iOS4 Compatible PinPoint Lightning App Strikes New Ground In the iPhone Marketplace

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Weather Central's MyWeather.com division launched an iOS4 version of 2010 PinPoint Lightning™, the only iPhone application with live lightning strike data and alert notifications.  Available via the iTunes store, 2010 PinPoint Lightning is currently ranked 3rd on the iTunes "Top Paid Weather Apps" list. 2010 PinPoint Lightning is the first app to register cloud-to-ground lightning strikes within 30 miles of a user's geo-located position. The app delivers rapid alerts enabling individuals to take immediate action to ensure their safety.

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Using patent-pending technology, PinPoint Lightning identifies a lightning strike's location by latitude and longitude, and then determines the nearest street intersection.  The app sends alerts and displays the time of lightning strikes and their distance from the user's current location.  Immediately following these alerts the user sees a street level view of the location of the most recent strike and a display with specific information; for example, "Lightning Strike, 1200 Main Street, 2 miles NW from Your Location at 2:06 PM."

In addition to geo-located notifications, the app is equipped with animated local and national radar displays as well as a variety of terrain options.  With the ability to save up to 10 locations, 2010 PinPoint Lightning helps individuals make informed decisions about lightning dangers not only for themselves, but for loved ones, business concerns, public facilities and other interests whose safety and behavior may be impacted by severe weather. (Note: The App is operational in the Continental U.S. and Canada only and where a data connection is available.)

During the app's development process MyWeather consulted with lightning strike survivors and community members to ensure the app's effectiveness and ease of use as a safety tool.  PinPoint Lightning™ not only alerts individuals of lightning's presence but also empowers them to make more informed decisions in dangerous weather situations. Bill F., a Tampa, FL resident, relates, "My wife and I were in Las Vegas visiting family while my young grandchildren were in the pool.  If you're not familiar with Vegas, it's quite rare that they experience 'rain', much less hear thunder or see lightning.  Therefore, when my PinPoint strike alert sounded I was truly shocked!  The skies were clear and the storm cell was truly out of sight (13-14 miles away by the mountains).  In fact, I thought I was receiving a strike alert from my previous location, Tampa, FL.  I actually came close to ignoring the sound, but out of habit checked my iPhone.  I was surprised to see the strike alert was for Vegas and close to our location.  Getting the kids out of the pool was paramount. I know it sounds overdramatic, but it's one of those situations where you had to be-there to really appreciate the true value of PinPoint Lightning's capabilities."

Lightning is the most deadly weather event on the planet, surpassing both tornadoes and hurricanes in yearly death toll averages for the past 30 years*.  With summer's severe weather season underway, it's more important than ever that people protect themselves from the dangers of lightning.  

To learn more about 2010 PinPoint Lightning and sign-up for a chance to win an iTunes gift card visit www.PinPointLightning.com.

About Weather Central, LLC

Weather Central, LLC, founded in 1974 by broadcasters and meteorologists based in Madison, Wisconsin, is the leader in providing professional on-air, online, print, mobile and enterprise weather solutions and forecasting utilizing dynamic weather graphics, precise forecast models and data and patented technology. More than 500 clients and hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide enjoy the benefits of Weather Central solution's attention to detail and insight. Products and services available from Weather Central are: 3D:LIVE™, :LIVE™, Live Online™; ESP:LIVE™, ESP:Online™ and Live Interactive Radar™ storm tracking systems; A.D.O.N.I.S. FutureCast® , MicroCast®, and Personal MicroCast®, proprietary forecast models; MetroVision™, forecast visualization tool; WxWarn2™, severe weather crawl system; LIVE:Wire™,and LIVE:Wire Mobile Alert™ automated severe weather information alert systems; ScreenWRITER® and SportsWRITER®, interactive news and sports presentation systems; and WxPoint™, automated localized weather display system. Weather Central's patented online technologies provide users with hyper-local weather alerts and forecasts, and personalized weather and traffic information.

*http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_ltg.php  

*http://transcripts.usatoday.com/Chats/transcript.aspx?c=154

**Statistics adapted from struckbylightning.org

SOURCE Weather Central, LLC