Cuba Weather

Non-profit initiative that provides Cuban residents with easy access to national weather information.

The Cuba Weather project was a pioneering initiative in Cuba that sought to facilitate access to weather information from national sources using only national navigation. This open-source and non-profit project revolutionized the way Cubans checked the weather, removing technological and economic barriers for its users.

Project Importance

Cuba Weather was important because it solved a key problem: the dependence on international weather services, which involved the consumption of international mobile data. With this solution, users could check the weather, extended forecasts, and accurate data on temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind without incurring additional costs. Additionally, it promoted the use of free software and encouraged collaboration between specialists from the Cuban Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) and local developers, strengthening the country’s technological ecosystem.

Challenges Faced

The project was not without challenges. The main challenges included:

• Access to weather data: I had to work on integrating data from INSMET and RedCuba, overcoming the accessibility and format limitations of official sources.

• Technological limitations: Cuba Weather had to work on devices with limited capabilities and without requiring international navigation, adding technical complexity to the development.

• Funding and resources: As a non-profit project, we relied on community collaboration to maintain development, as well as voluntary donations.

• User acceptance: It was necessary to create an intuitive and reliable interface to gain user trust in a short period.

My Work on the Project

Within the framework of Cuba Weather, my role was crucial. I led the development of the mobile application, which was designed using Flutter to ensure cross-platform compatibility and optimal performance. Additionally:

• I coordinated the development team and implementation strategies.

• I implemented integrations that allowed the extraction of weather data from national sources.

• I contributed to promoting the project as a free software initiative, highlighting its social and technological impact.

• I was involved in solving technical problems and adapting the application’s functionalities based on user feedback.

Impact and Evolution

In just over a month, Cuba Weather reached 27,000 downloads on the Apklis store, becoming one of the most prominent applications in the country. Its success also lay in its ability to evolve thanks to constant community feedback, incorporating improvements and expanding its functionalities.

The project demonstrated that collaboration and the use of modern tools like Flutter can overcome significant barriers and have a positive impact on society.

Conclusion

Cuba Weather was more than an application; it represented a joint effort to democratize weather information in Cuba. I am proud of the impact it had on the lives of thousands of people and to have been part of a team that worked tirelessly to turn an idea into a concrete solution. Through this project, I learned valuable lessons about leadership, software development, and the importance of collaborative work.

Useful Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/cuba-weather

• Article about the project: Cuba Weather: National Open Source Weather Application

• News on Cuballama: Cuba Weather: a Cuban application to check the weather

• Interview in Juventud Técnica: App Monday: Cuba Weather (+ interview)