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Google Earth is meant to give its users a realistic view of the world, and the program by and large accomplishes that. A new upgrade will make it even more accurate, though, by showing users whether or not they’d be getting wet if they were to visit certain parts of the globe.
Yes, Google Earth 5.2 is now supposed to account for both rain and snow – everything "from light drizzle and snow to hurricanes and blizzards," in fact – at least in some regions of North America and Europe.
As for how a person can take advantage of the new feature, it’s not at all complicated. Software engineer Quarup Barreirinhas explained on the LatLong Blog, "First enable the clouds layer, then zoom in to a particular location where it might be raining or snowing." (You check out the radar layer to see what’s covered if guesswork isn’t your thing.)
Zoom in far enough, and you’ll be able to see something like the image below, which was captured/generated around the time Hurricane Alex was passing into Texas.
Travelers and people who are weighing a move – along with folks who just enjoy interesting graphics – are sure to appreciate this information.
Maybe only weathermen will object to the development, since Google Earth is starting to represent a pretty decent alternative to watching the local forecast.
The ad revenue ought to increase, because Google can then say that more people are going to be using products which convey the advertising. That’s my opinion.
What I’d really like to see GE do is provide useful navigation data for the sea and ports, along with a lot more info on weather.
Just being able to see real-time weather is a great help, as you know what’s nearby and where to keep an eye on.
Weather reports aren’t just for picnics, on a small boat they can be crucial.
Regarding navigation, some indication of water depth or known hazards such as barely submerged rocks would be a tad useful…
Not everywhere has electronic gizmos with built-in maps available. My own setup here for the South China Sea is a combination of a handheld and very basic GPS, with no mapping of any sort, Google Earth on my mobile and a proper paper chart.
It just about works but trying to match Google Earth with a chart isn’t so simple, as there’s no detail shown for the sea.
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