Weathernews adds earthquake arrival countdown to mobile app

Weathernews Inc. has updated its ‘Weather News’ smartphone application to include a new real-time countdown feature for earthquake early warnings. When an emergency earthquake warning is issued, the app will now display the remaining number of seconds until the shaking is expected to reach the user's current location.

This feature is designed to help users take immediate protective actions. For instance, having 10 seconds of warning allows for moving under a table, while 5 seconds provides enough time to protect one's head. The countdown will appear as a pop-up even if the user is viewing other pages within the app, aiming to reduce panic and facilitate calm, rapid responses.

The countdown functionality is a premium feature available to members. The company also continues to provide free ‘Earthquake Alarm’ and ‘Tsunami Alarm’ push notifications for users to register.