The Weather Channel uses the Unreal Engine to show potential danger of Hurricane Florence

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Hurricane Florence is currently beating down on parts of North Carolina. To get the point across that this storm is dangerous, the folks over at the Weather Channel are using mixed reality during its broadcast.

In one scary video, it shows what effect a storm surge that rises to 9 feet could feel like for folks on the ground. The Weather Channel explains: “We can show you what this could look like, if you were to find yourself in this scenario.”

Take a look:

Storm surge will be a huge factor for Hurricane #Florence Check out what it might look like with @TWCErikaNavarro: pic.twitter.com/TPqTZTmiAM

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 13, 2018

According to The Verge, the Weather Channel has partnered with augmented reality company The Future Group to create the video, which uses something familiar to gamers, the Unreal Engine.

READ MORE: Unreal Engine 5 is here to take gaming to the next level

“The weather is a visceral, physical thing, and we’re trying to recreate that in the most realistic way possible,” explained The Weather Channel’s vice president of design Michael Potts.

A little history lesson behind the tech involved here

First showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine now plays a part in a variety of gaming genres. These include stealth, fighting games, MMORPGs, and other RPGs. The technology is written in C++ and features a high degree of portability.

Unreal Engine 4 has been designed for use on multiple platforms, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS, HTML5, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Magic Leap One, and virtual reality (SteamVR/HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, Google Daydream, OSVR and Samsung Gear VR).

For the latest information on Hurricane Florence, visit weather.com. For those in the hurricane’s path, we pray that you remain safe during this challenging time.

Those videos showing the potential power of the hurricane are impressive, wouldn’t you agree?

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