Weather updates are vital to the safety of our lives and livelihoods. They help us to prepare for any natural occurrences that could disrupt daily routines or cause harm to property.
Americans check the weather on average 3.8 times per day. The value of this information is evident to many industries from transportation (pre-planning routes), to utilities (pre-positioning resources ahead of a storm) and construction (keeping crews on site). In the United States alone, weather forecasts generate more than $30 billion each year in economic benefits.
To gather the data that helps predict the future, meteorologists use an array of sophisticated technology. Doppler radar towers detect precipitation and wind patterns, radiosondes attached to balloons float through the atmosphere, automated surface-observing systems monitor conditions on land, satellites orbit the Earth beaming valuable imagery and data and supercomputers aggregate all of this information.
While the accuracy of weather forecasts has dramatically improved over time, there is still room for improvement. It is not uncommon for the weather to deviate significantly from the forecast. It is important to keep these variances in mind as you create your own broadcast content.
Automated weather alerts can work to complement your brand’s current broadcast content and keep you in the air longer. However, it’s important to not let this automation erase the need for storytelling in your content. This can be accomplished by incorporating lifestyle content into your automated weather alerts, and ensuring that this is done with brand consistency.