Pokémon GO responds to the real-world weather conditions around you. Weather changes cause certain Pokémon types to appear more frequently, have more powerful moves in battle, and give extra Stardust when caught. Let’s take a look in depth about what this means.
What are Weather Effects in Pokémon GO?
As you search for Pokémon, the current weather conditions appear visually in Map View. You can also tell which weather conditions are in effect by viewing the weather indicator icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Touch the icon to see which Pokémon types are boosted by the weather outside.
It will come as no shock that the climate in-game should reflect the real weather around you but with one key difference: The weather in game can change once an hour, on the hour mark.
| Weather Condition | Boosted Types |
| Sunny/Sunny | Grass, Fire, Ground |
| Rainy | Water, Electric, Bug |
| Partly Cloudy | Normal, Rock |
| Cloudy | Fairy, Fighting, Poison |
| Windy | , Dragon, Psychic |
| Snow | Ice, Steel |
| Fog | Dark, Ghost |
Catching Weather Boosted Pokémon
- Higher level (you can encounter a wild Pokemon up to +5 levels above your current level)
- Guaranteed IV’s for weather-boosted Pokemon (minimum of 4/4/4)
- Bonus 25% Stardust on catch
- Bonus 20% damage for moves of certain types
Weather Exclusive Pokémon
The following Pokémon are only available in certain weathers.
| Pokémon | Weather |
Castform
|
Cloudy, Partly Cloudy, Windy |
Castform (Sunny)
|
Sunny,Sunny |
Castform (Rainy)
|
Rainy |
Castform (Snowy)
|
Snow |
Cherrim (Overcast)
|
All weathers except Sunny |
Cherrim (Sunny)
|
Sunny |
There are some weather evolution conditions, Sliggoo evolves to Goodra during rainy weather.
Raid Boss Influence
Since wild Pokémon are affected by weather, it follows that Pokémon in battles are similarly sensitive to the world around them. Just as a Fire-type Pokémon is more likely to appear in Sunny weather, it also hits 20% harder in PVE battles under the same conditions – i.e., Team GO Rocket and Raid battles. It’s also good to know that the weather also affects the base catch level, with weather-boosted Shadow Pokémon being Level 13, and Raid bosses being Level 25, saving you a tonne of Stardust and Candy if you plan to level them up!
Keep an eye out when tackling a raid boss or check out our counters guide for an in-depth exploration of weather effects on your counters and the Boss’ potential move pool. Ideally, you’re looking for a weather condition that will boost your team of Pokémon counters but not boost any of the attack types the Raid Boss has access to.
Obviously, this leaves PVP; GO Battle League is not affected by weather for obvious reasons. If you’re in London and battling someone in Tokyo, how does the game know whose weather to use?
