Windy.com will now display fire danger for the entire world, thanks to data from CzechGlobe

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Sep 07, 2023, 09:00 ET

PRAGUE, Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest version of Windy.com brings a new Fire Danger layer. Windy is collaborating on the new layer with the Academy of Sciences' Global Change Research Institute, known as CzechGlobe, which is also behind the Intersucho and FireRisk projects. Thanks to Windy and CzechGlobe, information about the risk of fire starting and spreading anywhere in the world will be available globally. The forecast will be available for 10 days in advance.

While Windy is primarily behind the implementation and global rollout, CzechGlobe is behind the technical side of things. "Ongoing climate change leads to more droughts, high temperatures, and wildfire risks worldwide. We joined Windy's effort two years ago to create a global fire risk forecast. Human-related ignitions dominate, highlighting the need for accessible fire risk information to promote responsible behavior."

The new feature is divided into two layers in detail, each representing a different view of fire danger. In the Fire Spread layer, the user will find an interactive map that displays 6 levels of fire spread risk according to the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) methodology. The model takes into account temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and wind.

The second layer is Fuel Moisture, which predicts how likely a fire is to start. This layer shows the water content of the fuel, i.e. the substrate that has the potential to ignite. The lower the water content of the fuel, the greater the chance of a fire. Values typically range from 1 to 35%, values below 15% already represent an increased risk of fires. Values below 6% represent a risk of possible extreme fire.

The new layers are particularly important for fire prevention and public information. They are available free of charge, nor is it necessary to be registered. Windy.com app is available in App Store or Google Play, or as web application Windy.com.

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The Windy.com app serves athletes, pilots, and rescue teams with advanced weather forecasting with more than 10 numerical models and more than 60 interactive weather maps.

SOURCE Windyty, SE