# iRain UCI > Global high-resolution satellite precipitation data and crowdsourced rainfall reporting. (iPhone/iPad app by University of California, Irvine.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irain-uci/id982858283 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [University of California, Irvine](https://appshunter.io/developer/643200027) - Category: Weather, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 3.20/5 from 22 App Store ratings · 22 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 46 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2015-04-27 - Data updated: 2026-06-01 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irain-uci/id982858283/reviews.md ## What is iRain UCI? Welcome to the iRain app. The app is licensed to the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing (CHRS) at the University of California Irvine (UCI). iRain provides access to real-time global high-resolution (~4km) satellite precipitation products from the PERSIANN-CCS (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using the Artificial Neural Networks - Cloud Classification System), which has been developed by the research team at CHRS. The building block of iRain rests on the satellite precipitation estimates generated by the PERSIANN algorithm which has been under development for over two decades. More detailed information about PERSIANN-CCS can be found at http://chrs.web.uci.edu. iRain allows users to visualize real-time global satellite precipitation observations and track extreme precipitation events globally. Users can also use the crowdsourcing functionality of the app to report their local rainfall information to supplement our data. The web version of iRain is hosted at: http://irain.eng.uci.edu. Acknowledgments: The iRain system is the product developed by Dr. Phu Nguyen, Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) at UCI and his team, which includes a dedicated group of mostly undergraduate students, including Phat Huynh, Thanh N. Palacios, Hoang Tran, and April Huie. The iRain mobile app was developed by David Furman. Financial support of the following agencies is acknowledged: - NASA funding resulted in the development of the PERSIANN algorithm and several of its variations. - ICIWaRM of the US Army Corps of Engineers has provided a major part of support for Mr. Dan Braithwaite, Programmer Analyst III at CHRS. - The US Army Research Office’s support has resulted in additional refinement of the PERSIANN algorithm - Cooperation with UNESCO’s G-WADI program has been critical to the dissemination of data worldwide. - NOAA funding through the Climate Data Record (CDR) program resulted in the PERSIANN-CDR dataset. The following members of CHRS (former and current) are greatly acknowledged. Kuolin Hsu, Xiaogang Gao, Bisher Imam, Dan Braithwaite, Hamed Ashouri, Andrea Thorstensen, Scott Sellars, Ali Behrangi. Special thanks to Hien To, Ph.D. student at USC, for his contribution on the crowdsourcing technologies. Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D. NAE CHRS Director ## Key features - Real-time global satellite precipitation data - High-resolution (~4km) PERSIANN-CCS data - Track extreme precipitation events - Crowdsourcing rainfall reporting - Visualize global satellite observations ## Recent user reviews (10 of 22) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irain-uci/id982858283/reviews.md ### 3/5 — I love this app *2023-07-27, version 2.3.5* However, the Google maps interface has not been working for quite some time… Hope there will be an update soon ### 4/5 — Map has disappeared! *2023-07-27, version 2.3.5* Previously was a GREAT app - but somehow I’ve lost the underlying map! Can see the colors of the rainfall (what we have had in this #ChevronDrought), but not map to see where that rain has fallen. ### 1/5 — No scale or satellite layer *2023-07-26, version 2.3.5* There’s no way of determining regional rainfall totals without a scale or any geographic layers to depict locations. ### 5/5 — Useful app for travelers *2022-10-29, version 2.3.5* Very useful for travel planning and knowing weather conditions. ### 1/5 — Not supported *2021-06-29, version 2.3.3* At appears that the developers of this app have stopped supporting it and there is no longer any meaningful data to be gleaned from it. It’s a shame because it was a useful app for determining past rainfall amounts at any location, and seems to be that no one else is doing anything similar ### 5/5 — Great for Mushroom Foraging *2020-10-06, version 2.3.3* This app is wonderful for someone like me who forgets when it last rained in my region and want to forage mushrooms. This app has pointed me to search specifically in areas with recent rainfall to much success! A great tool for this purpose, also helps with deciding if I need to water the garden. ### 1/5 — Awful *2020-04-07, version 2.3.3* The worst app I have been seen and really inaccurate. ### 1/5 — Not accurate *2019-12-23, version 2.3.3* I don’t know why the reviews are so high. The rainfall data seems totally wrong. ### 2/5 — App not ready for App Store *2019-07-17, version 2.3.3* Why do people post into the App Store apps that are half finished? I can’t tell for sure how much precipitation in inches has come in my area in the last couple of days enough to be able to decide whether to turn the sprinklers on this morning or not. I only get two days a week I’m allowed to turn the sprinklers on, and I don’t want to turn them on and waste money if I don’t need to. The so-called animation doesn’t do anything, and I cannot really tell what is going on with this app. I am glad that they gave us and them. Imperial units option. But that’s something that should’ve been done before they ever put it on the market in the App Store. The fact that people had to ask for that is appalling, considering we don’t live in Europe. And I still would like the whole app to work before they provide it in the App Store. It’s very important to find some app that will make it very easy to tell whether I need to turn the sprinklers on or not and that depends on inches of rain reported in the past 24 hours. I don’t understand why I am supposed to be reporting rain since I would have to stand out with my hands out in my yard all day long to know, and I have no idea whether it rains or not, except when I happened to be standing outside. ### 5/5 — Promising application *2018-11-14, version 2.3.1* Thank for making a useful app for precipitation monitoring. Looking forward for new features. ## Frequently asked questions about iRain UCI ### What is iRain UCI? iRain UCI provides access to real-time global high-resolution satellite precipitation data from the PERSIANN-CCS algorithm. It allows users to visualize precipitation observations and track extreme events. ### How accurate is the precipitation data in iRain UCI? The PERSIANN-CCS data used in iRain UCI is high-resolution, approximately 4km. The PERSIANN algorithm has been under development for over two decades by researchers at the University of California, Irvine. ### Can I contribute my own rainfall data to iRain UCI? Yes, iRain UCI features a crowdsourcing functionality that allows users to report their local rainfall information. This data supplements the existing satellite-based observations. ### Is iRain UCI available on all devices? iRain UCI is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is designed for iOS users. ### How often is iRain UCI updated? The app was last updated on August 8, 2023, with version 2.3.6. This indicates regular maintenance and potential feature additions. ### What is the age rating for iRain UCI? iRain UCI has an age rating of 4+. This suggests it is suitable for a wide audience, including children, with no mature content. ### Where can I find more information about the PERSIANN-CCS data used in iRain UCI? More detailed information about PERSIANN-CCS can be found on the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing (CHRS) website at http://chrs.web.uci.edu. ### What do users think of iRain UCI? iRain UCI has a rating of 3.2 stars from 22 ratings. This indicates a mixed reception from users, with some aspects potentially being less satisfactory than others. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.3.6 — 2023-08-08 Bug fixes & stability improvements ### 2.3.5 — 2021-09-12 Bug fixes & stability improvements ### 2.3.4 — 2021-08-29 Bug fixes & stability improvements ### 2.3.3 — 2019-01-15 Updated Yahoo weather API. ### 2.3.2 — 2018-11-14 Fixed extreme event image time. 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User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*