This summer has brought with it much sadness and new concerns as much of our beautiful country still burns. With the fire season still underway we wanted to look at the best apps to help track and monitor air quality as well as updates on fire locations.
AirVisual
AirVisual offers detailed data around the air quality in your area as well as any other locations you wish to add. For example, if you have family in bush affected areas add them as ‘places’ through the app to monitor and track the air quality situation.
Push notifications send alerts about the air quality every day, as well as offer recommendations. For example, to keep your windows closed or not do any outdoor exercise. It also provides data around the level and type of pollutants in the air.
It also includes a 7-day forecast for the weather, temperature wind, and air pollution. This is a great feature when planning for outdoor activities or trips for summer breaks.
Air Matters
Air Matters is another good app for tracking air pollution. You can search for places all over the world to monitor air quality or use your current location. It will provide the Air Quality Index (AQI), pollutants in the air and temperature, as well as offer recommendations for health. For example, if you should consider using a mask, an air purifier or whether outdoor exercise is possible.
One interesting point of difference is that this app can connect to air purifiers and air quality monitors in your house. This means you can check the air in your home or office anytime, anywhere. It provides recommendations based on its readings and can send updates whenever the air quality changes.
Fires Near Me Aus
This app was created by the NSW RFS and uses location data to track any fires near you anywhere in Australia. It’s an easy app to navigate, giving you the option to view via a map or a list. A list will name impacted areas in order of those closest to you.
Tapping on fire will give you more information such as how far it is from you, size (in hectares), whether it is under control and the latest updates.
One new app feature is ‘Watch Zones’. This allows you to monitor a specific area for fire activity. This only works if push notifications are turned on to send alerts if one of your watch zones has been affected by fire.
This is a great app, but keep in mind that the NSW RFS recommends users do not rely solely on the information provided in the app. In an emergency always rely on other communication channels such as websites, information lines and local radio. Check your state or territory’s fire agency website for more details.
Please use caution to stay safe and well during the summer. And be sure when planning your trips and routes to stay up to date with fire locations to understand your risks at all times.
If you have any questions on how to install or use these apps please do get in touch, we are happy to assist.
