Buzz
While The Weather Channel is not typically known for high-octane excitement, a surprisingly realistic tornado simulation recently broadcast live brought just that to viewers.
According to Poynter, the live broadcast combined mixed reality (a blend of virtual reality with real-world settings) to showcase the devastating power of a tornado. As meteorologist Jim Cantore explained tornado safety, a wooden beam flew across the room, crashing through a window. Shortly after, a battered car plummeted from the ceiling, and part of the studio wall was ripped away as if it were a Band-Aid. Or so it appeared.
For a couple of years now, The Weather Channel has been integrating augmented reality into its weather reports, but its latest tornado segment, lasting nearly eight minutes, may be its most complex one yet. The simulation took months to develop using Unreal Engine, a tool also used in the video game industry. Cantore then wrote the script and rehearsed for a few days before the live broadcast.
Michael Potts, The Weather Channel's vice president of design, shared with Poynter that this technology is a glimpse into the future of weather broadcasting.
"In 2020, when you tune into the Weather Channel, 80 percent of the time, you'll see a set that transports you to locations like a street corner in Cincinnati, downtown Boston, or Biscayne Boulevard in Miami," he explained. "You're not merely viewing the seven-day forecast, you're stepping into it, experiencing it."
Watch it for yourself in the video below:
