# isobars

> Offline 6-day UK Met Office surface pressure forecast viewer. (iPhone/iPad app by Ratlake Technologies.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isobars/id1219260787 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ratlake Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/511736401)
- Category: Weather, Sports
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 10.2 · 3 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2017-03-28
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isobars/id1219260787/reviews.md

## What is isobars?

Isobar provides a convenient way to access the 6 day surface pressure forecast data provided by the UK Met office. The app downloads the images and stores them locally so they can be consulted off-line (for example if you are on the boat with no access to the internet).

The forecasts are updated by the Met Office twice per day at approx 07:30 and 19:30 GMT and the app will automatically download the updated forecasts if required.  The app centres the images on the UK but the image can be panned and zoomed.  In addition, forecast download can be forced ad-hoc by tapping the red day/time banner.

There are simple controls to allow the user to easily navigate between the different forecasts.  The app uses the Met Office Data Point API's - currently, only the black and white forecast maps are available.

NB - sometimes, the updated forecasts from the Met Office are incomplete.  If this happens, wait a while (e.g. 30 mins) and force a manual download by tapping the red day/time banner.

"Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence"

## Key features

- 6-day surface pressure forecasts
- Offline access to downloaded data
- Automatic forecast updates
- Manual forecast refresh
- Pan and zoom map functionality
- UK Met Office Data Point API integration

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isobars/id1219260787/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Does exactly what’s needed

*2021-07-04*

I had expected that there would be quite a few synoptic chart download apps out there. Not so. Fortunately, Isobar does a great job at this particular need. It will download the charts from UKMO and let you flip between the forecast maps easily making a quick analysis possible. The app is a great example of choose what to implement and do it well: it doesn’t do anything else. Kudos to the developers!

### 5/5 — Isobars

*2020-02-10, version 1.7*

This app finally shows the barometric information that is missing from the Met Office app. The Met app used to be very good but ‘dumbed’ down around the time the BBC stopped using their services exclusively. Now at last I can see the ‘weather’ coming at us from the West. If an overlay is possible it would be useful to superimpose the shipping sea areas and perhaps the coastal stations to coincide with the Shipping Forecast. Although not at the cost of losing the wide view currently offered. 

I learnt to draw these charts many years ago and can still interpret them up to a point. Forecasting is so much easier with all the different weather condition radars now, but it is still predicting the future and sometimes a look out of the window will give you more idea of what will happen. In any event as we live where we do always take your biggest coat, sunglasses and snowshoes just in case!

### 4/5 — Please read

*2018-07-06*

Could you please add the us

### 1/5 — Isobar

*2018-04-04, version 1.3*

It would be OK but the red overlay covering the area of interest masks the isobaric and ‘frontal’ detail which renders it pretty useless really.

## Frequently asked questions about isobars

### What is the primary function of isobars?

isobars provides offline access to 6-day surface pressure forecasts from the UK Met Office. It downloads these forecasts so you can view them even without an internet connection.

### How often are the forecasts updated in isobars?

The Met Office updates forecasts twice daily, around 07:30 and 19:30 GMT. isobars will automatically download these updated forecasts when available.

### Can I view isobars forecasts without an internet connection?

Yes, isobars is designed for offline use. It downloads the forecast images locally, allowing you to consult them on a boat or in any location without internet access.

### How do I manually refresh the forecasts in isobars?

You can force an ad-hoc download of updated forecasts by tapping the red day/time banner displayed within the app.

### What devices is isobars compatible with?

isobars is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed to run on iOS devices.

### What is the age rating for isobars?

isobars has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

### Does isobars have ads?

No, isobars does not contain advertisements. The app is completely ad-free, providing an uninterrupted user experience.

### What is the user rating for isobars?

isobars has a high user rating of 4.7 stars, based on 3 ratings. This indicates strong user satisfaction with the app's functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1 — 2024-12-22

Improved the alpha-blending of the UK base image with the isobars so isobars are visible over the UK

### 2.0 — 2023-07-19

Updates layout for iPhones with active island
Improved display of isobars over UK image

### 1.7 — 2019-02-13

Minor bug fixes.  Added some additional information to labels to show forecast hours.

### 1.6 — 2018-05-14

Fix to timezone when displaying forecasts that may cause issue differentiating between AM and PM forecasts for non UK users

### 1.5 — 2018-05-03

Added in a visual indicator for day of the week the forecast being displayed on. 00:00 GMT forecasts are highlighted blue and 12:00 GMT are highlighted yellow.
Forecast is a rolling 4-6 day forecast so there are between 1-3 days where no forecast is available.
Fixed a bug when in infinite play mode (accessed by holding down play button)

## More apps by Ratlake Technologies

- [Crumbly Photos](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crumbly-photos/id6756274745)

All apps by Ratlake Technologies: https://appshunter.io/developer/511736401

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*
