North Korea has introduced a new mobile app designed to provide farmers with precise and localized agricultural weather information. Dubbed “Agricultural Weather 2.0,” this app offers detailed weather data, tailored to the specific needs of farming, including alerts for weather disasters, and predictions down to the village level.
The core functionality of the app centers around delivering weather data that is particularly relevant for agriculture. This includes not only local weather observations and forecasts but also critical climate information and real-time disaster alerts, which could help farmers prepare for adverse weather conditions.
The app allows users to access village-specific weather information by selecting their region in the app’s location settings. While weather observations are available at the county level, the prediction data is more detailed, reaching down to specific villages and neighborhoods. This level of granularity is designed to provide farmers with the most relevant data possible, helping them plan their agricultural activities with precision. The app also features a variety of visualizations, making it easier for users to interpret the data. Graphs are available showing weather predictions for periods ranging from one day to one month, with charts displaying temperature, precipitation, sunshine duration, humidity, and wind conditions.
In addition to the forecasted weather, the app provides specialized agricultural weather data, which can help farmers track the conditions most important to their crops, such as temperature fluctuations and moisture levels. The app also includes information on astronomical conditions, which might be useful for farmers planning their planting or harvesting schedules based on the timing of daylight and moon phases.
The app is designed to be intuitive, offering easy-to-understand displays of important weather data. For instance, the app’s graphs and charts allow users to track temperature, humidity, and other key factors over time, providing a clear picture of upcoming conditions. This helps farmers anticipate weather patterns that might affect crop growth, allowing them to adjust their practices accordingly.
One of the key features of the app is its focus on real-time alerts for weather-related disasters. These alerts are issued when conditions such as heavy rainfall or strong winds are forecast, providing valuable warnings for farmers to take precautionary measures. The app is designed to be responsive to the needs of those in the agricultural sector, ensuring that critical weather information is delivered quickly and effectively.
However, the app is not without its restrictions. Users are required to purchase a location-specific product key in order to access the data. This key is tied to the user’s device IMEI number, ensuring that only those in authorized regions can access certain weather information. If a user attempts to access weather data from a restricted region or changes their registered county location, the product key becomes invalid. Though users can change villages within the same county, switching counties requires the purchase of a new product key, which can be bought through a national “Weather Information” homepage or other authorized service providers. The product keys are available in six-month or 12-month terms, allowing users to select the duration of access that suits their needs.
In addition to the weather data itself, the app also includes a glossary of key weather terminology. For instance, it defines terms such as “torrential downfall” as rainfall exceeding 30 millimeters per hour or 50 millimeters within three hours, and “much rain” as daily rainfall of 100 millimeters or more. It also provides definitions for terms like “strong wind,” which is characterized as sustained winds of over 10 meters per second for a duration of 10 minutes.
While the app offers comprehensive weather information tailored to the needs of farmers, the restrictions on its use and the requirement for product keys may limit its accessibility for some individuals. Nevertheless, it represents an effort to enhance the country’s agricultural practices with advanced technology, offering localized, real-time weather updates that can have a significant impact on farming operations.
