Interesting uses for weather

Hello! This is my first post on this forum. I’ve recently started working on my game and started thinking about weather and how many moments in games that seem to add a lot to their storyline. So I was wondering what are some of your takes on weather effects. How do you use them and think they should or shouldn’t be used (of course the main one is that it probably shouldn’t be raining inside.)

I mainly use weather in cutscenes, or to explain why a town is empty. For example, there's a point in my game where you go to a town that is hostile to you...and a downpour is taking place. So, due to that you can walk around the town still, as everyone (except a couple guards) is inside.

Also I used weather once to move the party indoors in a cutscene (someone looks off and I did a thunder rumble and a flash to simulate lightning), and they then tell the others "We better finish this inside, a storm is about to hit"

And you know, if you get creative, you can do really silly things with it. In my game there's a scene where someone loses control of their magic and just for a moment it snows...indoors. Of course the rest of the party comments on it "Um...you just made it snow...inside"

Using weather in cutscenes does make sense, but what about using weather in regular gameplay, especially lightning flashes. How do you get the right level and frequency on those that it doesnt hurt peoples eyes, do you use white or something like a blue.

I actually don't use those, mainly because I have friends with epilepsy and too many bright flashes can cause problems when they try to play a game. So all I do is an SE instead to simulate thunder way offscreen if anything.

To provide atmosphere. You want to make a place feel dreary, then maybe rain. Threatening, then maybe distant rumbles of thunder. False sense of security, then sunbeams, birdsong, with a sudden switch to overcast. It all depends on the effect you want.