Best weather apps and data sources for Southeast Asia
A guide to the most accurate weather apps, APIs and official meteorological services for tracking weather across 11 Southeast Asian countries.
Official meteorological services
Each Southeast Asian country has its own national weather service. The most important ones for travellers are: TMD (Thai Meteorological Department), NCHMF (Vietnam National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting), BMKG (Indonesia — Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika), MET Malaysia, PAGASA (Philippines), MSS (Meteorological Service Singapore). These agencies issue official severe weather warnings, typhoon bulletins and monsoon forecasts. PAGASA's typhoon bulletins are particularly detailed and critical for Philippines travel.
Global weather models
The two most important global weather models are: ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) — widely regarded as the most accurate global model. GFS (Global Forecast System, US) — freely available and widely used. For Southeast Asia specifically, the ECMWF IFS model consistently outperforms GFS in tropical rainfall prediction. Open-Meteo, which powers Mausam Online, primarily uses ECMWF data for its Southeast Asian forecasts.
Free weather services
Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com) provides free, high-quality weather data derived from ECMWF and other national models — it is the data source for Mausam Online. Windy.com is excellent for visualising weather patterns across the region. The WMO's Severe Weather Forecasting Programme (SWFP) issues regional guidance for Southeast Asia. For marine weather (sailing, diving), Windguru and PredictWind are popular.
AQI monitoring
Air quality is a critical concern in Southeast Asia, particularly during haze season (August-October for Indonesia-driven haze, March-April for mainland SE Asia burning). IQAir (iqair.com) and the World Air Quality Index (waqi.info) provide real-time PM2.5 readings from government and independent sensors. Singapore's NEA publishes hourly PSI data. Malaysia's APIMS provides real-time air quality readings across the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which weather app is most accurate for Southeast Asia? ▾
Apps powered by ECMWF data (including Mausam Online and Windy) tend to be most accurate for tropical forecasts. Avoid apps that rely solely on US GFS data in the tropics — GFS is less reliable for tropical rainfall prediction.
How far in advance can you predict typhoons? ▾
Modern models can identify potential typhoon formation 3-5 days ahead and track existing typhoons 5-7 days ahead with reasonable accuracy. However, exact landfall location and intensity forecasts are only reliable 2-3 days out.