Top Alternatives to the Yahoo Weather API for Developers
The Yahoo Weather API is a popular choice for developers looking to integrate weather data and forecasts into their applications. It offers a simple and free way to retrieve current conditions and 10-day forecasts for a given location.
However, the Yahoo Weather API has some significant limitations. It only provides basic data and lacks advanced features like minute-by-minute forecasts, weather maps, historical data, and weather alerts. The API also has rate limits that can be quite restrictive for high-volume applications.
Fortunately, there are a number of excellent alternatives to the Yahoo Weather API that offer more comprehensive data, advanced features, and flexible pricing. In this article, we‘ll take an in-depth look at the top options and help you choose the best weather API for your needs.
OpenWeatherMap API
OpenWeatherMap is one of the leading weather API providers. It‘s an affordable and developer-friendly option packed with features.
Key benefits of OpenWeatherMap include:
- Current weather for any location worldwide
- Minute-by-minute forecasts for 1 hour
- Hourly forecasts for 48 hours
- Daily forecasts up to 16 days in the future
- 5 day / 3 hour forecast
- Historical data from the past 40 years
- Weather maps with multiple layers like temperature, pressure, wind, precipitation, and clouds
- Weather alerts and extreme weather warnings
- Air pollution data including carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and more
OpenWeatherMap has a generous free tier that allows up to 60 calls per minute and includes current weather, 5 day / 3 hour forecasts, and several map layers. Paid plans start at just $40 per month and unlock additional features, higher rate limits, and guaranteed support.
To get started with OpenWeatherMap, sign up for a free API key. You can then make a GET request to the API with the desired endpoint and parameters. Here‘s an example of fetching the current weather in London using Python:
import requests
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
base_url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather"
city_name = "London"
complete_url = base_url + "?appid=" + api_key + "&q=" + city_name
response = requests.get(complete_url)
print(response.json())This will return a JSON response with current weather data like temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, and weather conditions.
OpenWeatherMap is an excellent all-purpose weather API suitable for a wide range of applications. It offers affordable and flexible pricing, global coverage, and a full suite of weather data.
Dark Sky API
Dark Sky is another top weather API known for its hyperlocal forecasts and ease of use. Though Apple acquired Dark Sky in 2020 and shut down the API for new users, it‘s still available for existing customers.
Highlights of the Dark Sky API include:
- Current weather conditions
- Minute-by-minute forecasts out to one hour
- Hourly and daily forecasts up to 7 days in the future
- Severe weather alerts in the US, Canada, European Union member nations, and Israel
- Historical weather data going back decades for many locations
- Time machine feature to request weather for a date in the past or future
- US weather radar data
The Dark Sky API allows 1,000 free calls per day, making it a great choice for small-scale applications and prototyping. Paid plans start at $0.0001 per call.
Here‘s how to fetch the current weather and today‘s forecast for a specific latitude and longitude using the Dark Sky API in Python:
import requests
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
latitude = 42.3601
longitude = -71.0589
url = f"https://api.darksky.net/forecast/{api_key}/{latitude},{longitude}"
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.json()[‘currently‘])
print(response.json()[‘daily‘][‘data‘][0]) This returns the current weather conditions and the forecast for today.
If you already have access, the Dark Sky API is a fantastic choice, especially for applications that benefit from hyperlocal forecasts. However, it‘s no longer available for new signups.
ClimaCell API
ClimaCell is an innovative weather API that uses machine learning to combine data from traditional sources like weather stations and radar with data from wireless signals, connected cars, airplanes, drones, and IoT devices. The result is incredibly accurate minute-by-minute forecasts.
Advantages of the ClimaCell API include:
- Hyper-accurate forecasts updated each minute
- "Nowcasting" that predicts individual precipitation start and end times
- Real-time weather map tiles for visualization
- Weather alerts for severe conditions
- Pollen, air quality, and fire index data
- Intuitive API with extensive documentation
ClimaCell has a free developer plan that includes 1,000 API calls per day and access to basic features like current conditions, forecasts, and precipitation tiles. Paid plans start at $500 per month and enable advanced features, enterprise-grade service level agreements, and dedicated support.
To get the current weather and a 15-minute forecast from ClimaCell, you can use code like this:
import requests
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
base_url = "https://api.climacell.co/v3"
lat = 42.3601
lon = -71.0589
fields = ["temp", "feels_like", "humidity", "wind_speed", "weather_code"]
url = f"{base_url}/weather/realtime?lat={lat}&lon={lon}&unit_system=us&fields={‘,‘.join(fields)}&apikey={api_key}"
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.json())You can easily customize the request to retrieve the desired weather variables and units.
The ClimaCell API is a top choice for applications that depend on precise, real-time weather forecasts like on-demand delivery, outdoor events, and energy. It‘s pricey compared to other options but the accuracy is unmatched.
AccuWeather API
AccuWeather is a household name in weather forecasting. Its API gives you access to the same trusted weather data and forecasts you see in its popular apps.
Key features of the AccuWeather API include:
- Current conditions with 15-minute updates
- Minute forecasts for the next two hours
- Hourly forecasts for the next 72 hours
- Daily forecasts for the next 5 to 45 days
- Severe weather alerts
- Historic weather data by date
- Valuable weather indices like UV index, precipitation probability, and chance of thunderstorms
- Developer-friendly API with code samples in multiple languages
AccuWeather offers a free trial API key that allows for 50 calls per day. Paid plans start at $25 per month and scale to meet enterprise requirements.
Here‘s an example of getting the current conditions for a location based on its AccuWeather location key:
import requests
location_key = "YOUR LOCATION KEY"
api_key = "YOUR API KEY"
url = f"http://dataservice.accuweather.com/currentconditions/v1/{location_key}?apikey={api_key}"
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.json())The response includes the temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, visibility, UV index, and more.
AccuWeather is a solid pick for applications that prioritize brand recognition and trust. It‘s a bit pricier than options like OpenWeatherMap but many consumers are familiar with the AccuWeather name and forecast methodology.
Aeris Weather API
Aeris Weather aims to be the most developer-friendly weather API on the market. It provides a powerful set of tools to access and visualize weather data.
Notable features of the Aeris Weather API include:
- Global weather and environmental data including forecasts, radar, satellite imagery, and air quality
- Data-driven weather map layers for displaying information
- Layouts for quickly building impressive data visualizations
- Advanced data endpoints for hurricane and tropical cyclone tracking, drought, wildfires, earthquakes and more
- Detailed documentation with code samples
Aeris Weather has a free plan that allows 350 API calls per day. Paid plans start at $24 per month. Aeris also offers usage-based pricing that starts at $0.01 per call.
To retrieve the forecast for the next 7 days using the Aeris API, you can use the following code:
import requests
client_id = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
client_secret = "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
location = "new york,ny"
url = f"https://api.aerisapi.com/forecasts/{location}?format=json&filter=day&limit=7&client_id={client_id}&client_secret={client_secret}"
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.json())This will return daily forecast data for the next week including high and low temperatures, humidity, wind speed and direction, sky coverage, and more.
The Aeris Weather API is an excellent choice for data-intensive applications. Its robust set of granular data endpoints and powerful mapping and visualization tools set it apart. The affordable usage-based pricing is great for applications with unpredictable volume.
Choosing the Right Weather API
With so many high-quality weather APIs available, how do you choose the right one for your application? Here are some factors to consider:
- Data requirements – Make sure the API offers all the specific data points you need, such as minute forecasts, weather alerts, air quality data, or historical data.
- Accuracy – If your application depends on precision, look for an API like ClimaCell that emphasizes forecast accuracy. For more general use cases, options like OpenWeatherMap and AccuWeather should suffice.
- Ease of use – Choose an API with clear documentation, code samples in your programming language of choice, and an intuitive API structure. All the APIs covered in this article are relatively developer-friendly.
- Pricing – Make sure the API offers a pricing model that fits your needs and budget. If your application has unpredictable or highly variable usage, consider an API like Aeris Weather that offers usage-based pricing.
- Support – If you anticipate needing technical support, look for an API with a reputation for responsive and helpful customer service. Paid plans typically include some level of support.
Ultimately, the right weather API depends on your unique requirements and priorities. Don‘t be afraid to experiment with a couple different APIs to find the perfect fit.
Conclusion
While the Yahoo Weather API is a popular choice for adding weather functionality to applications, it has some significant limitations. Luckily, there are a number of powerful alternatives that offer more flexibility, features, and customization.
In this article, we looked at five of the top weather APIs:
- OpenWeatherMap – Full-featured and affordable API with a generous free tier
- Dark Sky – Specializes in hyperlocal forecasts; no longer available to new users
- ClimaCell – Uses AI to generate exceptionally accurate minute-by-minute forecasts
- AccuWeather – One of the most trusted names in weather forecasting
- Aeris Weather – Developer-friendly API with powerful mapping and visualization tools
We explored the key features, benefits, pricing, and use cases of each API. We also walked through code samples showing how to fetch weather data from each provider.
When choosing a weather API, consider your specific data requirements, accuracy needs, ease of use, pricing, and support options. With a bit of research and experimentation, you‘re sure to find the ideal weather API for your application.
As a full-stack developer, I‘m excited by the wide range of possibilities these weather APIs enable. From creating custom weather apps and visualizations to enhancing the user experience of existing products, the sky‘s the limit. I encourage you to check out these APIs and start building something awesome!