16 May 2026

How To

Using the Weather panel on your map

Weather Forecast

Why use the Weather panel

The Weather panel helps you plan what to do, and when to do it.

You can check the week ahead before spraying, planting, or opening the garden. You can also watch weather patterns move across your map, which is useful for spotting incoming rain, wind exposure, or cold pockets.

The key is understanding that the panel has two modes, forecast and map overlays.

In short
  • Forecast shows a simple multi-day summary for your map centre
  • Temp, Rain, Wind, and Radar show weather directly on the map
  • The map centre controls what location you are checking
  • Only one weather mode is active at a time

Opening the panel

On the signed-in Map page, you can open the weather tools directly from the map controls.

On the right-hand side of the map, click the Weather button (cloud icon). The tooltip reads Weather.

This opens a panel titled Weather, which slides up from the bottom of the screen. On larger screens, it appears above the map alongside the sidebar.

You can close it at any time using the X in the panel header or clicking outside of the panel.

Only one large panel can be open at once. Opening Weather will close Map Display or Tasks, and opening those will close Weather.

On mobile, the main sidebar is temporarily hidden while the Weather panel is open so there is enough room to view the forecast and map layers.

Forecast tab (default)

When you open Weather, you land on the Forecast tab. This has been designed with plants in mind and so shows warnings for extremes in temperature, wind, humidity and dewpoint.

This shows a multi-day forecast for the centre of the map, not for each individual plant.

If you pan the map to another location, the forecast updates to reflect that location.

What you see

Up to six cards are shown:

  • The first card covers todays weather from now
  • The next five cards show upcoming days

Each card may include:

  • Weather icon and short description
  • TEMP - minimum and maximum in °C
  • RAINFALL - total in mm
  • CLOUDS - percentage
  • WIND - direction and range in mph
  • HUMIDITY - percentage range
  • DEWPOINT - useful for frost and condensation awareness
  • SUNRISE / SUNSET times

Some rows include subtle coloured underline bars to highlight periods of cold, wind, or rain intensity.

Where the forecast data comes from

The Forecast tab uses weather data from OpenWeather.

OpenWeather aggregates forecast models and observational data from a range of global meteorological sources. It is designed to provide reliable, location-based forecasts worldwide.

At the bottom of the panel you will see:

Weather data © OpenWeather

Why it may differ from the Met Office

You may notice that the forecast does not always match the Met Office or other local forecasts exactly.

This is normal, and happens because:

  • Different providers use different forecast models
  • Update timings vary
  • Local effects such as valleys, trees, and buildings are interpreted differently
  • Forecasts are predictions, not measurements

For day-to-day gardening, the Forecast tab is best used as a practical guide, not an exact guarantee.

Map overlay tabs: Temp, Rain, Wind, Radar

When you switch to Temp, Rain, Wind, or Radar, the Weather panel changes from a summary to a visual map.

What changes on the map

  • A semi-transparent coloured layer appears over your base map
  • Your plants, areas, and shapes remain visible above it
  • The overlay updates as you move the time slider

Switching back to Forecast removes the overlay.

Time slider

At the bottom of the panel, you will see a time slider:

  • Range: roughly -24 hours to +5 days
  • Markers: Now, +24h, +48h, etc.
  • Drag to explore past and future conditions

A summary line shows the selected time and offset.

Map centre readout

For the selected time, the panel shows a quick reading at the centre of the map:

  • Temperature (°C)
  • Rain rate (mm/h)
  • Wind speed and direction (mph)
  • Radar intensity (dBZ)

Legend

Each overlay includes a colour scale:

  • Shows the range of values
  • Includes units
  • Highlights the value at your map centre

Where overlay data comes from

These map overlays use weather data from MapTiler.

MapTiler provides processed weather layers designed specifically for map visualisation, combining meteorological data with geographic rendering.

When a weather overlay is active, the panel shows:

Weather data © MapTiler

Why overlays and forecast can differ

Because the Forecast tab and map overlays use different data providers:

  • Forecast = OpenWeather
  • Overlays = MapTiler

You may see slight differences between:

  • Rainfall totals vs rain intensity on the map
  • Temperature ranges vs spatial gradients
  • Wind summaries vs directional patterns

This is expected. Each source is optimised for a different purpose:

  • OpenWeather focuses on readable daily forecasts
  • MapTiler focuses on spatial visualisation across a map

Interaction with Map Display

Weather overlays temporarily take priority over other map layers.

If you had Historic Aerial Imagery enabled in Map Display, it will be hidden while a weather overlay is active so the colours remain clear.

Switching base maps or reopening Map Display may reset overlays, so you can re-enable them as needed.

When to use each tab

Here are a few practical ways to use the Weather panel.

Forecast

  • Planning the week ahead
  • Checking frost risk
  • Deciding whether to open the garden

Rain

  • Watching showers approach
  • Timing outdoor work
  • Comparing rainfall across areas

Temp

  • Identifying warmer or colder zones
  • Understanding microclimates

Wind

  • Planning spraying
  • Assessing exposure
  • Preparing for strong gusts

Radar

  • Seeing rain intensity
  • Distinguishing light showers from heavy rain
  • Timing short weather windows

Tips and limitations

  • Weather is always for the map centre, not individual plants
  • Large gardens may need panning to compare areas
  • Overlays show modelled data, not exact ground readings
  • Forecast and overlays may not match exactly, they use different sources
  • You can pan and zoom while the panel is open

Relation to other map features

  • Map Display controls base maps and overlays such as aerial imagery
  • Saved View remembers your map position, not weather settings
  • Tasks is a separate panel for planning work

Troubleshooting

Forecast not loading

What to check

  • Check your internet connection.
  • Try panning or zooming the map slightly to trigger a refresh.

No colours on the map

What to check

Make sure you've selected a weather overlay such as Temperature, Rain, Wind, or Radar.

Weather overlay disappeared

What to check

You may have switched back to the standard Forecast view or closed the Weather panel.

Historic aerial imagery disappeared

What to check

This is expected behaviour. Historic aerial imagery is automatically hidden while a weather overlay is active.

Map Items panel missing on mobile

What to check

The Weather panel is currently open. Close it to return to the main view.

Closing checklist

  • Positioned the map centre over the area I care about
  • Opened Weather from map controls
  • Checked Forecast for the week ahead
  • Used Temp, Rain, Wind, or Radar to explore conditions spatially
  • Closed the panel when finished to clear the weather overlays
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