Yes, we know Windows has its own official solutions that display the weather on the desktop, but we also know that Redmond likes to do things we don't want, installing software without permission, or making background changes without warning. So if you're looking for a more independent widget to receive weather reports, you might want to grab a copy of WeatherMate.
For some users, the weather report needs to be always present like the clock in the system tray, and for others it should remain hidden until they decide to make the query. The number of apps and widgets that explore both ideas is huge, but today we come across a very flexible, compact, and easy-to-use option. I'm referring to WeatherMate, developed by Ravi Bhavnani.
Receive weather reports on your desktop with WeatherMate
WeatherMate can be installed as a traditional application, but it also has a portable edition that stores all its settings in a temporary folder. A click on the gear icon opens its menu, and the two most important options there are Locations and Settings. In Locations you can configure as many regions as you want to receive the weather, with a fairly broad International section. Each of those regions will be separated by tabs, but personally I recommend keeping a single region to avoid overloading the widget.
Settings is even more interesting, because there you can enable the metric system (i.e., switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius) and the 24-hour clock, as well as adjust the widget's position, the speed at which it auto-hides (or disable that feature), the scrolling type (vertical or horizontal), and the weather update frequency, among other things. WeatherMate also places an icon in the system tray, and can even narrate the reports, using the built-in voice engines in Windows.
In summary, WeatherMate not only fulfills its basic function perfectly, but we also find refreshing flexibility in its interface, something that many other applications and operating systems (cough Windows 11 cough) should imitate.
Official site and download: Click here
