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Weather is a fundamental aspect of the Grand Theft Auto World that has existed throughout most of the Grand Theft Auto games.
Description[]
The weather in the game is controlled by a time cycle which triggers certain weather types to occur at random or pseudo-random times.
In some games, weather is localized to certain parts of their maps, while other games see inescapable weather changes impact the entire playable area. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has the most diverse biomes in its map, so also has the most diverse weather.
The games can also simulate transitions between weather types. For example; it may be cloudy, then a slight drizzle may fall, followed by rain and then a thunderstorm. This is a perfect example of the wide varieties of weather mixtures the game is capable of doing. The games can also simulate wind, which can realistically result in trees swaying back and forth and increased turbulence while flying aircraft. Rainbows can also appear in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Broadcasters on some Radio Stations often comment on the current weather or announce the weather forecasts in the local area. The Internet in Grand Theft Auto IV also has weather forecasts. Eyefind.info in Grand Theft Auto V displays the current weather in the top right corner.
The first weather report was in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, where it was used to implement the Island Restrictions, announcing the closure of the bridges in Vice City due to the threat of Hurricane Hermoine.
In the HD Universe, weather will impact the behaviour of Pedestrians, with the onset of rainfall seeing them running for cover or attempting to shelter their heads with held objects and the density of pedestrians on the streets reducing rapidly. In GTA V and GTA Online, street gang presence will be significantly reduced during rainstorms.
Weather in GTA Online[]
In Grand Theft Auto Online, the weather is defined by a pseudo-random schedule consisting of 55 weather changes spanning 384 in-game hours. In other words, the weather cycle in GTA Online repeats every 12.8 real-life hours, and it changes 55 times in this interval — or rather, 54 times, because the cycle starts and ends with the same weather type, "Partly Cloudy". These weather events can last between 120 real seconds and one real hour.
It never rains at night in Free Mode; however, rain at night can be seen in some jobs (e.g. Humane Raid - Deliver EMP) and during special events (e.g. Halloween, Alien Egg mission). Rain at night in Free Mode may have been disabled because old consoles' performance was too poor to render the reflections of the standing water in a 30-player lobby.
Rain at nighttime is one of the two possible weather types (the other being snow) required for the Alien Tattoo event to spawn. GTA Online players could mostly only get the special UFO Tattoo legitimately during snowy weather, specifically because rain at night is a near-impossible event. The only known legitimate way (but still unverified) to enable rain at night is through the Nazar Speaks fortune "I see thunder and lightning!".
Weather Schedule in GTA Online[]
[
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 0},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Mostly Cloudy", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Clear", "time": 11},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 14},
{"weather": "Clear", "time": 16},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Clear", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Hazy", "time": 17},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 21},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Cloudy", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Foggy", "time": 14},
{"weather": "Cloudy", "time": 18},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 0},
{"weather": "Foggy", "time": 6},
{"weather": "Cloudy", "time": 10},
{"weather": "Mostly Clear", "time": 20},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 8},
{"weather": "Drizzling", "time": 9},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 12},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 5},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 8},
{"weather": "Raining", "time": 11},
{"weather": "Drizzling", "time": 14},
{"weather": "Cloudy", "time": 17},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Mostly Cloudy", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Foggy", "time": 11},
{"weather": "Clear", "time": 15},
{"weather": "Mostly Clear", "time": 8},
{"weather": "Foggy", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 9},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Mostly Clear", "time": 6},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Mostly Clear", "time": 6},
{"weather": "Raining", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Drizzling", "time": 10},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 12},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 6},
{"weather": "Cloudy", "time": 8},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 13},
{"weather": "Misty", "time": 4},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Mostly Cloudy", "time": 12},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 18},
{"weather": "Mostly Cloudy", "time": 6},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 18},
{"weather": "Clear", "time": 1},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 7},
{"weather": "Raining", "time": 9},
{"weather": "Drizzling", "time": 16},
{"weather": "Partly Cloudy", "time": 17}
]
Selectable Weather[]
In some game modes, particularly Multiplayer in GTA IV, some Jobs in GTA Online and default options for custom jobs created in the Content Creator, and Director Mode in GTA V, the player can choose what weather to have active during their session.
These options give some officially assigned names to the weather:
| GTA IV Multiplayer | GTA V Director Mode | GTA O Jobs (Creator) |
|---|---|---|
| Variable | Current | |
| Clear | Clear | Clear |
| Bright | ||
| Broken Cloud | Clouds | |
| Overcast | Overcast | Overcast |
| Hazy | ||
| Smog | Smog | |
| Foggy | Fog | Foggy |
| Drizzle | ||
| Rain | Rain | Raining |
| Thunder | Thunder | |
| Xmas (snow) |
Types of Weather[]
Clear[]
A freight train passes on a pleasant day.
Clear or Sunny weather occurs quite often in most cities, usually appearing daily in the 3D Universe. Sunny weather creates a "cheerful" atmosphere, especially in locations such as Vice City and most areas in San Andreas. Sunny weather is also commonly seen in the HD Universe. The tropical Caribbean island of Cayo Perico is almost always depicted as a sunny paradise.
Overcast[]
Clouds looming over Vinewood, Los Santos.
Cloudy, Broken Cloud and Overcast weather is one of the most common weather states in GTA, and it has featured in every game of the franchise. Cloudy weather does not create a particular atmosphere and is considered a "default" weather state due to how often it occurs. Cloudy weather can be seen pretty much everyday at some point, except in some places such as the desert, where overcast conditions may never take place. Cloudy weather does not have much of a visual difference, as the sky is still brightly lit during daytime, unlike foggy or rainy conditions, and visibility is still high. It generally occurs before or after rainfall.
Sunset in Blaine County, with a cloud partially obscuring the sun.
Hazy[]
The 3D Universe first introduced players to visual shimmering heatwaves when the temperature reaches blazing highs, though this does not affect the player's health in any way.
Sandstorm[]
A sandstorm is a weather pattern first seen in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. They arise when a gust front blows loose sand and dust from a dry surface. It occurs regularly only in Bone County and Las Venturas as it suits the climate. When sandstorms occur, visibility is severely restricted. Clouds of dust can be seen blowing and the sky's color changes to a dull brown. Sandstorms also have a physical impact on aircraft, increasing turbulence, blowing them fiercely in random directions, which can make flying treacherous. Pursuing Police Mavericks, and News Choppers will fly away when sandstorms occur and aircraft will never spawn in the sky. Minor dust storms can also occur in the Grand Senora Desert in GTA V, but are not as intense as previous.
Fog[]
Fog and mist is common in both renditions of Liberty City, San Fierro, and the countryside of San Andreas, and very rarely in Vice City. This can range from a light fog to a thick impenetrable "pea soup" effect where visibility is severely reduced. Foggy/misty weather can create an "eerie" atmosphere, especially in locations such as the remote San Andreas countryside.
Smog[]
Smog is often present in Los Santos in both GTA: San Andreas and GTA V. Radio stations based in that city will have DJs comment about the smog. A Redwood Cigarettes commercial mentions of a man hinting the amount of pollution within the areas.
The presence of smog within the city suggests that Los Santos is very polluted. This does not adversely impact the player's health though.
Rain[]
Rain or Drizzle occurs in most GTA games every three to five days, though this can vary depending on the climate. For example, in GTA: San Andreas, rain mainly occurs in Los Santos, San Fierro, and the surrounding countryside. Rain can also occur in Las Venturas and Bone County, but very rarely. GTA: Vice City first introduced realistic rain drops forming on the player's screen as if they were literally in the protagonist's shoes. The 3D Universe introduced car's headlights reflecting the rain on the road which instantly resulted in senses of realism, making the game more "alive" and increasing the atmosphere. The rainfall can vary depending on how clear the skies are. Rain also affects the performance of many road vehicles, and can degrade handling and braking power due to slippery roads. GTA IV introduces new variable forms of rainfall including drizzle. In GTA V this is enhanced even further, with different intensity of rainfall being featured. It ranges from drizzle and sun-showers, to torrential downpours.
Thunderstorm[]
An uncommon thunderstorm in Cayo Perico in Grand Theft Auto Online.
Thunderstorms are a less common occurrence. Heavy rainfall results in occasional thunder and lightning, which, if supported, causes controller vibration, to increase the sense of realism. GTA V also introduced rendered forked lightning bolts in the sky during thunderstorms, as opposed to the sky simply "lighting up" as sheet lightning in previous games. During severe storms, the yellow light on traffic lights will continuously flash, indicating that the power has been switched off.
Snow[]
Snow is first introduced in GTA: San Andreas, during the mission Saint Mark's Bistro, while the player is in Liberty City. The snow was also slightly featured in the PlayStation Portable version of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories while doing the Car Salesman side missions. Snow reappears in GTA V, where it is always present in the midwest State of North Yankton during the events of Prologue, and later in Bury the Hatchet which takes place during a light snowstorm.
Snow makes regular appearances in Grand Theft Auto Online, usually as Holiday Gifts in late December, where the entire southern San Andreas area is blanketed in snow and light snow showers are common. Vehicle traction is significantly reduced (more so than during rainfall) when snow is present.
The player can turn snowfall on in Los Santos and Blaine County in Director Mode, however this snow does not settle and will not provide a "blanket of snow" effect.
Vehicles that are present during snowfall will have their external surfaces covered in large patches of snow. Unlike the vehicles in North Yankton, which have the patches of snow present on the models themselves, the snow which accumulates on vehicles in GTA V and GTA Online appears to be mostly dynamic decals.
Mission Scripted Weather[]
While most missions in the games take place in the standard timecycle and therefore have random weather possibilities, some missions may have their weather pre-scripted for dramatic effect, or in some cases, increased or reduced difficulty. e.g. During the Cayo Perico Heist, a thunderstorm may be present and Pavel will advise that it will reduce the enemy effectiveness as their vision and hearing will be impaired.
Examples of pre-set weather[]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Bar Brawl - As soon as the mission is completed, weather conditions will suddenly change.
- Publicity Tour - The rain which appears during this mission is scripted.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Management Issues - The time will always be set to 16:00 when starting the mission and will automatically move to 22:00 after reaching the convoy.
- Amphibious Assault - During the mission there will be fog throughout the state of San Andreas, including Las Venturas and the desert. However, as soon as the mission is completed, the fog will only be in San Fierro.
- Vertical Bird - Even if the weather is fair before starting the mission, once the mission is started, it will become cloudy and rainy, and the mission will always take place at night; moreover, in the case of the PC and later versions, there will be a red storm.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- The Sicilian Gambit - The weather will always turn stormy upon arrival at Portland Rock, regardless of how it was previously.
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
- The Master and the Molotov - The thunderstorm which appears during this mission is scripted.
- A Revenger's Tragedy - The second half of the mission (after Dimitri kills Pegorino) is always scripted to take place in rainy conditions, in order to create a dark and sad theme.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
- Friends Reunited - When Trevor leaves the trailer with Wade, there's always a scripted thunderstorm, but the weather will clear again when they get to Los Santos.
- The Third Way - Arriving at the rendezvous point near the end of the mission, the time will always be preset at 20:00 with a sunny sunset.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Humane Raid - Deliver EMP - The rain during this mission is scripted. In addition, the game clock is permanently set to 02:05 AM.
- A Superyacht Life - Bon Voyage - The weather is always set to heavy thunderstorm.
Glitches[]
- There is a glitch in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in which Tierra Robada uses the countryside's weather patterns, despite being a semi-arid region. Thus, it may rain but sandstorms would never occur.
- The PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas brightens the land as if it's daytime and had an incorrect red sky during a thunderstorm in the countryside. This is because the PC version had an incorrect timecyc.dat which causes the game to set incorrect sky colours and ambient lighting at 8 PM (20:00) during rainy weather in the countryside.
- A glitch occurs in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories whereby the water levels rise in stormy conditions to such an extent that low surfaces such as jetties and some roads can become slightly submerged and sometimes force Victor into the swimming animation by just standing on them.
- In Grand Theft Auto V rain can sometimes appear even if the player is in a tunnel or interior location.
Trivia[]
- The Xbox port of Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City had a different rain droplets on screen than on the PlayStation 2 which had a dynamic feel to it and it moves when the camera turns to the left or right.
- Rainbows that appear are not curved, and have only six colours.
- Rain was noticeably rare in the original PlayStation Portable release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Rain/storms generally occurred less often than they did in preceding games, and clouds were less commonly seen. This was rectified in the PlayStation 2 port; rain and storms occurred more regularly, and clouds were also seen more often in the sky, making the weather more similar to past games in the series.
- GTA San Andreas is the only game in the 3D Universe where rain will clean dirt off the player's vehicle. Vehicles driven by NPCs are unaffected however.
- On weaker systems, rain can significantly affect the frame rate of the game, especially in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV, sometimes making it very low.
- Due to the outdated GPU on the PlayStation 2, the timecycle on the PlayStation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is rendered differently than that of other versions. This results in a unique (but not necessarily realistic) timecycle. For example, midday skies on the PlayStation 2 are often greenish-blue, while on the PC and Xbox versions they are sky-blue. Other noticeable examples are during late afternoons in Los Santos in which the sky turns into a deep intense orange colour, while on both PC and Xbox the sky has a much clearer "yellow" tint to it.
- In The Lost and Damned, the sky during the daytime is always a light or dark orange, and is dark blue during the night, to fit in with the game's more sombre tone. By contrast, sunrises in Grand Theft Auto IV usually have a grey tone, while the ones in The Ballad of Gay Tony have a pink tone.