The Gadget Agenda: The weather gadgets I rely on when Britain’s forecast turns wild

In the space of a few days, the UK has gone from having a Mediterranean summer, to an Amazonian monsoon. And climate chance is going to ensure our weather continues to be "interesting" in years to come.

Which is why it's a good time to consider investing in some sort of weather-related gadgets. Autumn months will soon be on their way, getting outside will be trickier, and we'll need to keep abreast of the conditions, however extreme or benign they turn out to be.

Here's a round-up of some of the best weather tech I have by my side.

Smartphone apps

This should come as no surprise, but the first line of defence against getting caught out in inclement weather is a good forecast app. And while there are plenty of forecasting apps out there, the one you need to look at first is a rainfall radar.

A decent radar app serves up a live image of where active showers are. It's all very well looking at clouds in the sky, but knowing whether they're going to give you a soaking or not is the missing link the radar provides.

My favourite radar app for at-a-glance short-term rainfall forecasting is Rain Alarm, a free service that gives you a fairly high-res view of the precipitation across the country.

It's quick and easy to check in on, and you can set up alerts for when rain is approaching.

There's a more detailed version of this radar system on Netweather.tv, and you can pay monthly for premium access which will give you a rough forecast of where the rain is heading, and it'll also differentiate between rain and snow, which is ideal for winter.

As for forecasting apps, just go with what you like. They all have broadly the same data fed to them, the main difference is how they present that data.

My personal favourites are Weather Underground and Hyperlocal Weather. But it's honestly down to your own preference.

SwitchBot E-Ink Home Dashboard

Add in the right accessories, and this remarkable little desktop gadget becomes a complete weather station.

I've owned a lot of weather stations over the years, from complex precision setups to lightweight smart systems, but this one just does a decent job all of the time.

By using pooled data, and connecting to any sensors you add, it gives you a live view of things like wind speed, UV index, visibility, and even air quality. And the always-on e-ink screen also has a seven-day forecast as a rough guide.

It does other things, too, like tapping into your calendar app to give you a run-down of your agenda, and it'll serve up a daily literary quote that sort of matches the weather for the day.

I've used two of its smart buttons to link it to my SwitchBot Curtain openers, so I can see the actual weather through my window with a single tap.

It's a marvellous device, and ideal for anyone that's got even a passing interest in the weather.

Fulton Aerolite Umbrella

It might have gathered a bit of dust over the summer, but my favourite umbrella has definitely come into its own recently.

It's made by Fulton, which is just about the most prestigious umbrella manufacturer out there, and it's the lightest model they make. Possibly even the lightest one you can buy - but Fulton doesn't like to boast about that sort of thing, it's a bit vulgar.

It fits in a trouser pocket, opens to 83cm, and it has carbon ribs and a wind-resistant frame. All this, and it's only about half the weight of the average smartphone. Amazing.

Shop around and you might find one for less than £25. I know that seems like a lot for a brolly but, trust me, this one is incredible.

UK and Ireland Map Trackr

How's this for a wildcard? This is a gadget I discovered almost by accident, and it's basically a way of having a live view of the rainfall radar image I mentioned above in any room you fancy.

It's made by Traintrackr, a gorgeous little company that specialises in very geeky live train tracking maps - and they're fun enough in themselves - but when they launched a rain radar tracker with the same tech applied to rainfall radar, I just had to have one.

From its wonderfully bare circuit board appearance, to its sheer simplicity and reliability, I absolutely adore it. It's one of my absolute favourite things. I even love the cute little kit-form wooden stand it comes with.

In fact, I like it so much, I once treated myself to the large version, which has coloured LEDs.

I won't mention the price, because it's borderline frightening, I'll let you click here to see it if you're brave enough.

But out of all the gadgets I own (and there are many) this would be one of the ones I would least like to part with.

Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer

It's all well and good spending all this money on posh weather tech, but sometimes the cheapest and simplest gadgets can be by far the most useful.

In fact, the weather gadget I use most often, out of all the stuff I own, is a cheap and cheerful indoor/outdoor thermometer.

I can't find the exact model I bought years ago, but it's similar to this one on Amazon. It sits on the dresser in my hall and every time we get ready to head out of the door I glance at it to see whether I will need to take a jumper, my jacket, or my big coat.

It doesn't get much simpler or cheaper than this, and everyone should have one.