Need quick weather data solutions? Discover our top selections for the most efficient weather APIs available today:
- WeatherAPI: Best for free global data
- Open-Meteo: Best for small-scale projects
- National Weather Service API: Best for US weather alerts
- OpenWeatherMap API: Best for versatility in various applications
- meteoblue API: Best for pinpoint accuracy
- Visual Crossing: Best for historical weather data
- Accuweather API: Best for weather imagery
- Meteomatics: Best for comprehensive weather data analysis
Weather is more than just small talk – it deeply affects our daily lives and decisions. From a farmer keeping an eye on the forecast to an event organizer hoping for clear skies, having dependable weather information is crucial.
That’s where weather APIs come in. These handy tools allow developers, businesses, and even the curious among us to tap into real-time weather updates and historical data. If you’re thinking about building an app, running a business that relies on the skies, or just have an interest in the weather, choosing the right API can be a game changer.
In this guide, we’re going to take a close look at some of the top weather APIs out there, shedding light on their features, reliability, and the nuances that make each one unique.
Best Weather APIs: Compared side by side
API | Price | Key Features | Free plan? | Best Suited For |
---|---|---|---|---|
WeatherAPI | $4-$65/month | -Weather and geolocation API-Real-time weather for millions of locations-Historical and future weather -Bulk requests | Yes | Global for free weather data |
Open-Meteo | $29-$99/month | -Open-sourced API-High resolution data from 1-11km-No API key-Local and global models-Hourly updates (local)-80 years of historical data | Yes | Best for small projects |
National Weather Service API | Free | -Open and free data from the U.S. government-Weather forecasts, alerts, and observations-Multiple formats available | Yes | Best for comprehensive U.S. weather alerts |
OpenWeatherMap API | $40-$2000/month | -Weather and geolocation API-Real-time weather data covering global locations-Long-term forecasts-Historical data from 2010 and on-Bulk requests | Yes | Best for a versatile solution |
meteoblue API | Credit-based pricing structure | -Global weather data coverage-Hundreds of variables from over 30 models-Uses AI and ML-Forecasts available for up to 14 days in advance | Yes | Best for accurate weather data |
Visual Crossing | $35-$150/month | -Real-time weather data in a single API call-Past, present, and future weather data-Sub-hourly, hourly, and daily options-Historical data spanning 50 years | Yes | Best for historical weather data |
Accuweather | $25-$500/month | -APIs for locations, forecast, current conditions, indices, imagery, translations, and more-Location keys for aliases, postal codes, and points of interest-Air quality and pollen forecasts | Yes | Best for weather imagery (radar and satellite images) |
Meteomatics | Price based on configuration | -Current weather data, historical data spanning 40 years, forecasts, and over 1800 weather parameters-Forecasts up to 14 days-Climate projections up to 2100-High-resolution models for Europe | Yes | Best for comprehensive weather data analysis with access to over 1800 parameters. |
What to Look for in a Weather API
Navigating the weather APIs currently available can be a bit like predicting the weather itself – sometimes uncertain and a little overwhelming. But knowing what to keep an eye out for can help clear things up. First and foremost, you’ll want to consider the accuracy and reliability of the data. After all, what good is a weather API if it can’t give you trustworthy insights?
Next, think about the coverage. Are you focused on global weather patterns, or is your interest more region-specific? Some APIs offer extensive global coverage, while others shine in particular regions. The frequency of updates is another important factor. If you’re in a field where every minute counts, like event planning, you’ll want real-time updates.
Historical data is big for researchers, businesses, and those wanting to track weather patterns over time. Some APIs excel in this, offering extensive archives of past weather conditions. On the financial side, look into the pricing structures. Many APIs offer free tiers with limited requests, which can be great for hobbyists or smaller projects, while more extensive needs might require a paid plan.
Lastly, for the developers out there, ease of integration and comprehensive documentation can make all the difference. A well-documented API can save hours of headaches as you incorporate it into your project.
Best Weather APIs: A Comprehensive Review
Now let’s take a look at the current weather APIs out there and what they offer so you can find the best fit for your project.
I’ll also include the current weather response in my location (Miami, Florida) so we can see how each API fares in terms of accuracy.
Top 8 Best Weather APIs
1. WeatherAPI
Best for Global Free Weather Data API
WeatherAPI is an excellent source for weather data, offering real-time, forecasted, marine, and historical weather details. The API gives access to millions of weather points for hourly, daily, and 15-minute interval weather, and they boast 99.99% uptime, so it’s an API you and your users can rely on.
This API simply has a ton to offer all kinds of users. Whether you care about historical weather (their API dates back to 2010), air quality data, or even astronomy, it’s incredibly versatile and wide-reaching.
Integration is smooth and user-centric, given that it’s designed by developers for developers. And while WeatherAPI is an all-around great choice for anyone looking for weather data, I’d say it’s an especially solid option for those on a budget, given its generous free plan.
Without paying anything, you get 1 million API calls a month, access to real-time weather, 3-day forecast, weather alerts, air quality, Search API, and plenty more.
Current Weather Example
You can give the API a test drive right from their website using their interactive API Explorer tool. Below is a screenshot of the response time of my location in Miami, Florida, and the weather details are spot on.
Features
- Weather API and Geolocation for commercial and non-commercial use
- Real-time weather information for millions of locations
- Historical and future weather includes 14-day daily, hourly, and 15-minute interval forecasts
- Future forecasts up to 1 year ahead
- Hourly historical weather from 2010 and on plus marine weather
- 200 ms average response time and 99.99% uptime
- Supports bulk requests
Pricing
- Free – 1 Million requests per month. Includes real-time weather, 3-day forecast, basic marine weather, last 7 days of historical weather, and common features like AQI, Weather Alerts, Search API, and more.
- Developer ($4/Mo) – 2 Million requests per month. Includes a 5-day forecast, slightly extended marine weather, the last 7 days of historical weather, and an uptime of 97.5%.
- Starter ($7/Mo) – 3 Million requests per month. Features include a 7-day forecast, 3-day marine weather, the last 7 days of historical weather, and 99% uptime.
- PRO+ ($35/Mo) – 5 Million requests per month. Extended offerings with 14-day forecast, 5-day marine weather with tide data, historical data up to 365 days, future weather up to 300 days, bulk requests, and 99% uptime.
- Business ($65/Mo) – 10 Million requests per month. All features of PRO+ with extended marine weather for 7 days, historical weather from 1st Jan 2010 onwards, future weather up to 300 days, IP blocking, and 99.9% uptime.
- Custom (Consultative) – Custom request volume. All features of the Business plan with an extended 14-day forecast, 7-day marine weather, historical weather from 1st Jan 2010, future weather up to 365 days, and 100% uptime.
Drawbacks
While WeatherAPI’s free plan is pretty generous, if you’re looking to make bulk requests, you’ll need to spring for the pro version.
2. Open-Meteo
Best for Small Projects
Open-Meteo offers a free and straightforward open-source weather API, ideal for smaller projects or personal use. While it might not be as robust as some of the other APIs on this list, I like that it brings a blend of ease and efficiency to the table. With that said, the API does include a powerful combo of global (11 km) and mesoscale (1 km) weather models from major weather services, so users can count on it being reliable and accurate. Best of all, you don’t need an API key, so you can get started quickly.
Another highlight is that the entire codebase is transparently available on GitHub, so you’re free to check out and even contribute to the code.
Despite being a more no-frills, free solution, I found their documentation to be thorough and comprehensive, detailing the parameters used.
Forecast and Current Example
I took this weather response below using their easy online API query builder tool at the same time as Weather API and the data is mostly the same. The temperature is only off by about 2 degrees between the two APIs, with Open-Meteo hitting closer to home with 78.8 Fahrenheit (currently 79 degrees).
What’s great about this interactive tool is that it lets you select the data and variables you care most about to see how the responses look before taking that extra step to committing it to your project.
Features
- Free and open-sourced weather API
- High-resolution data from 1-11 km
- No API key required
- Local and global models
- Hourly updates (local)
- 80 years of historical global weather data (10-km resolution)
- Additional forecasts like solar radiation, high-altitude winds, transpiration, soil moisture and temperature, waves, and air quality
- A variety of APIs are available, like forecast, historical weather, ensemble models, climate change, marine, and geocoding
Pricing
- Free for Non-commercial Use – Limited to 10,000 requests daily. Ideal for non-commercial applications. Adhering to fair use and proper attribution is mandatory. Open-Meteo can block applications or IPs misusing the service.
- API Standard ($29/Mo) – 1 Million monthly API calls. Designed for commercial applications, it includes a Commercial use license, Forecast API, and features like Air Quality, Marine, Flood, Elevation, and Geocoding API.
- API Professional ($99/Mo) – 5 Million monthly API calls. Tailored for advanced needs, it comes with a Commercial use license, Forecast API, and encompasses Air Quality, Marine, Flood, Elevation, Geocoding API. Additionally, it offers Historical Weather API, Climate API, and Ensemble API.
- Enterprise (Consultative) – Customized solutions to cater to enterprise-level requirements. Features include Priority Support, SLA, Procurement Process, Volume Discount, and solutions tailored to unique enterprise needs.
Drawbacks
Open-Meteo is a great choice for users looking for an open-source and free weather API, but it may fall short for commercial users due to its limitations on non-commercial use.
3. National Weather Service API
Best for Comprehensive U.S. Weather Alerts
The National Weather Service (NWS) API emerges as a solid choice for anyone wanting a free API tailored to national weather insights (as its name implies). So if you’re looking for global weather data, this isn’t the API for you.
The website is a little clunky and the API might not offer quite as much data as other APIs on this list, but I like that it’s a completely public service from the U.S. government and you don’t even need an account to use it.
With this API, you can access forecasts, alerts, and observations, among other endpoints. Interestingly, their API is based on JSON-LD (linked data). This approach not only promotes machine data discovery but also ensures that the data is interconnected and can be seamlessly queried.
I can’t say much on their rate limit, since it’s not public information, but their website claims it’s a generous amount for typical use, so it’s certainly worth a try.
Forecast Example
To quickly try out the NWS API, you won’t find an interactive tool directly on their website similar to what some other API providers offer (like those above). But you can test their API endpoints directly by making HTTP requests to the provided API URL: https://api.weather.gov.
So let’s see what the weather looks like here in Miami. The response shows this afternoon’s weather as 83 degrees, which is what I’m seeing as the forecast on other weather outlets. Looks good!
Features
- Open and free data from the U.S. government
- Access to weather forecasts, alerts, and observations
- Multiple formats available (GeoJSON, JSON-LD, DWML, OXML, CAP, and ATOM)
Pricing
The NWS API is open data that is free to use.
Drawbacks
This API has some great basic weather data, but if you’re looking for a more global, comprehensive weather API solution, this one might not fit the bill. Their documentation is also not as user-friendly, so newbies might find it a bit harder to get started.
Another drawback I found is that the API doesn’t offer much in the way of historical weather data like most other APIs on this list offer. For this, NWS refers users to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The NCDC is responsible for preserving, monitoring, assessing, and providing public access to the Nation’s treasure of climate and historical weather data and information. If you need historical weather data, they offer a range of datasets and products that include historical weather observations, climate data, and more through the NOAA’s Climate Data Online (CDO) service.
4. OpenWeatherMap API
Best for a versatile solution
OpenWeatherMap is one of those APIs that I often recommend because of its versatility (and its popularity among users). From current weather data and forecasts to historical data and specialized products like the Road Risk API, it caters to a very broad audience. Whether you’re a developer who needs straightforward current weather data for an app, a researcher looking into past weather trends, or a business wanting to factor in road conditions for logistics, OpenWeatherMap has you covered. And best of all, their documentation is very user-friendly. It includes guides, tutorials, and other resources for easy use.
While their pricing plans can get expensive, don’t let it scare you. For a small project, you could start with the free subscription plan, which includes 1,000 API calls per day at no cost (not too bad). If the app scales and requires more data, you could move to a paid subscription like the Startup plan which gets you 60 calls/minute and up to 1,000,000 calls/month, current weather, 3-hour forecasts for 5 days, hourly forecasts for 4 days, and daily forecasts for 16 days. If historical maps and data are what you’re after, however, you will need to upgrade to a pricier plan.
For bigger projects, they offer Professional Collections, which include much more data and features from their various collections.
Current Weather Example
While this API does offer a free plan, you’ll still need to subscribe and add your profile and billing information to get an API key.
Below is a sample of a current weather data call, with the data available in JSON, XML, or HTML format.
Features
- Weather API and geolocation for both commercial and non-commercial purposes
- Real-time weather data covering millions of locations globally
- Extensive forecast data with daily, hourly, and 15-minute interval predictions for up to 14 days
- Long-term forecasts that project up to a full year in advance
- Comprehensive historical data with hourly weather details from 2010 onwards, including marine weather
- Impressive performance metrics with a 200 ms average response time and a 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Bulk requests
- Custom weather alerts based on user-defined conditions
- Detailed location-specific data
- Data visualization tools like interactive maps, graphs, and charts
- User-friendly documentation
Pricing
Free – Access to current weather and forecasts. Includes 60 calls/minute and 1,000,000 calls/month. Perfect for beginners and limited applications.
“One Call by Call” Subscription Plan – Pay as you call: 1,000 API calls per day for free, then $0.0015 per API call over the daily limit. Includes access to One Call API 3.0, offering minute forecast for 1 hour, hourly forecast for 48 hours, daily forecast for 8 days, and government weather alerts.
Startup ($40/Mo) – 600 calls/minute, up to 1,000,000 calls/month. Includes current weather, various forecasts, and basic weather maps, with an uptime of 95%.
Developer ($180/Mo) – 600 calls/minute, up to 10,000,000 calls/month. Expanded access to advanced weather maps, weather dashboard, and added APIs like Road Risk and Air Pollution. Ensures an uptime of 95%.
Professional ($470/Mo) – 3,000 calls/minute, up to 100,000,000 calls/month. Inclusive of even more enhanced features, bulk downloads, advanced weather maps, and an uptime of 99.5%.
Enterprise ($2000/Mo) – 30,000 calls/minute, up to 1,000,000,000 calls/month. The most comprehensive package with bulk downloads for global cities, advanced weather maps, and superior APIs. Guarantees an uptime of 99.9%.
Drawbacks
A drawback I find with OpenWeather API is its pricing structure for higher-tier plans. While the “One Call by Call” subscription offers a pay-as-you-go model, the higher tiers have fixed prices with call limits. Businesses with fluctuating demands might find themselves either underutilizing the API some months (and overpaying) or hitting the limit and needing to upgrade. And for those who need specific features available only in the higher-tier plans, the jump in cost might be prohibitive.
5. meteoblue API
Best for accurate weather data
meteoblue is impressive with its swift, precision-focused Weather API. Powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and their own meteoblue Learning MultiModel (mLM), the service clearly prioritizes accuracy unlike other APIs I’ve seen. It’s not just about predictions, they verify against real-world observations.
I also really like their pricing structure. Instead of monthly fees, they employ a credit-based system, letting users pay for only what they use. These credits carry over, so nothing is wasted. For example, if you go for their 30 million credits package at $60, it basically means you can make up to 10 basic-1h API calls every day for an entire year, just to give you an idea.
With that said, their coverage is expansive, with models spanning continents from Europe to Asia. Data is tailored, ensuring everyone from farmers to pilots gets their specific weather needs. For example, farmers get high-resolution forecasts crucial for crop management, while aviators get data covering various altitude levels for optimized flight plans.
And if you’re after historical weather, their Dataset API stretches back to 1940, for both hourly and daily resolutions. This includes a wide range of weather variables and simulations, but you’ll have to shell out 400 Euros a year to get access to that package.
Current Weather Example
Meteoblue has a useful Forecast API configurator on their website. It’s an interactive tool that simplifies the process of customizing weather data requests. You can enter geographic coordinates and select data packages like current weather conditions which generates a customized API URL. After running my current location, the temperature in the response was on the mark.
Features
- Unique accuracy driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Pay-for-what-you-use credit-based pricing
- Global weather data coverage, regardless of measurement stations
- Hundreds of variables available from over 30 weather models
- Forecasts available for up to 14 days in advance
- Customizable data formats, including CSV and JSON
- Hourly forecasts using nowcasting and the Learning MultiModel (mLM)
- API management tools to monitor usage and control costs
- Sector-specific data for agriculture, energy, media, and more
Pricing
As mentioned earlier, Meteoblue uses a pre-paid credit pricing structure. Simple API calls use fewer credits than more complex API calls.
For example, their most common 7-day forecast with hourly data plus 14 weather variables (basic-1h) would cost 8,000 credits per call. 200 million meteoblue credits allow 25,000 API calls, respectively 68 calls/day for one year.
Free API – For non-commercial use, the free weather API includes 5,000 API calls and access for one year (renewable).
30 million credits ($60) – Covers 10x basic-1h daily for a full year. This one-time payment plan lasts for a duration of a year and comes with an option to auto-renew.
200 million credits ($300) – This provides 68x basic-1h daily calls for a year. A one-time payment grants access for a year, with an optional auto-renewal. With this package, users save 25%.
750 million credits ($900) – Get 256x basic-1h calls daily for 365 days. This package offers a significant 40% discount and, like the others, is valid for a year with an optional auto-renewal feature.
Enterprise Solutions – For those seeking a deeper dive into meteoblue’s offerings and credit pricing
Drawbacks
While I do like the flexibility and pay-for-what-you-use structure of their credit system, it can also be considered a drawback as it might be a bit challenging to navigate for some users, especially when determining how long their credits will last based on their specific use cases. Also, the costs can escalate quickly for frequent and specialized data fetches, making it more expensive than other weather APIs.
6. Visual Crossing
Best for historical weather data
The Visual Crossing Weather API is another popular choice for weather data needs, blending the past, present, and future into a single data request. You can retrieve real-time conditions, alerts, and details about weather events in sub-hourly, hourly, and daily data.
While it’s certainly a great weather API all around, it’s an especially good option if you’re interested in historical weather data since their database spans over 50 years, tapping into data from more than 100,000 weather stations globally. Best of all, this is available in their free tier. (Open-Meteo, which we reviewed earlier, has historical data from over 80 years, but it’s only available in their $99/month plan). This Free Tier gets users 1,000 records a day at no cost. This means you can access various weather data up to 1,000 times in a single day without any charge.
I also like their geocoding feature that allows weather data lookups through various methods, like addresses, ZIP codes, and coordinates. Right from their website, you can design, preview, and view weather data for free and download it as a CSV, Excel, or JSON file. This interactive tool is a great way to quickly explore and understand the data they offer without making an API call.
Weather Example
Visual Crossing also has an online query builder tool so you can take their API for a spin. In the screenshot below, you can see the current weather in my location, which is accurate. And of course, you can add some parameters and specifications to the query, like the data range, output format, data sources and more.
Features
- Real-time weather data in a single API call, including past, present, and future weather data
- Detailed data granularity with sub-hourly, hourly, and daily options
- Instant access to current conditions, alerts, and significant weather events
- Extensive historical data archive spanning over 50 years
- Vast network with data from over 100,000 weather stations
- Geocoding features allow lookups by Address, ZIP Code, Lat/lon, and more
- Design and preview tools for data visualization on the website
- Direct download options for data in CSV, Excel, or JSON formats.
Pricing
Free Tier: Offers 1,000 records per day, single concurrency, and 50 years of historical data. Users have access to a 15-day forecast, current conditions, and global coverage through API and direct downloads. It includes location geocoding, weather alerts, and astronomy data, supported by a community forum.
Professional Tier ($35/month): Designed for individual users, this plan offers 10 million records per month, single concurrency, and similar features to the Free Tier. It adds HTTPS encryption and options for bulk data retrieval and scheduling.
Metered Tier ($0.0001/record): A flexible plan for apps and teams offering unlimited records and concurrency per month. It includes all the Professional Tier features, plus access to sub-hourly data, but lacks scheduling options.
Corporate Tier ($150/month): Aimed at teams and small businesses, this plan offers unlimited records, team concurrency, and adds email support. Users can have up to 10 named accounts, and it includes access to Degree Days API and sector-specific data for energy and agriculture without requiring attribution.
Enterprise Tier (Contact for Pricing): Tailored for businesses demanding high availability and unlimited access, it offers all the features of the Corporate Tier plus unlimited users, an SLA guarantee, and custom invoicing options.
Drawbacks
Visual Crossing Weather API is definitely a robust API solution, but the single concurrency limit on the Free and Professional tiers could be a bottleneck for apps needing high-volume, simultaneous data access.
7. Accuweather API
Best for weather imagery (radar and satellite images)
Accuweather has very similar features as the other APIs on this list, but I like mentioning them because they’re a highly recognized, major name in the weather industry, so you know their API is not only extensive but backed by reliable sources, like weather stations, models, radar, and satellite data.
With the potential to access up to 100 different weather parameters, including specialized data on tropical systems and hurricanes, locations, current conditions, weather alarms and alerts, imagery, plus hourly and daily forecasts, their API packages are perfect for a variety of applications. I especially like their weather visualizations, but just keep in mind you’ll have to display the AccuWeather logo in your apps.
While they do offer a free tier, it’s not quite as impressive as other APIs on this list, offering just 50 calls per day and very limited historical data (24 hours). AccuWeather does offer more extensive historical data through their Enterprise APIs, but this is a separate offering from the standard weather API, requiring a minimum one-year contract.
Current Weather Example
Signing up for a free account with AccuWeather is a straightforward process. Once registered, you can get your unique API key by setting up a project in your developer dashboard. This involves specifying the project’s purpose and the specific weather data you’re interested in.
From there, you can easily add your query parameters directly on their site to fetch real-time weather data. For example, using their API, I was able to get pinpoint accurate current weather conditions for my location in Miami, FL, which you can see below.
Features
- APIs for locations, forecast, current conditions, indices, weather alarms, alerts, imagery, tropical, translations, and MinuteCast (minute-by-minute precipitation forecast)
- Flexible CPM pricing for API call volumes
- Location keys for aliases, postal codes, and points of interest
- Air quality and pollen forecasts in specific regions
- Forecasts provided in metric or imperial units, based on preference
Pricing
Core Weather API
Free: Access to Locations, Current Conditions, and 24 Hours Historical Data. Daily Forecast for 5 Days, Hourly Forecast for 12 Hours. Limited to 50 calls/day.
Standard ($25/mo): Includes Translations, 5 Days Forecast, Alarms, and up to 225,000 calls/month at $0.12 CPM for additional calls.
Prime ($250/mo): Extended to 10 Days Daily Forecast, 72 Hours Hourly Forecast, Tropical and Alerts features. 1.8 million calls/month with $0.15 CPM thereafter.
Elite ($500/mo): Premium offering with 15 Days Daily Forecast, 120 Hours Hourly Forecast, plus Imagery. 2.4 million calls/month, then $0.22 CPM.
MinuteCast API:
Free Trial: Try MinuteCast with 25 calls/day.
Lite ($25/mo): More calls and features, capped at 10,000 calls/month at $0.18 CPM for extra calls.
Full MinuteCast ($100/mo): Comprehensive minute-by-minute forecasts, up to 675,000 calls/month with $0.12 CPM for additional usage.
Drawbacks
One drawback is their limited historical data. The API only has short-term past weather conditions and no historical forecasts. Access to more comprehensive data requires a separate paid Enterprise API with a minimum one-year commitment, which could be a barrier for those looking for flexible and in-depth historical weather information.
8. Meteomatics
Best for comprehensive weather data analysis with access to over 1800 parameters.
Meteomatics is another major player in the weather industry, offering a comprehensive Weather API with plenty to offer. What really sets Meteomatics apart is their combination of precision and accessibility, delivering over 1800 weather parameters through an interface that simplifies data acquisition for any coordinate on the globe.
Their EURO1k is their own in-house high-resolution weather model that boasts an impressive 1km resolution across Europe, covering complex terrain and challenging landscapes. They also offer historical data stretching back to 1979 and climate projections up to 2100.
Meteomatics is also pretty impressive with how they use ML and AI. They’re not just crunching numbers, they’re really smart about turning all sorts of data into better weather predictions. It’s like they tailor their forecasts to fit different industries and keep updating their models with real-time info. This makes their forecasts very detailed and reliable.
Current Weather Example
You can sign up for a free account with Meteomatics to get started using their API. The screenshot below shows today’s hourly weather in Miami, FL, which so far looks pretty accurate.
I will say their documentation is very thorough and includes parameters available, tutorials, and even a handy URL creator tool that gives you easy access to weather data in all formats for your API queries.
Features
- API includes current weather data, historical data (40+ years), forecasts, and industry-specific weather parameters (over 1800) and indices
- Global weather and environmental data
- Forecasts up to 14 days
- Climate projections up to 2100
- EURO1k high-resolution model for Europe
- Real-time downscaled data delivery
- 90-meter resolution for all models
- MetX web-based data visualization tool
- User-friendly single API interface
- Multiple output formats and language integrations
Pricing
Free Basic API Package: Non-commercial use with up to 500 queries per day, providing 15 basic weather parameters, a forecast of up to 10 days, and historical data for the past 24 hours. Global resolution at 1 hour and 90 meters, supported by email assistance.
Weather API Trial: A 14-day free trial offering all weather API features for current forecasts and data from over 25 weather models. Registration provides instant access, with historical and climate data excluded.
Pay Per Dataset: Custom purchase option for specific historical datasets, current data, or weather forecasts, available directly from the Weather Data Shop.
Business API Package: For commercial use, this package offers individually tailored queries, access to over 1800 parameters, deterministic forecasts for up to 15 days, extended forecasts for up to 46 days, and ensemble trend forecasts for up to 7 months. Includes historical data dating back to 1979 and climate projections up to 2100, with a global resolution of 5 minutes and 90 meters. Supported by 24/7 customer service, with pricing based on individual configuration requirements.
Drawbacks
Meteomatics gives access to over 1800 weather parameters, which is great for in-depth analysis but could be daunting for users who need simpler data sets. The sheer volume of options might make it slightly less user-friendly for those who are new to weather APIs or only need basic weather information.
How to Integrate a Weather API
The integration of a weather API into a project, be it a mobile app, website, or any other platform, is fairly straightforward, especially if you’re used to working with APIs. This is especially true with clear documentation.
The first step usually begins with signing up for an account on the API provider’s platform. After getting the necessary API keys, it’s all about embedding these into your project. Many providers offer SDKs or specific code snippets for different programming languages, making integration easy. Typically, it involves sending HTTP requests to the API, processing the response (usually in JSON format), and then presenting the data to your users on the front end.
Here’s a quick beginner tutorial for the OpenWeatherMap API:
Common challenges and solutions
While integrating, you might come across rate limits, especially on free tiers. This means there’s a cap on the number of API calls you can make in a specified time frame. If you’re nearing or exceeding this limit, consider caching results or upgrading your plan.
Another common challenge is handling data in various weather conditions or unforeseen scenarios. Make sure your application can gracefully handle unexpected data or, in rare cases, lack of data.
Lastly, always keep the user experience in mind. Just because a wealth of data is available doesn’t mean you need to display it all. Focus on what’s important to your users, keeping the interface intuitive and user-friendly.
Conclusion
As we round off our look at the best weather APIs, here’s the takeaway: WeatherAPI is great for free global data, Open-Meteo shines for small-scale projects, the National Weather Service API is a go-to for US weather alerts, and OpenWeatherMap API is versatile for various applications. Meteoblue API delivers pinpoint accuracy, Visual Crossing reigns for historical data, AccuWeather offers detailed weather imagery, and Meteomatics provides an extensive range of over 1800 parameters for thorough analysis.
As you can tell, every API has its strengths, so the right choice is about picking the one that aligns with your specific needs. If you’ve used any of these services, we would love to hear about your experience!
Jessica Cotzin is a Senior Engineer at a global digital agency. She is also a freelance writer in the tech industry, offering insights into the ever-evolving digital landscape.