NZ metMate was an iPhone-friendly web app for checking New Zealand weather. In a June 2009 launch discussion on Geekzone, its developer presented the personal project as a way to bring local conditions and forecasts from MetService into a compact mobile interface. This restored July 2, 2009 page concerns that original web app.
Local weather without a native installation
The announcement describes selecting New Zealand urban centres and viewing rain radar. The developer also explained how users could add the site to the iPhone Home Screen. That made it easier to return to the service, but did not turn the website into an App Store download.
The discussion is useful because it records limitations as well as the idea. Radar images created loading problems, and offline support using browser storage was still work in progress. Suggestions about a future native component should not be mistaken for features already delivered in the original web app.
Read the forecast and radar together
A forecast and a radar image answer different questions. When checking any weather service, look at the location and observation time before interpreting the picture. A familiar town name can hide a station some distance from where you are, while an old radar frame can give a misleading impression of conditions now.
For planning a trip or an outdoor activity, check the latest official forecast and any warnings close to departure. These are general weather-reading habits, not a claim that the old NZ metMate provided warning notifications or a complete offline forecast.
The app is a useful example of how early iPhone developers used the browser and Home Screen together. Operation of the original service today has not been verified.