Ladies and gentlemen: It's time to talk about the future of weather and storm chasing video. Back in 2012, GoPro jumped on the scene with the first high-quality wide-angle action camera, and changed weather and storm chasing videos forever. Now the next wave is here, and it's 360. Check this out:

Click and drag your mouse in the video above to turn around 360 degrees in the video (if you're on a phone, literally turn yourself around).

The video above was taken by AccuWeather Storm Chaser Reed Timmer on March 21, during a Spring snow event in Massachusetts. He's also tackled a Nor'easter and tornado-warned severe thunderstorm in 360. You're looking at real-time video in 360 degrees! Here's the device that created it, the 360fly 360-degree camera:

We've outfitted all of our storm chasers with this camera for this season. Now they no longer have to worry about having their camera pointed in the right direction, and they'll never miss another lightning strike. One storm chaser is using them as part of a video system to record weather and video inside a tornado!

Here's a short clip from atop AccuWeather Storm Chaser Brandon Sullivan's car showing a Texas thunderstorm April 28th:

I've not had nearly-as exciting weather here at AccuWeather HQ in State College, PA, but I did test of the camera in the middle of the AccuWeather Ops Floor the other day:

The camera comes with a wireless charger / USB cable, 32 GB of on-board memory, and software for Windows, Android and iOS (the mobile apps allow you to stream the video live, and configure the camera). Before the videos can be shared on YouTube or Facebook, they have to be converted with the software. 360 videos work on the Facebook and YouTube apps (and on desktop computers / laptops) but don't work on the mobile website version of those websites (just because the 3D technology isn't there yet).

Speaking of the outside, I tried an outside here at AccuWeather HQ too, but I knew it would be more exciting as a time-lapse. The software doesn't do time-lapses this fast by default, but it can be done. Below is a list of instructions.*

And of course, I had to mount it to my 3DRobotics IRIS+ drone. This is one of the neatest ways to do a 360 video, and the 360fly comes with a standard quadcopter mount.

We couldn't even imagine this technology five or ten years ago! I took the drone up to a couple hundred feet in this video:

And here's perhaps the most exciting part: You can use it in Google Cardboard Virtual Reality devices! I own the $17 View-Master VR glasses, which I can strap my phone into, and jump into virtual reality. On the YouTube app on my Samsung Galaxy S5, I can click the cardboard icon on my 360fly videos to see them in VR! I can't really show you what that looks like, but imagine standing on top of Reed Timmer's car during a storm chase! Here's what it looks like from the outside:

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Isn't 360 (3D & virtual reality) just a fad? I get that we've heard the promise of "this is the future" before. But I believe photography and meteorology really can make good use of this technology. The only limitation of 360 cameras for consumers is that the video gets a little soft around the edges -- but that's the nature of the beast at this point in time. Improved resolution will help, and 360fly has just announced their 4K version on pre-order! I can't wait to try it out!

*Instructions to create a very fast time-lapse outside of the 360fly software:
1. Merge your movies via the 360fly Windows software, if needed.
2. Save that file.
3. Import that file into Adobe Premiere. Other programs may work IF they can export in exactly same file format.
4. Export that file with "Match Original - High Bitrate" selected.
5. Use the 360fly software to upload the file to YouTube.

DISCLAIMER: AccuWeather does not have a current business relationship with 360fly. This is not an official endorsement from AccuWeather, Inc. Product was supplied by the vendor for this review.

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