Will the PredictWind weather model perform better than other models available?
Yes. Seven years of extensive and comparative testing during Americas Cup yacht racing has proven the model to be the most reliable and accurate for wind prediction Back to Top
Will the forecasts always be accurate? Like all other weather models available, it relies on a weather input file which can be comparable to a photographic "snapshot" of the earth's atmosphere. If these inputs are inaccurate, the model forecast is likely to be inaccurate. Fortunately we provide you with two forecasts twice daily created by independently generated weather input files. If there is a discrepancy between the model forecast and real time observations of more than 30 degrees and/or 5 knots the forecast should be discarded. This will happen in approximately 15% of cases. Back to Top
Are there certain weather situations that the model will perform poorly?
If the conditions are light winds (less than 8knots), expect the model performance to be degraded. This situation relates to all models, as the atmospheric pressure forces are weak in light air situations, and therefore it is harder to capture these forces accurately. During the early morning or late evening the wind strength can be overestimated by the model. Back to Top
How accurate are the rain forecasts?
Rain is harder to predict than wind. As the PredictWind model is optimized for wind forecasting, the rain forecast should be used as a guide only and is not the main strength of the product. Back to Top
What happens if the forecast is wrong yesterday, should I still trust today's forecast ?
Yes. The process has no historical memory. Each model run starts with a new input file, and so you are best to put your trust in the PredictWind forecast. Back to Top
How accurate should I expect the forecast to be?
The forecast is generally accurate to ± 2 knots ± 15 degrees. This is an averaged wind strength and direction over a 1km area and averaged time period. This does not account for gusts, or convective cloud related activity. Back to Top
Notification Emails
How do I turn off the notification emails?
Logon to the forecast site with your username/password. Select from the left hand menu > add/modify locations. Next to the relevant location select "stop sending emails". Back to Top
How do I know when my latest forecast is available? You may choose to activate the Forecast Notification E-mail functionality. Logon to the forecast site with your username/password. Select from the left hand menu > add/modify locations. Next to the relevant location select "start sending emails". Back to Top
Forecast Access
How many times can I logon and access the forecast?
Unlimited for monthly/yearly subscriptions. Unlimited during a forecast day for 7/30 days forecast subscriptions. Back to Top
How many times can I change the forecast locations? Unlimited, but restricted to 6 changes for each 12hr forecast period. Back to Top
From how many computers/devices can I access the forecast?
You can access the forecast from any 2 devices (the system looks at your IP address) in a 6hr period. For example you can look at the forecast at your home PC, then work PC. If you try to access from a 3rd device (or 3 IP addresses) you will be locked out of the system for up to 6hrs. This is to prevent users abusing the system and passing on their username and password. Please note our Terms and Conditions state the license granted is solely for your own personal use. Back to Top
Billing
How do I discontinue the monthly/yearly billing?
If you do not use the product for the month/year no billing will occur. If you decide to continue the service simply logon to the forecast site and billing will continue as previously setup.
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Is there an expiry time limit for using the 7/30 days of forecasts? There is no expiry time limit and the forecast days can be spread out during the year. Back to Top
Can I upgrade between Product Levels?
Yes. This is possible at any time if you have a monthly/yearly subscription. During the upgrade process, the current subscription is automatically canceled. Note: Reimbursements only applies to customers with yearly subscriptions. Back to Top
Can I add a 7 day/30 day package to my existing monthly subscription?
Yes. This is possible at any time. For example you may be subscribed to the standard package on a monthly basis, but want to add the professional package for 7 days to get GRIB file access. Each time you logon to PredictWind you will be using the 7 days of the professional subscription, and when this is finished, you will revert back to the standard package. Billing of the standard package will continue through this period. Back to Top
I am subscribed to the Standard/Basic package, and what is the best way of obtaining GRIB files for a short period of time? Log onto the PredictWind website., and add the 7/30 day Professional package to your current service. Back to Top
Sign up Problems
I am having trouble with the signup process - what do you suggest?
We have had issues with intrusive security protection programs (such as CA internet security suite), that cause issues with forecast location selection. We would recommend that you signup on another PC, that has a different security system. Alternative contact us, and we can complete the sign up process on your behalf. The problem seems limited to the forecast location selection, and you can still access the forecasts with CA internt security system installed Back to Top
Why have I not received the Confirmation email? It is possible the email got lost in a spam filter. Check you spam/junk email folder, and if you cannot fint it, please contact our support staff on support@predictwind.com to get your registration confirmed.
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Support
What kind of support do you offer? If
you have technical issues or questions relating to the forecast or your account, simply use the Contact Form on the Contact page.
Your query will be tracked and answered by email as soon as possible. Back to Top
What are the Hardware/Software Requirements? The PredictWind site can be viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 2.x or Safarai 3.1 or higher.
The minimum screen resolution is 1024*768. If you cannot see all of the maps on your screen, we recommend changing the browser into full screen mode by selecting View > Full Screen from your browser's menubar.
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