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Jun 12, 2024
2 min read

OpenWeatherMap

Weather API

I use OpenWeatherMap for a source of weather information : forecasts and history.

It’s useful for displays : I have a SenseHat and a Pi collecting data, displaying in on the 8x8 LED matrix - so I can see at a glance what the current weather is (if I don’t want to look out the window) and what the next 8 days will bring me …

It’s also a good source of data, especially time series data, for Proof of Concept applications.

Data available

Using the OneCall API : which is subscription, but 1000 calls a day free (say 1 call every 90 seconds) you get one big response for a lat/long:

  • current : lots of metrics about the current weather
  • minutely : precipitation forecasts for the next hour
  • hourly : detailed forecasts for the next 48 hours
  • daily : summary forecasts for the next 8 days

You can also make time machine calls to get a snapshot at an instant; a day summary for a date; and a plain text description for the current time.