Most weather apps give you a simple forecast. Windy goes further, combining forecasts from international weather models such as ECMWF, GFS and ICON, then layering them with live radar, satellite imagery and more to create animated maps that visualise global airflows and changing weather patterns.
Sailors use Windy to track wave heights, pilots to monitor wind conditions and surfers to follow storm systems in real time. Organisations such as World Central Kitchen, which provides food and support to disaster-hit regions, rely on the app to assess crisis zones and coordinate emergency teams more effectively.
We spoke to Matthew Magnuson, senior supply chain manager at World Central Kitchen, to find out more.
See the bigger picture
When a crisis unfolds, Magnuson’s role is to move supplies and coordinate teams as quickly as possible – often before the full scale of the disaster is clear.
Weather data shapes every operational decision. During wildfires or flash floods, for example, conditions can change within minutes.
“If we hadn’t been monitoring the weather models at the time,” he says about one operation in Texas, “our team could have been in danger.” Today, Windy stays open throughout active deployments.
The right layer at the right moment
What stands out to Magnuson is how quickly Windy turns complex weather information into practical decisions for teams on the ground.
Using the Hurricane Tracker, he can monitor a storm’s cone of uncertainty and immediately communicate potential risks to field teams.
The Fire Danger layer visualises wind speed and direction over time, helping him understand not only where a fire is currently burning, but also where it could spread next – and which access routes are still safe to use.
A must-have for every mission
Push notifications add another layer of safety during operations. A sudden warning about a developing thunderstorm or flash flood is often the prompt that triggers one last check before someone enters a dangerous area.
For Magnuson, Windy has become as essential as any other piece of equipment in the field. As the climate crisis increases the frequency of extreme weather events, even regions with little prior experience of severe conditions are now being affected.
In these moments, Windy doesn’t just show what the weather is doing – it gives relief teams time to act.