Prior to this, RakanMET was initially introduced as a website that shares half-hourly weather predictions and updates across the nation by the department, which refreshes after a period of up to three hours. At the same time, it also acts as a platform for allowing its community members to confirm or disprove the predictions and to provide additional information such as the severity of storms and so on via text-based posts, with the option to also include pictures. Of course, crowdsourced information such as these will first be verified by MetMalaysia in order to curb potential misinformation.
The mobile version of RakanMET pretty much translates all its original content into a user-friendly mobile app. Like the website, users are greeted with a map of Malaysia which features icons representing forecasted weather strewn across different locations across the country. Tapping on the ‘Nowcasting’ button will allow you to check on the forecasts for different time periods throughout the day, while tapping the bell button opens up a page that shows you the recent weather reports from community members in one tab and important announcements in the other. Again, much like the web version, you’re not required to register a RakanMET account in order to use the application. Signing up, on the other hand, will enable you to contribute to the platform and even earn points for each update that you’ve shared. In regards to the latter, the scoring system mainly functions as a way to verify a user’s credibility in providing trusted updates within the community.
RakanMET is a useful platform for Malaysians to get direct updates and warnings from the meteorological department and its community, especially for unpredictable disasters such as heavy storms and floods. As mentioned earlier, the app is now available for download on Android and iOS devices via their respective app stores. (Source: Bernama / RakanMET)
