Whether you’re developing a mobility app, building an agricultural tool, or just looking for a reliable weather forecast, the Weather API offers detailed, up-to-date, and location-specific weather data. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the possibilities and show you what you can do with it.
What does the Weather API do?
Google combines data from weather stations around the world with AI models and a numerical weather prediction model to deliver accurate and reliable weather information through the Weather API.
Using coordinates, you can retrieve data such as:
- Temperatures: minimum, maximum, and feels-like temperature
- Precipitation: amount and type (rain, snow, sleet)
- Wind: direction, speed, gusts
- Humidity: dew point, heat index
- Cloud cover: percentage
- UV index: amount sun exposure
- Thunderstorm probability: shown in percentages
- Sun and moon data: rise and set times
This information is available for various time periods: from the current weather situation to hourly forecasts up to 240 hours ahead. You can also get daily forecasts up to 10 days in the future and even look back up to 24 hours into weather history.
Real-world examples
The strength of the Weather API lies in its combination of hyperlocal precision, real-time data, and forecasts up to 10 days ahead: ideal for apps and systems that depend on weather conditions. From smart city solutions to agriculture, transport, tourism or retail.
Courier services: more accurate ETAs with weather impact
By integrating weather data, customers can receive more realistic estimated arrival times. For example, the system can account for delays due to rain or headwinds for bicycle couriers.
Event planning: assessing the risk of thunderstorms
Organizers of outdoor events use the API to monitor the chance of rain, thunderstorms, or strong winds. A warning of a 60% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon might be enough to activate a plan B or automatically notify guests to bring a raincoat.
Tourism and recreation: promoting holiday destinations
A travel platform can show not only photos of the area but also real-time weather information per location:
“Tomorrow 21°C and clear skies in the Ardennes, perfect for a weekend getaway.”
Retail: weather-based promotions
Stores and online shops can smartly tailor their marketing campaigns to the local weather. Expecting lots of sun and a rising UV index? Then it’s the perfect time to promote sunscreen and sunglasses. Forecasts of wind and rain? Highlight raincoats and waterproof pants.
Construction sector: optimizing planning and safety
Construction companies can use weather forecasts to plan site activities. Strong winds or frost might require temporarily halting work to ensure safety.
A solid foundation with a future focus
Whether you want to help your users get home dry, predict more accurate arrival times, or organize a safe festival: the Weather API lets you build smarter and more reliable applications.
In a world where the climate is changing and the weather becomes less predictable, Google’s accurate weather data provides a solid foundation for evolving your applications and adapting to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Curious how to integrate the API into your system? We’re happy to help!
The API is currently still in preview, so contact us if you’re interested. We’ll provide you with all the information you need to get started quickly.
