OK - my assessment of several apps still stands but it's usually a location issue where accuracy and update is concerned. Many more apps ( usually in their upgrade/pay/pro versions which if accuracy is good I will use) now offer selectable sources. My Radar Pro' is great for display and I've often talked to its developers about local accuracy of both its radar display ( excellent but often a simulation based on satellite and algorithm nonetheless-very good.) It's forecast information has improved - but I hate to say still often is way off here in B'dos. It's my 'go-to' for a 'picture' though. Hello Weather now with upgrade offers several choices which I regularily cross check. Once I get past their display, I can choose from one of 6,DarkSky,Accuweather,AerisWeather,ClimaCell, Foreca,and IBM Weather Channel. Regular csosschecks show a wide variety of results, not a surprise.
Today Weather now offers Openweathermap.org.( UK) Weatherbit.io ( US) Dark Sky, Accuweather, YR.no ( Norway) Weather.gov ( US) BOM ( Australia). MeteoFrance, Weather.gc.ca. So comparisons are available and one can compare on one page.
The Dark Sky situation is a bit different, and at least from here, since being swallowed into Apple, have gone from among the least accurate of those I mentioned, to among the best (?) When I contacted them quite a while ago about their App not being on the Canadian App Store ( or the admittedly very limited B'dos App Store) I was told that it was issues of them being unable to get direct Govt weather information, here OR Canada - and I'd suspect many other countries. They suggested use of their browser page which is fine too, but until whatever happened re Apple, was as wonky as any app where they were selected as source - but of course I speak only about here. Now it's actual weather is accurate and within maybe an hour of what's really going on which was far from the case previously.
My general assessment of an App is appearance based, looking for a clean professional display. The source overrides that though, and my yardstick is exactly what I often used when flying if I had the chance ie in thunderstorm areas, daytime, '1 peek out the windscreen is worth about 1000 sweeps on the radar. One needs both! But I will now assess actual weather and trend, then check all the sources I have, choosing the closest match and the App which uses it.
My prefs now are Dark Sky driven, then Openweather.org, then Weathebit.io, then Foreca.
For the life of me I can't say why the reports and forecasts in IBM Weather Channel & Wonderground are acceptable but mediocre re Accuracy, BUT the rain alerts on the Weather Channel are spot on and accurate to the minute most of the time.
I imagine there will always be changes as we move forward and what I see here might be quite different than the performance of the same apps in different countries and local positions. My amazement with Weather Widget Fuji is that in its basic version it's just that. BUT if upgraded it offers so many additional custom features to bring it to the top of my list. With it I found that 'no ads' wasn't really the drawing feature but the full 'bell & whistle' of its custom displays. It can be an unobtrusive small app for home or today screen but opens into a full- featured tool when tapped.
I realize that work spoiled me a bit - but the good presentations were then PC based in an office environment ( dispatch & Flight planning) The most technically advanced cockpits I used were 90's generation, full glass, but weather, other than radar, could still only be supplied as essentially up-linked text message- from a ground based dispatcher, or 'canned selection' of actual or forecast text options . I imagine that has likely changed since I've ben gone since 2009. This is why I appreciate crisp, professional grade weather in the palm of my hand - especially what I find great with WWFuji Even it's Windy.com based Radar display is useable.
You are quite correct about government funding driven by commerce and transportation which is among the reasons the UK & Europe with more dependence on the shipping industrys are heavily invested in weather technology as a 'group'.I