026

Happy New Year
Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList