Keeping one step ahead of the weather makes planning life a lot easier. Will you need a coat, a brolly or a sunhat? It used to be that you would have to scour the internet, watch the television or tune in to the radio to keep up with the weather in your area.

All that changed when smartphones came along, and now, of course, there is an app for that (and just about anything you can think of). What we really love about Android apps is that there is very often a widget too, and these can sit wherever you like and keep you bang up to date with the weather events. Here are some of the best for you to try.

Weather and Radar UK

What we really like about the app is the option to have your widget displayed as a circle rather than the blocks across the screen. The app offers good accuracy of weather, and you can get information such as sea temperature, snow information and more. The widget has a current weather display so if it is raining, so is the image on the widget.

The app offers hourly weather updates and 14-day forecasting if you are planning events in advance. This is a free to download app, but you can pay £3.99 to upgrade to premium which removes adverts (which are not a problem on the widget side of things) and narrows the forecast to five-minute intervals.

Weather Bug

Another choice is Weather Bug which has been around for a long time and again offers both the on-screen app and the widget. This app proudly boasts of pulling data from the most extensive network of professional weather stations and provides both hourly forecasts and 10-day predictions. To set themselves apart from other apps Weatherbug offers Lightning Alerts, Pollen Index, UV ratings and more.

The widget is easy to use, and you can check out 18 different animated maps, and see what is happening in other countries. This is a free to download app, or you can upgrade to Elite for £7.49 but to be fair unless most people are going to find the free version perfectly useable.

Met Office

For some people the Met Office is the only reliable source of weather, after all, that is what most of the forecasters rely on. The Met Office app is a business style app, so there are no fun animations or icons here, but that said you get what you need. Weather is offered hourly and daily as well as a seven-day forecast.

You can add different locations if you have family you want to look after in another part of the world. From March to September you have schedule push notifications for pollen count levels which is helpful for hay fever sufferers. Lots of data is available for anyone more interesting in things like pressure maps.

The Met Office has always been very good with weather warnings and these will be updated and can also be pushed out as notifications. Again you can have the basic app for free which for a lot of people will be plenty of weather information, or you can pay £2.99 and remove all app advertising for a less cluttered view.

Weather+ App

Featured packed and free the Weather App offers lots of features from storm radar to current forecasts. You can get updates hourly and daily and look into the future for ten days to see what is coming. The app is neat and presents the information well, offering minimal customisation. Sunrise and sunset times are given along with tide times for those living near the sea.

Automatic Celsius to Fahrenheit display based on your geographical location, or amend yourself if you prefer the opposite! You can get information on wind speeds and directions, pick up world weather reports and more with this smart app.

BBC Weather App

Another well presented offering this time from the BBC. This forecast also offers hourly updates, and you can look 14 days ahead to see what is happening. There is a chance of rain indicator which covers hail and snow as well.

The app pushes out warnings from the Met Office when they are relevant to your location and comes with an app which is easy to read. The BBC is a trusted source of data for many users, and this app is an excellent example of their work which is offered free on Google Play.

Weather Live Pro

This is our pick of paid app, which will cost £4.29 and rates as a best app with the Top Droid Team. If you are not completely satisfied with the app once you have purchased it, you have 30 days to change your mind, and you will be offered a full refund. This app provides hourly and seven day forecasts with in-depth information about the climate, and then a further seven days can be seen with kist the overview and no details. There is a nice widget to support the app, and you will be able to see things like hurricane warnings, storm radar, weather satellite and more.

The app is deemed live because it continually polls for updates and adjusts accordingly so although you see the hour by hour picture you can be assured that this is the most up to the minute detail. Some weather apps only update a few times a day.

Weather Forecast

Our final offering is another great weather app that offers an excellent level of data and includes an app. With a daily weather forecast and the chance to see other locations across the globe the future forecast is only seven days, but the detail is good. Updated regularly you can be sure of an accurate picture.

There are some great push notifications; however, this can be turned off if you prefer. The app will detect your location using GPS and adjust accordingly which is helpful if you travel a lot. This is a free to download app from the Google Play Store.